Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - Minor

The undergraduate minor in TESOL provides CU Boulder students with foundational knowledge and skills for English teaching while also incorporating the broader perspectives of culture, language use and language learning. Housed in the linguistics department, the 18-credit minor is open to all interested students, and may be of particular relevance to students from social science, humanities, speech/language, foreign language, international affairs and communication programs or backgrounds.

The widespread role of English as an international lingua franca opens up many opportunities for trained English teachers globally. Increasingly, EFL (English as a foreign language) providers want to hire individuals with relevant training—not just those who are native or near-native speakers. Minor earners, in conjunction with their bachelor's degrees, will have the credentials to be able to tap into professional opportunities in the dynamic world of English language teaching—globally and in the U.S.

The program is focused on the teaching of English to young adults and adults while also incorporating the broader perspectives of language use and language learning from education, communication, culture and society. A one-semester practicum experience involves teaching or tutoring with a community ESL provider. 

Requirements

Students must complete a total of 18 credit hours of TESOL linguistic courses and TESOL related coursework, 9 of which must be at the upper-division level. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.00 (C) in all courses that can count toward the minor and complete all courses counting toward the minor with a grade of C- or better.

Students cannot declare both the major in linguistics and the minor in TESOL. 

Required Courses and Credits