TESOL (Minor)

The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Minor is a set of courses designed to prepare students interested in teaching and/or working with multilingual learners. The minor is primarily for students pursuing careers in teaching but is also appropriate for students interested in a range of professions that require regular interaction with a multilingual population (e.g. social work, work force development, public health, and management). It also benefits students who want to later pursue K-12 ESOL certification or a graduate degree in education or linguistics at UNH or another institution. As the cultural and linguistic diversity in PK-16 schools continues to increase, the TESOL Minor is an excellent choice for any student interested in public school teaching.

Additionally, the TESOL Minor may appeal to students who are interested in teaching English to bi-/ multilingual learners in non-K-12 settings, either in the US or abroad. In the U.S. this includes teaching at the post-secondary level, e.g. community colleges, academic enrichment centers at Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) and at adult learning centers. For students wishing to teach abroad, the TESOL Minor provides a competitive edge over other B.S./B.A. candidates applying for prestigious opportunities such as the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program. The minor is also beneficial for students pursuing overseas opportunities (e.g., Peace Corps, World Teach), and, in addition, opens up new international job-seeking possibilities.

For more information, contact Judy Sharkey, Professor of Education or Susanne Paterson, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator.

For the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Minor at UNH Manchester, students must complete 20 credits with a minimum 2.0 grade-point average in these courses overall and with no individual grade lower than a C-. No more than 8 transfer credits will be accepted.

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Since 1998, EDUC 712 Teaching Multilingual Learners has been recognized by the Durham English Department as the equivalent of ENGL 715 Teaching English as a Second Language: Theory and Methods.

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Students may petition to have a TESOL-related course from another major (e.g., English, Communication Arts) serve as an elective.

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Special topics in the past have included: "Language and Culture in Schools & Schooling"; "The Immigrant Experience in Film and Literature"; and "Sociolinguistics and Socioliteracies." Students may petition to have a TESOL- related course from another major (e.g., English, Communication Arts) fulfill the EDUC special topics requirement.