Graduate Certificate in Intercultural Studies with a focus in Teaching English (TESL/TEFL)

Serving among other language groups in the mission of God

Why Teaching English (TESL/TEFL)?

The Graduate Certificate in Teaching English (TESL/TEFL) provides students with the knowledge and skills to teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), to students for which English is a second language (TESL), and to teach English as a foreign language (usually in a country that is not predominantly English-speaking) (TEFL). Through the certificate program, students gain the following capabilities:

ability to articulate the sweeping narrative of God's story of global redemption throughout the Old and New Testament
ability to observe and evaluate the teaching of English in its global, social, economic, personal, and cultural contexts
ability to articulate and apply key concepts and principles to the study of the nature and structure of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics
ability to develop listening and speaking skills whereby the student integrates language skills with living, social, academic, and professional skills from an intercultural perspective
ability to develop practical reading and writing skills and integrate those skills with practical language skills
ability to create TESOL materials through collecting and organizing authentic linguistic and cultural data and developing the TESOL curriculum by planning lessons and designing communicative tasks.

You don't have to travel abroad to teach English; there are plenty of immigrants who need help learning the English language. You may have opportunities to teach English as a second language (ESL) at a public school, community college, community center, church, library, corporation, or for a private group. But you may also teach English in another country where you will experience another culture and see the world in a way no tourist can. it’s a chance to do something wonderful and adventurous that will change your life forever. Teaching abroad captures what international exchange is all about. It’s people from very different cultures coming together, learning from one another, and making positive connections. It’s a way to travel, gain work experience, and do good all at the same time. It's an amazing chance to change lives for the better. Helping young students learn English opens doors to new opportunities for them. And helping adult learners enables them to communicate with English-speaking relatives and become more competitive in the global economy. Many faith-based organizations offer opportunities to serve abroad teaching English.