Why study Teaching English as a Second Language at MC?

Teaching English as a Second Language: A major that emphasizes the integrated study of linguistics, second language acquisition, the psychology of language development with the pedagogical skills required to teach English as a second language in the pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade setting.

Majors in this area of study also acquire a minor in a foreign language.

The College’s Center for Global Engagement gives students numerous opportunities (studying, interning and volunteering) to travel abroad and experience other cultures and languages, which helps to inform their approach to teaching English learners. Generous scholarships are available to spend summers and semesters abroad.

In recent years, Maryville College has had many graduates accepted into the highly selective Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Program, a Japanese government initiative that recruits college graduates to the East Asian country to teach English. Successful applicants live and work in a Japanese community and represent the United States as cultural ambassadors for up to five years.

 

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Meet a Recent Grad

Photo of alumni Alex Yanez who recently graduated with a degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.

Alejandra Yanez ’22

Currently: Newcomer ESL Teacher at Lenoir City Middle School

Alejandra enrolled at MC thinking she would major in Business but after rediscovering her Latino roots, she realized that she wanted to, as she says, “represent kids who look like me.” Now entering her second year of teaching, Alejandra credits MC for preparing her “amazingly” for her career, adding “the education program really pushed me to my best ability, which has allowed me to be entirely present and prepared in my classroom.”

Her career plans are to continue in the classroom while also returning to school to obtain
a master’s degree.

 

There is an increasing demand for TESL professionals in our school systems.

Graduates of our program are very attractive to school systems not only for their ability to teach TESL to a wide range of students but also because our graduates have teaching endorsements in the foreign language minor they completed. Other options include graduate study in linguistics and teaching English in foreign countries.

Alcoa City Schools
Blount County School System
Clayton-Bradley Academy
Maryville City Schools

Students successfully completing the program of study will have achieved:

  • Understand linguistic terms and concepts essential for teaching English as a second language.
  • Identify by name all the phrasal and clausal syntactic structures commonly used in the formation of English sentences.
  • Draw generative tree diagrams of kernel sentences in English.
  • Describe how the phonemes of American English are produced in the mouth.
  • Read and write phonetic transcriptions using the International Phonetic Alphabet.
  • Understand the stages of language development in children that can normally be expected at different ages.
  • Understand a range of methodologies and approaches for teaching English that are suitable for learners of different ages and levels of English ability.
  • Articulate a philosophy of standards of correctness that balances respect for linguistic diversity with acknowledgment of the reality of both sociolinguistic prejudice and culturally determined norms of correctness.
  • Articulate how their own experience as learners of a second language facilitates empathetic understanding of their students as language learners.
  • Conceive and execute an original research study on a topic related to teaching English as a second language.
  • Effectively communicate information about a teaching project through development and delivery of an oral presentation.

 

The Major in Teaching English as a Second Language requires 12 credit hours in major courses, 48 credit hours in courses related to educator preparation, and a minimum of 15 credit hours above the 100 level in one of the following second languages: American Sign Language, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish.

Required courses include:

Major and Major-Related Courses

ENG 219: Advanced Rhetoric and Grammar (3 hrs)
ENG 311: History of the English Language (3 hrs)
ENG 312: Linguistic Theory and Second Language Acquisition (3 hrs)
PSY 101: Introductory Psychology (3 hrs)

Educator Preparation Courses

PSY 211: Child Development (3 hrs)
PSY 218: Adolescent Development (3 hrs)
EDU 200: Field Experience I (1 hrs)
EDU 201: Models of Classroom Instruction (3 hrs)
EDU 202: Educational Technology (3 hrs)
EDU 299: Contemporary and Professional Issues in Education (1 hrs)
EDU 305: Strategies for Classroom Management (2 hrs)
EDU 312: Instructional Strategies for Diverse Learners (3 hrs)
EDU 321: Disciplinary Literacy Methods (3 hrs)
EDU 323: Reading & Writing K-5 (4 hrs)
EDU 333: Applied Pedagogy (3 hrs)
EDU 351: Senior Study I (3 hrs)
EDU 352: Senior Study II: Professional Seminar (3 hrs)
EDU 375: Field Experience II (1 hrs)
EDU 403: Clinical Practice for PK12/Secondary (10) (10 hrs)
EDU 411: Educational Assessment & Evaluation (3 hrs)

Course offerings in a second language may be found in the course listings under American Sign Language, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.

Clinical experience (student teaching) involves a full semester, with experiences in teaching English as a second language at both the pre-K-5 and 6-12 settings.

In addition to required courses for majors and minors, Maryville College students take classes in the Maryville Curriculum, a core program of general education. Consisting of 51 credit hours, the Maryville Curriculum ensures that students see their major in a wider context and develop the basic communication, quantitative, and critical thinking skills that are needed for success in college and career.

You may also be interested in:

English

History

Psychology

Spanish
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