Job Discussion Forums

[kaitlin_h17]

Hi everyone! I am currently a Spanish Education major. I want to get certified for TESOL, but there is a slight problem.

I have to talk to graduate admissions because TESOL is a graduate degree program and I'm an undergrad...so I can't take graduate level classes. However, I can take all of the corresponding coursework with a linguistics minor. The classes are EXACTLY the same; the graduates just do an extra project or paper and they end up with a TESOL certification. The head of the Linguistic department also stated:

"Without your taking the graduate versions, I could print you out a certificate and a letter certifying it. The issue is that it wouldn't be on your transcript. I'm not sure if that would be significant. To take the grad versions, you'd have to go through the grad school. I'm not sure how that would work out. It might. We'd have to ask. "

So for you all who have gotten jobs or applied for jobs, how important do you think it is that my TESOL certification won't be on my transcript (assuming I can't take graduate classes)? (The classes will still show up on my transcript). Also, without the graduate admissions, could I still say that I am 'certified'? I would still have a 'certificate' and a letter from the chair saying that I've taken all of the necessary coursework for the TESOL certification.

I just don't know if this will be an issue when I look for TESOL jobs in Hispanic countries.

I'm going to talk to the graduate admissions to see if it would be possible to take the graduate-level classes, but there is a great possibility that I won't be able to.

I just don't want to take all of the classes as an undergrad if they won't be valid for certification....because then I would have to take the same classes all over again as a graduate for certification! (How much sense does that make?)

Thanks for all your help; this has been kind of a headache!

P.S. I hope this was clear; if it's not, then ask away!

[nomad soul]

It appears you'd be taking these grad-level classes for non-credit, which some universities consider continuing education. You need to consider if the time and expense would be worth it over the long run. However, assuming you want to teach adults, another and perhaps better stress-free option for you would be to complete a CELTA or equivalent TEFL cert (one that entails 120 hours of study and supervised practice teaching with real students). Doable once you finish your BA program.

[contented]

Hmmm, that's an interesting situation. What university do you attend? If they'll write a letter certifying you took the courses and earned your certificate and if the certificate has the university name written on it, appropriate signatures and seal then IMO you'd be okay. The classes will show on your transcript and you'll earn the linguistics minor.

I think as long as your certificate is official from the university then you won't have a problem. I earned TESOL certification at university and no employer ever brought up transcripts, they just want to see the certificate.

If I'm wrong in my thoughts I hope someone will correct me.

[nomad soul]

Who can predict if an employer might scrutinize the OP's TESOL cert. against her transcript. As I understand it, the corresponding coursework would show on her transcript as non-credit, if at all, and that the classes wouldn't be as rigorous as the grad-level versions. In the future, when the OP eventually enrolls in graduate school, she would take the same requisite courses but this time for credit towards a graduate cert in TESOL. It would be like repeating the same coursework all over again but in a grad school program and with more stringent requirements. This is an issue. She should look at other options and not feel tied to just this particular solution.

[AGoodStory]

[nomad soul]

Thanks, GoodStory! Sorry for being both confused and confusing!

Let's try this again... Her actual certificate wouldn't be listed on her transcript and she wouldn't get credit for already completing those courses when she ultimately enrolls in grad school for the TESOL cert. In other words, she'd end up taking same courses again. And now I wonder which uni she's attending. I'm curious about how courses that will satisfy a linguistics minor at the undergrad level will also fit the requirements for a post-grad teaching ESOL certificate (with more rigorous work added to get it to the grad level).

[kaitlin_h17]

I receive credit for the classes in the sense that they show up on my transcript.

However, the CERTIFICATE does not show up on my transcript.

But the chair would write a letter stating that I have fulfilled TESOL requirements but within the context of a linguistics minor.

I think I'm still going to go this route because I don't have that many open spaces for classes to get a different minor, but I have enough for this one.

I think the coursework I have would *hopefully* be enough to get a job teaching abroad a couple years.

But if I wanted to get officially certified, I would have to take the EXACT SAME classes again, but just with the extra project.

I don't want to reveal the name of the University for privacy reasons, but it makes no sense to me either why we have the system like this!!!!!

[tttompatz]

OP... what do you want to do?

Do you want to teach EFL for a year or two after university before returning home to a "career" then it won't matter.

Do you want to become a career EFL teacher?
Do you want to become a certified teacher and work overseas?

Then it MIGHT matter depending on where you want to go.

Also be aware of "where", because of your passport, you probably can't get legal work.

.

[nomad soul]

You might want to think about going to a different university for your graduate TESOL cert. This would at least allow you some variety in your studies in that it would give you more of a fresh challenge and possibly include TEFL-related coursework that your current uni doesn't offer in their TESOL cert program. Besides, some astute interviewer might notice on your transcript that you took the same classes for both your minor and your TESOL cert!

Good luck with your studies!

[kaitlin_h17]

Thanks everyone for the advice I am planning on probably just teaching a couple years before coming back to the states to be a Spanish teacher, but I'm not sure yet! I might really enjoy it and then want to do it for longer.

I would switch universities but I got a full-ride scholarship at this one, and I have some extra classes to take, so I think I might as well just do it since I don't have enough spaces for classes open to fulfill any other minor.

Hopefully the TESOL classes will still be worth something *crosses fingers* And maybe I could teach abroad for a couple years with just the TESOL classes (and no official certification) and then if I want to do it seriously, get certified somewhere abroad?

[rtm]