Axe ’Em, Jacks!
This four-course online program is designed for K-12 teachers seeking supplemental certification for teaching children whose native language is not English (English as a second language) or for teaching children whose native language is Spanish (bilingual). As the U.S. population continues to become more diverse, these certifications are highly marketable.
You can earn your certificate in one summer (the program is offered only in the summer), and the program is open to teachers in almost all 50 states. The four courses focus on the history of English as a second language and bilingual education in the United States, foundations of English as a second language and bilingual education, English as a second language/bilingual assessment and content-specific pedagogies.
As a certified English as a second language teacher, you’ll have enhanced knowledge of methods and techniques for teaching that will aid English language learners in the content areas, although you’re not required to learn a foreign language. As a bilingual certified teacher, you’ll help limit confusion encountered in an English-speaking environment by introducing concepts and clarifying information in the child’s native language. Students pursuing the SFA bilingual certificate must be proficient in Spanish because they will be delivering content instruction in Spanish and in English.
The courses required for this certification are offered online. The courses are offered ONLY during the summer sessions and must be taken in a specific sequence. You will take a capstone exam in last semester of your coursework. Then you must pass the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards English as a Second Language Supplemental Exam or Texas Examinations of Educator Standards Bilingual and state proficiency test to earn your certificate.
English as a second language/bilingual supplemental certification is also available to select undergraduates through the senior overlap program. The overlap program permits qualified undergraduates to pursue a limited amount of graduate study (usually 12 credit hours or less) concurrently with undergraduate study. Overlap courses count only for graduate credit and will apply to a master’s degree.
You must apply for this program and also for graduate school. The admission process takes up to one month, so it is important for you to start the procedures well in advance of the time you expect to register for these classes.
To be eligible for the overlap program, you must:
- Be enrolled in an SFA undergraduate program
- Have achieved at least 95 earned hours of undergraduate credit
- Have a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average. A student with fewer than 115 undergraduate earned hours must present a 3.0 GPA both overall and in the major field.