Introduction

Please click here to see English department information.

The Certificate in Teaching English Language Learners (CTELL) is designed to help you gain the skills necessary to teach English Language Learners at a variety of levels.  It is built to serve those who want to teach in multilingual public and private schools in America as well as those who plan to teach English overseas. This certificate also serves the needs of international students wanting to teach English in their home country or other countries.

The program, which can be completed through CU Online, is designed to build the necessary skills to teach adults English as a second language. It is primarily aimed at native speakers of English who want to teach overseas but may serve the needs of international students wanting to teach English in their home country or other countries. Opportunities exist for internships at CU Denver’s ESL Academy, International College of Beijing (ICB) and other language schools.

When can I start?

You may begin in any semester. There is no fixed deadline for application for admission.

Program Delivery

• This is an online program.  

Declaring This Certificate

Students interested in completing this certificate should complete the CLAS Undergraduate Certificate Intent to Declare Form, which requests that the certificate be added to your student record. Once added, you will be able to run a certificate degree audit. The certificate degree audit should be used in collaboration with the certificate advisor, Joanne Addison (joanne.addison@ucdenver.edu), to ensure completion of all certificate requirements.

Completing This Certificate

Students must complete the CLAS Undergraduate Certificate Completion Verification Form before graduation in order to confirm completion of their certificate. The certificate advisor will confirm that your certificate has been successfully completed and will work with campus partners to apply the certificate to your transcript.

Students must fill out the Certificate Completion Form before the deadlines below to ensure the certificate is applied to your transcript correctly. If you are a non-degree seeking student, please submit this form in the term in which you intend to complete your certificate.

Spring semester – April 1
Summer semester – July 1
Fall semester – November 1

These program requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with the CTELL advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.

General Requirements

Students must satisfy all requirements as outline below and by the department offering the certificate.

• Click here for information about Academic Policies

Certificate Requirements 

1. Students must complete a minimum of 15 ENGL credit hours.
2. Students must complete a minimum of 12 upper-division (3000- level or higher) credit hours. 
3. Students must earn a minimum grade of C- (1.7) in all courses that apply to the certificate and must achieve a minimum cumulative certificate GPA of 2.0. Courses taken using P+/P/F or S/U grading cannot apply to certificate requirements.
4. All credits for the certificate must be completed with CU Denver faculty.

Certificate Allowances or Restrictions

1. The same courses counted toward a minor or degree at CU Denver may also be used toward the requirements for a certificate.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete all of the following required courses:		9
ENGL 3160	Language Theory
ENGL 4601	Teaching English Language Learners: Theory and Practice
ENGL 4651	TESOL Writing & Assessment
Complete six elective credits from the following courses:		6
ENGL 3939	Internship
ENGL 4190	Advanced Topics in Writing, Rhetoric, & Linguistics 1
ENGL 5093	Teaching of Writing
LING 3100	Language in Society
Alternative elective approved by program advisor.
Total Hours		15

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Special topics courses must be on linguistics, TESOL, or approved by an advisor

Upon successful completion of the program, CTELL graduates will be able to:

• discuss the theoretical basis of English language instruction
• demonstrate a variety of effective English language teaching techniques
• explain, in pedagogically relevant ways, the linguistic structures of the English language

To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website.