Boston College’s TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate program is designed to prepare future English language educators with the essential skills, knowledge, and practical experience needed to teach English effectively to non-native speakers. The program combines innovative teaching methodologies, technology integration, and a global perspective, and is thus an ideal platform for educators ready to inspire language learners in dynamic, culturally diverse settings.
Please note: The TESOL Certificate does not provide or replace a K-12 teaching license.
This program emphasizes digital tools and virtual classrooms. From AI-powered language apps to VR simulations, students incorporate tech that makes language learning accessible.
Beyond traditional methods, the TESOL program uses project-based learning to immerse students in real-world scenarios. Participants engage with local organizations, design community programs, and use English teaching as a tool for social integration.
With a focus on adaptability, students learn to create inclusive, flexible lesson plans tailored to learners from diverse backgrounds, with varied abilities and learning styles.
The program offers training in cultural intelligence, equipping educators to embrace linguistic diversity. Workshops on empathy-building and bias reduction help create inclusive classrooms.
The certificate provides hands-on experience in diverse settings to learn cross-cultural pedagogy, preparing students for global contexts and helping them thrive in multicultural classrooms.
Focusing on leadership development, the program encourages educators to become advocates and change agents in their communities. Participants learn about educational policy and resource development.
In addition to a rigorous graduate-level curriculum that imparts a firm foundation in teaching English to speakers of other languages, our non-licensure TESOL certificate program has unique features that offer a balance of theory and practice in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Students in the program will learn to apply TESOL principles with instructional technology. Boston College’s Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is not a state-approved program and will not lead to endorsement or licensure.
Course | Course Title | Credit |
---|---|---|
EDUC7306
| Language Learners in Global Perspective This course provides an overview of language learning and the situation of second language learners in schools. First, we review processes of language learning and the challenges language learners face when they must simultaneously learn a language and learn subject matter in that language. We do this from a socialcultural perspective, exploring language learning as embedded in sociohistorically situated activities. We develop and account of how learning language is also learning culture. Second, we study how these processes vary across cultural contexts. Because language learning is woven into social and historical contexts, processes of language learning and schooling vary around the world. The course develops several case studies from different areas of the globe in order to illustrate how language learning and schooling can intersect in different ways. | 3 |
EDUC7314 | TESOL and Instructional Technology This course will focus on innovative teaching strategies for English language learners, covering topics such as developing thematic units, methods of teaching ESOL, second language reading and writing strategies, assessments, and multicultural education. The goal of this course is to enable students to understand and respond to the diverse linguistic, cultural, and educational needs of ESLs/EFLs in K-16 classes. Each module will also equip students with strategies guided by principles of comprehensibility and cultural sensitivity to make teaching adaptations for ESLs/EFLs. To accomplish the course objectives, the instructor will work on developing a lesson plan, language objectives, and curriculum for an on-going capstone project, which can be available to implement in students’ current or future classrooms. As part of each of these course modules, students will also engage in activities and tasks online and in the field that will raise their awareness of the practical and philosophical issues involved in fostering optimal environments for language and content learning for ESLs/EFLs. This class will discuss some of the latest, most effective research methods and teaching activities, collaborate with peers, and discuss salient issues related to curriculum and instruction in supporting language and content learning for ESLs/EFLs. | 3 |
EDUC7315 | Applied Linguistics for K-16 Teachers This course provides an introduction to the construction and use of languages, focusing on language structure (morphology, phonetics, phonology, syntax, and semantics), language use (discourse, pragmatics, and language variation), applied linguistics (L1 and L2), and English grammar. Students will compare English and other languages, exploring grammatical categories and processes. A wide range of topics are covered in the course, including grammar, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistic pragmatics (ex. body language), dialects, and computational linguistics. This course provides a solid foundation for future and current TESOL educators, language teachers, and language learners, as well as those pursuing advanced linguistics courses. There is no prerequisite or assumption of previous knowledge of linguistics for this course. | 3 |
EDUC7313 | Innovative Teaching Practices for ELLs/EFLs With the development of computers, their relevance to TESOL education has increased. Although computers cannot replace the knowledge and skills of a qualified teacher, students and teachers can use computers to facilitate the language learning process. The internet offers many websites and software programs aimed at helping English language learners learn and practice their language skills. In addition, the internet provides teachers with access to a wide range of resources and teaching ideas. This course presents methods and materials useful in second language acquisition, and it also evaluates current technologies and their applications in the TESOL classroom. Emphasis is placed on interconnections among theory, procedures, and applications to address the different ways in which technology can be used to enhance second language acquisition. Through instruction and hands-on practice, students will learn the benefits of instructional technology for teaching English to speakers of other languages, overcome technophobia, and gain strategies to apply effective technologies to teaching ESLs/EFLs. | 3 |
Each course has a unique capstone project that invites students to apply theory in TESOL learning environments.
In order to demonstrate skills and knowledge foundational to teaching English as a second language, students will be able to:
1. Critically analyze educational problems in TESOL, attending particularly to a diverse student population.
2. Apply appropriate and relevant instructional technology as a classroom tool for teaching a wide range of ESOL students (ESL/EFL, K-16).
3. Apply seminal theories and practices in teaching based on a comprehensive understanding of the foundation of TESOL instruction.
4. Develop formal and informal measures for assessing language development and skills among ESOL students.
5. Develop and implement innovative capstone projects (e.g., case study, digital storytelling project, action research study) in TESOL.
6. Explain how language functions as a structured system, including systematic approaches to language use and language ideology.
7. Apply scholarship from applied linguistics to TESOL from the perspectives of social and academic languages.
Deadline: Rolling admissions
Note: Certificate Program applications are considered on a rolling basis; however, preference for enrollment in selected certificate courses is given to students already accepted into the program, so applying as early as possible is recommended. As well, if you are enrolled in a one-year Master's program, please submit your application early in the Fall semester.
In addition to your academic history and relevant work experience, please include:
To be uploaded to your online Application Form.
In 1,000-1,500 words, describe your academic and professional goals, any experience relevant to this program, and your future plans, expectations, and aspirations.
All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts must be sent to our office before the application deadline. Please note the following:
Only official sealed (unopened) transcripts are acceptable. An official postsecondary transcript must be printed on official institutional paper and include at least one of the following: an institutional watermark, the registrar’s signature, or the registrar's seal.
Copies and unofficial transcripts sent directly from applicants are not acceptable, the transcript must come directly from the institution.
If you are a current student and have not completed your undergraduate and/or graduate degree, the most updated version of your transcript is acceptable.
Official electronic transcripts are accepted when sent directly to gsoe@dos5.net from the institution. When requesting electronic transcripts, you must manually type in gsoe@dos5.net to ensure it is received by our office.
Mailed transcript(s) should be sent to the following address:
Lynch Office of Graduate Admissions, Boston College
Campion Hall 135
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
gsoe@dos5.net
617-552-4214