International Programs in the The College of Education at the University of Alabama Presents the International Certificate Program in Teaching English as an Additional Language Offered through The Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Teaching English as an Additional Language (TEAL) International Certificate Program

The TEAL certificate is a 4-course program designed to build the skills and knowledge necessary to teach English as a second or foreign language, primarily to k-12 students. All courses in the International Certificate Program in TEAL can be applied toward a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

The Field of Teaching English as an Additional Language
The increasing use of English in the world has opened career opportunities for teachers of English as a second language or foreign language. Language educators work all around the globe in fields such as business, travel, translation, interpreting, and teaching. They work in countries where English is spoken only as a foreign language, such as Japan and Saudi Arabia, as well as in countries where English is the dominant language, such as Australia, Canada, England, and the United States.

Teaching English as an Additional Language requires skills beyond just knowing the language. The fact that someone speaks English as a native language does not qualify that person to teach it—especially to those who are learning English as an additional language. Teaching English as an additional language is a multifaceted academic discipline requiring training and expertise in linguistics, second language acquisition, language pedagogy, methodology, materials development, assessment and evaluation, curriculum and syllabus design, and cross-cultural communication.

The following set of 4 courses is specifically designed to meet the needs of international teachers in k-12 content-based, bilingual environments and the above areas of training and expertise.

Teaching English as an Additional Language (TEAL) International Certificate Program

CIE 562 : ESL Basic Methods

The primary role of the course is to examine critically various methods of teaching English to non-native English speakers. Issues which pertain to the bilingual and second language classroom are discussed as well as the various hypotheses for the way second languages are acquired, theories applicable to the main skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Rather than advocating a single theoretical basis for teaching second languages, current methodologies challenge teachers to become well informed and to exercise cautions, reasoned, enlightened eclecticism when making decisions about what they do in the classroom. Students will also have an overview of major issues and controversies in the field.

CIE 576 : Linguistics for Classroom Teachers

This course enables teachers and classroom researchers to understand the basics of how the English (and language in general) functions and the discourse processes of bilingual and second language classrooms. This course focuses on the practical implications of linguistic investigations and language theories for research in language learning environments and classrooms as well as linguistics.

CIE 577 : Second Language Acquisition

This course offers students information about a variety of methods for teaching additional languages. Though historically important methods (such as grammar-translation and audiolingual) are surveyed, greatest emphasis is on methods which have the following characteristics: a) are highly communicative, b) emphasize all four language skills plus culture, and c) deal with both cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of language learning. The primary
focus is, therefore, on methods that fit into a literacy-based approach as well as the current communicative approach and the closely related proficiency-oriented approach.

CIE 579 Teaching ESL: Programs and Policies

This course is designed to prepare prospective language teachers to identify, master, and display essential knowledge for the successful teaching of Bilingual and English as an Additional Language programs and curricula.