The TESOL Certificate (15 units) is issued by the Office of the University Registrar upon student request and completion of the below courses. The certificate includes concentrated coursework in TESOL designed for students with a major outside the English program who wish to teach English — at home or abroad.

CBU offers an undergraduate certificate in TESOL. 

This course prepares students to teach writing to second language learners, especially but not exclusively at the college level. Course materials and activities focus on current composition philosophy, research-based method and teaching techniques for collegiate level second language writing courses. At a minimum, this course is designed to introduce students to major theories, research, and practice in the teaching of English writing to second language learners. Thus, students should complete this course being able to do what ESL/EFL writing instructors do: design lesson plans for college composition; evaluate (read, respond to, grade, and assess) college level writing; and engage in research in at least one relevant issue in ESL/EFL composition pedagogy. This course should train students to be reflective practitioners and researchers of collegiate level English composition.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG442-A
STAFF, STAFF
09/02/2025 T 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Other Non-Site Locations OTHR

This course will be about reading in a second language, primarily, but not exclusively English. In particular, the class will emphasize teaching reading in English to learners whose native language is not English. Since research and theory inform sound pedagogical practice, we will also research and review research on a variety of relevant topics to teaching reading from both linguistic and educational perspectives. Finally, given the importance of literacy in so many contexts today, we will consider a multitude of variables which affect the teaching and learning of reading skills for both children and adults, in second and foreign language settings, and explore the implications of the research for all concerned.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG446-A
Walker, Deron
01/13/2025 T 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Building 36 36B

This course is designed for future ESL teachers who are interested in current thinking and research in second language material development and assessment and in the application of such in classroom teaching. There are two major goals: one is developing a solid understanding of the core issues in these areas and the other, which requires students to design their own materials and assessment tools and to evaluate existing ones, is facilitating the application of such an understanding in classroom teaching.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG452-A
Liu, Carla
01/13/2025 W 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Building 36 36B

Linguistic theory and method. Includes the study of the five universal elements of language (phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics) as well as the use of language and its variants in culture. Fieldwork required.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG463-B
Liu, Carla
01/13/2025 Th 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM James Complex 171
ENG463-A
Liu, Carla
01/13/2025 TTh 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM James Complex 171
ENG463-B
Liu, Carla
09/02/2025 TTh 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM James Complex 190
ENG463-A
Newton, Jennifer
09/02/2025 W 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM James Complex 190

This course will focus on the application of linguistic theory in education. Students will be introduced to various teaching philosophies and methodologies, focusing on their application to language learning. Students will be familiarized with various movements in education and psychology such as behaviorism, cognitivism, social constructivism, and humanism. Students will be instructed as to how diverse language teaching methods have been informed by various educational movements and how these philosophies and methods take form in the second language classroom. This course will build on the concepts taught in Language Structure and Acquisition but will focus more on second language learners both in ESL and EFL settings.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG472-A
Liu, Carla
09/02/2025 W 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM James Complex 192