Essentials of Tesol

For future dates of The Essentials of TESOL, please e-mail kitty.purgason@biola.edu.

The Essentials of TESOL is an intensive five-unit class that runs five days a week for three weeks, usually during the summer. You will attend class five hours a day and gain valuable teaching experience, skills, and knowledge that will train you to teach the English language. The course includes:

Methods and techniques for teaching speaking, listening, reading, writing, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar
An introduction to the sound and grammatical systems of English
Materials for teaching ESL/EFL
An exploration of cultural issues involved in teaching ESL/EFL
Practical ways to incorporate Christian truths and values in your teaching in an appropriate way

About Essentials of TESOL

What does the course cover?

This is a practical course which will give you the skills and knowledge you need to gain competence in teaching the English language.

You will:

learn methods and techniques for teaching speaking, listening, reading, writing, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar
be introduced to the sound and grammatical systems of English
discover a range of materials for teaching ESL/EFL
explore cultural issues involved in teaching ESL/EFL
discover ways you can incorporate Christian truths and values in your teaching in an appropriate way
get practical experience teaching non-native speakers

What is the workload?

This is an intensive five-unit class. The course runs five days a week for three weeks, and you will attend class five hours a day for a total of 75 hours. Your teaching practicum is in addition to those hours. You will be given some reading to do in advance in order to maximize your time on campus. See daily schedule for details.

What credit and certification options are available?

Credit options: Students who do not hold a bachelor's degree can receive undergraduate credit (pending administrative approval). Students who hold a bachelor's degree can receive graduate credit. Credit students must do additional reading and writing assignments after the three-week on-campus course. Most students do the course for a non-credit, certificate option.

Certificate

A certificate can take many forms. One can receive a "certificate" from various sources after a weekend course, a three-unit course, a five-unit course or programs of 15-25 units. Biola's Essentials of TESOL is designed to provide a similar level of practical training to the Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults.

Those who satisfactorily complete Essentials of TESOL will receive a Certificate from Biola University, Department of TESOL & Applied Linguistics, Continuing Education. The certificate is accompanied by a course description designed to be shown to future employers to assure them of the many areas you have been trained in.

Essentials certificate example

The certificate you receive will look like:

Biola University
School of Intercultural Studies
Department of TESOL & Applied Linguistics
Essentials of TESOL
This is to certify that [your name] completed a 105-hour course in
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Date

Signature __________ Signature __________

You will also be given an accompanying letter describing the course content.

What does the course cost?

2007 costs were:

Application fee
Basic tuition for non-credit students
Room and board
double room, three meals/day, 19 days, no linens
single room, three meals/day, 19 days, no linens
Five units of graduate credit
Textbooks (approximate)
Transportation (depending on location of practicum)

$50
$525

$590
$905
$1935
$100
$50

Can I transfer credit from Essentials of TESOL to Biola or another University?

As for our Biola programs, this is a stand-alone course. It does not meet requirements for either the undergraduate minor, graduate certificate or M.A. programs at Biola because it combines elements from several courses.

If taken for credit, the course is transferable to any college or university. It is the receiving institution, however, which decides to accept transfer units based on equivalence to their courses.

What kind of classmates will I have?

Essentials students are dedicated Christians, excited about the possibility of serving students, communities, and churches through TESOL. Some students will already have experience teaching ESL/EFL. Some students will be novices. Many students will be associated with agencies which use TESOL as a means of outreach. Some students will be preparing to work in the U.S.; many will be working in international settings.

What are the admission requirements?

Are you able to read 20-40 pages a day, take notes on class lectures, write papers responding to what you have read or seen or experienced and write simple lesson plan notes?
Do you have the stamina to do a three-week intensive?
Do you speak and write clear, accurate, and comprehensible English? If English is not your native language, please note that this course requires a high level of proficiency in speaking, comprehending, reading, and writing in English. Normally, Biola's TESOL programs require a TOEFL score of 600 paper/250 computer. Although a TOEFL score is not required for admittance into this course, we ask that non-native English speaks be able to show proof of proficiency.
Are you an evangelical Christian, in good standing with a current church or fellowship group and willing to conform to Biola's standards of behavior while studying here (a full statement of these standards is available if you request it)?

Who teaches Essentials?

Director

The course is directed by Dr. Kitty Purgason. She has been training ESL/EFL teachers since 1982. In 1997 she received Biola's Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her overseas experience includes teaching in Korea, China, Turkey, and Central Asia.

