Bilingual and English
as a Second Language

Teacher Certification

Opportunities abound

The growing number of English language learners in Texas public schools has led to a need for qualified teachers in bilingual or English as a second language (ESL) programs. These programs serve nearly 800,000 English language learners in Texas public schools.

Bilingual education uses the child’s native language and English in all or part of the curriculum. ESL instruction enables children who are not proficient in English to acquire academic proficiency in the language.

The University of North Texas’ bilingual generalist and ESL generalist teacher certification programs for early childhood through sixth grade (EC-6) prepare you to address the affective, academic, linguistic and cognitive needs of English language learners. We accomplish this through specialized instruction and assessment.

The programs are aligned with state and national standards as well as the general requirements of the College of Education. In addition, the postbaccalaureate program courses are offered online except for student teaching and clinical experiences in classrooms. Online delivery makes course work accessible if you work full time, live in a rural area or prefer web-based instruction. The bilingual generalist certification program requires proficiency in Spanish and English. The ESL generalist program does not have a Spanish proficiency requirement for admission.

The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2010 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 500; Washington, D.C. 20036; telephone 202-466-7496). This accreditation means we meet or exceed strict academic standards for excellence in education. The college is also one of the top producers of teachers, administrators, counselors and other school professionals in Texas.

Certification opportunities

The undergraduate program is for students seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with initial teacher certification in:

• bilingual generalist education to teach in grades EC-6
• ESL generalist education to teach in grades EC-6
• math, science, social studies or language arts and reading and ESL supplemental certification to teach in grades 4-8

The post-baccalaureate program is a route to initial teacher certification for non-education majors in:

• bilingual generalist education to teach grades EC-6
• ESL generalist education to teach in grades EC-6

Certified teachers may apply to the state to have ESL or bilingual education added to their initial certificate after completing 12 credit hours related to:

• assessment of students (EDBE 5570)
• history and research of bilingual and ESL education (EDBE 5560)
• strategies to teach English language learners (ELL) or bilingual students (EDBE 5590)
• teaching reading to ELL students (EDBE 5570)

Certified teachers can earn a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a minor or cognate in ESL or bilingual education. This requires 36 credit hours of course work that enhances the knowledge and expertise of practicing teachers. The M.Ed. degree combines theoretical perspectives and research-based practice with multiple opportunities for field-based projects and action research.

More information is at www.coe.unt.edu/tea.

Attending UNT

Admission requirements

Undergraduate students must meet UNT's undergraduate admission requirements as well as the following program requirements:

• Minimum 2.75 overall GPA
• 60 earned credit hours (junior standing)
• Passing scores on the THEA examination (240-reading, 230-math and 220-writing) or SAT/ACT/TAKS test exemption
• Degree plan in process or completed

Post-baccalaureate students must meet the admission requirements for the Toulouse Graduate School as well as the following program requirements:

• completed 3 credit hours each of math, science, social studies and English with a grade of C or better
• undergraduate degree with a minimum 2.8 overall GPA or 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work
• Passing scores on the THEA, ACT, SAT, GRE or appropriate substitute exam
• Passing scores on the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) for the bilingual certification to demonstrate proficiency in Spanish

Program requirements

For the undergraduate bilingual generalist or the ESL generalist certification programs, 133 credit hours are required. The courses related to the specialization are:

• EDBE 3470 Foundations of Bilingual and ESL Education
• EDBE 3480 Bilingualism/Multiculturalism for English Language Learning: Issues and Perspectives
• EDBE 4470 Curriculum and Assessment for Bilingual/ ESL Education
• EDBE 4480 Bilingual Approaches to Content-Based Learning (bilingual education track only)
• EDBE 4490 Teaching ESL EC-12: Instructional Strategies and Resources
• LING 4030 Acquisition of English as a Second Language

For the post-baccalaureate program, 24 semester credit hours that include 6 credit hours of student teaching or advanced practicum are required.

Bilingual generalist education track:

• EDEE 5840 Engaging Students in Learning
• EDBE 5560 Fundamentals of Bilingual and ESL Education in EC-12 Settings
• EDBE 5570 Assessing Language and Content Learning in EC-12 Bilingual and ESL Education
• EDBE 5580 Curriculum for EC-8 Bilingual Education
• EDBE 5590 Pedagogy of English as a Second Language for EC-12 Classrooms
• EDRE 5070 Literacy Development for English Learners
• EDEE 5105 Practicum I and EDEE 5115 Practicum II

or

• EDEE 5101 and EDEE 5102 Student Teaching in Pre-K through Grade 4

ESL generalist education track

• EDEE 5840 Engaging Students in Learning
• EDBE 5560 Fundamentals of Bilingual and ESL Education in EC-12 Settings
• EDBE 5570 Assessing Language and Content Learning in EC-12 Bilingual and ESL Education
• EDBE 5590 Pedagogy of English as a Second Language for EC-12 Classrooms
• EDRE 5070 Literacy Development for English Learners
• EDBE 5582 Curriculum for EC-8 ESL Education
• EDEE 5105 Practicum I and EDEE 5115 Practicum II

or

• EDEE 5101 and EDEE 5102 Student Teaching in Pre-K through Grade 4

For the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate certifications, students must pass the following Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) exams:

• Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities TExES exam EC-12
• Bilingual generalist EC-6 TExES exam or ESL generalist EC-6 TExES exam
• Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test for Spanish and English bilingual education only

Visit www.coe.unt.edu/texes or call 940-369-8601 for more information about these tests.

Financial assistance

For undergraduate students pursuing bilingual or ESL generalist certification, the TEACH Grant Program provides grants of $4,000 a year to students who agree to teach four years in high need schools within eight years of graduation and certification.

Students with a 3.25 minimum GPA or score in the 75th percentile or higher in one section of the SAT or ACT qualify to apply.

For undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students, the Roberto Alonzo Scholarship program is available each June for the following school year.

For more information about these opportunities, email rossana.boyd@unt.edu.

General financial aid and scholarship information is available at financialaid.unt.edu.