Faculty

The team of teachers and supervisors of practice teaching, all of whom have an M.A. in TESOL, are chosen for their skills in teaching and their breadth of experience.

When is the next course?

For future dates, please email kitty.purgason@biola.edu.

Daily schedule

9:00 am - 12:30 pm
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
1:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Essentials class
Lunch
Teaching preparation time
ESL class teaching time
Essentials class

On Friday there is no teaching, so you'll be finished by 3:00 p.m.

Depending on the numbers, you may be responsible for one, two or several 1/2- hour ESL teaching sessions.

Dorm

The dorm rooms are typically designed for two people. Bathrooms are shared. Pillow, linens and towels are NOT provided. There is an extra charge for a single room. There are often other conference groups at Biola in July. Cafeteria food at Biola is excellent, with lots of wonderful choices.

Travel and arrival

The closest airports are John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, and Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Shuttle buses, such as Prime Time, are available from either airport to Biola University, at the cost of around $35. At Biola, you will be within walking distance of shopping and some churches, and Essentials students who live locally are often willing to give rides to students who have come from a distance. Students arrive the Sunday before the course starts. The last night in the dorm is Thursday, and Friday activities will go until 1:00 pm.

Registration and final payment

Registration is usually held in the lobby of Marshburn Hall, in the School of Intercultural Studies. All tuition and housing fees are due at that time.

What is the application process

Complete a short application form for The Essentials of TESOL.
Get one reference from someone who knows you as a Christian and can speak to your potential as a Christian ESL/EFL teacher, e.g. missionary field supervisor, mission personnel director or pastor. A form is included in the application packet.
Write a short essay (about 250 words) outlining why you want to take this course.
If you want to take the course for credit, you will also need to submit an official transcript. For undergraduates this is a transcript from your high school or the college you are currently attending or last attended. For graduates, this is a transcript showing that you hold a bachelor's degree.

Send all correspondence to The Essentials of TESOL, School of Intercultural Studies, Biola University, 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, California, 90639.

What are application costs and deadlines

The application fee is $50 for those who apply before March 1, and $75 for those who apply after March 1. The application fee is non-refundable, and $50 of the fee is applicable toward tuition.

Space in the course is limited. Early application is recommended. If you apply after the course is full, you will be placed on a waiting list.

Final payment of tuition is due when the course begins. For future dates, please email kitty.purgason@biola.edu.

TESOL as a profession and ministry

The English language is an important commodity in today's world. The demand for English instruction has caught the imagination of Christians who are interested in ministry in international settings and those who want to serve the increasing number of international students, immigrants, and refugees in the United States.

Followers of Jesus bring some important characteristics to English language teaching.

People are interested in learning English, but they are wary of losing their own culture and language and picking up the problems of the West along with English. Christians, knowing God's heart for all peoples and cultures, can teach English without devaluing their students' language and culture and bringing the materialism and immorality of the West with instruction.
Modeling their lives after Jesus, Christians are motivated by serving others. They want to genuinely take care of their students and provide them with that which will be most helpful for their future.
Christian teachers work for God (Colossians 3:23). This encourages them to have the highest ethical standards and integrity as they relate to students, colleagues, and supervisors, and to work and live with integrity.

TESOL training

There are four levels of training in TESOL:

Brief, assignment-specific training

People doing a short-term teaching assignment with an agency will get a few days' worth of training in how to use the materials they are going to teach.
Entry-level certificate training

If you plan on doing TESOL beyond a summer volunteer position, you should get this level of training. Typically requiring at least 100 hours, people can earn an entry-level certificate in about a month of intensive work. Essentials of TESOL is such a program.
Academic certificate training

Most certificates in the U.S. are done at the graduate level and require at least 15 units. Such a certificate will prepare you to teach in international settings and to teach in private language institutes and adult schools in the U.S. They can be done on their own or in conjunction with an M.A. in Intercultural Studies or a related subject. The School of Intercultural Studies at Biola offers a year-long Certificate in TESOL.
Master of Arts in TESOL

If your work requires more than simply teaching, for example, setting up a program, assessing students, designing materials, training teachers and so on; or if you want to teach in a college or university setting, you will probably need an M.A. in TESOL. The School of Intercultural Studies at Biola offers an M.A. in TESOL.

What do the acronyms mean?

TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
ESL = English as a Second Language (often referring to contexts in which English is spoken widely)
EFL = English as a Foreign Language (often referring to contexts in which English is not used on a daily basis)