Department of Linguistics & TESOL | The University of Texas at Arlington

What's the difference between "ESL" and "TESOL"?

Not a whole lot. Technically speaking, "ESL" stands for "English as a Second Language," and is best used to talk about what you'd be teaching. "TESOL" stands for "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages," and is best used to talk about what you will study in order to teach ESL. As you can see, they're not exactly the same – but they overlap a lot. (By the way: TESL = "Teaching English as a Second Language"; TEFL = "Teaching English as a Foreign Language.")

I'm interested in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in a Texas Public School, grades K-12. Who should I talk to?

You should first talk to the UT Arlington College of Education (Hammond Hall, 5th floor). If you are planning on teaching in a Texas Public School, either by obtaining regular or "emergency" certification, you must speak to the staff in the College of Education. These education specialists will provide you with information about certification, endorsement, etc.

You may also find it useful to speak with the TESOL Adviser (Hammond Hall 403). The Advisor can provide specific information about the Linguistics courses that will give you the background you need to teach ESL.

What if I'm not at all interested in working with school-aged children in Texas? Do I still need to talk with the folks in the College of Education?

Probably not; if your goal is work with adults (e.g. at the community college level), then you would be better coming to talk with the TESOL Advisor. (Remember that the College of Education's mission is generally focused on preparing people to be K-12 teachers in the State of Texas.)

Why might I need to talk to two sets of people?

Because each of the two academic units has specific roles, responsibilities and options when it comes to preparing you for a career in ESL.

The College of Education works primarily with K-12 preparation. The COE also sees to the administrative aspects of certification and endorsement, as well as opportunities to enroll in courses that deal specifically with issues of education. They also offer 12 hours of graduate-level coursework that can be applied to an ESL Endorsement.

The Linguistics Department oversees a second set of ESL-specific courses, which are more geared to teaching adult learners or to teaching ESL in a foreign country. The Linguistics Department does not handle issues directly related to certification and/or endorsement of public school teachers; Linguistics does, however, offer coursework that can be used to meet the state's requirements for ESL endorsement.

What's the difference between "certification" and "endorsement"?

Certification is the State of Texas' way of "okaying" you for teaching. Earning certification involves several steps, including coursework, on-site training & observation, and examinations.

Endorsement is a status that can be added to an existing certificate, thereby allowing you to teach in a limited number of more specialized areas (e.g. ESL).

If you are interested in earning ESL Endorsement on your existing (or anticipated) Texas Teaching Certificate, you must speak to the staff in the College of Education about taking the ExCET examination.

By the way, NEITHER of these – certification or endorsement – are directly related to the Graduate Certificate in TESOL offered by the UT Arlington Department of Linguistics and TESOL. (Read on for more information...)

Which courses might I take in order to prepare myself for teaching ESL?

In Linguistics, the relevant LING courses are:

NOTE: The prerequisite for 4327/5305 is 3311/5300. The prerequisite for 4354/5302 is 4353/5301. You are strongly advised to take the courses in the correct order.

Contact the UT Arlington College of Education for their roster of relevant courses.

So do both Education and Linguistics offer the same courses?

No! While some of the content covered by courses in linguistics and education is similar, there are differences in perspective. In the case of the College of Education's TESOL courses, it is assumed that you will be teaching primarily K-12 Public School Students. In the case of the Linguistics TESOL courses, it is assumed that you are more likely to teach adult ESL students. In either case – EDUC or LING – the courses offered meet state guidelines for ESL Endorsement.

Why are there two sets of numbers for the LING courses?

The UT Arlington Linguistics Department offers only graduate degrees (M.A. & Ph.D.). It does, however, offer some undergraduate linguistics courses, including those in the ESL module. These ESL courses are upper-division undergraduate courses and are cross-listed with graduate course numbers.

Does this mean that if I take LING 4327 or LING 4353 I will receive graduate credit?

No. The cross-listing of courses allows us to serve two populations of students (undergraduates and graduates) with limited resources. For each of these "mixed" classes, course requirements differ depending on one's status as an undergrad or grad student – i.e. the syllabuses differ to some extent.

I've heard that UT Arlington offers a "TESOL Certificate" – what's that all about?

The UT Arlington Linguistics Department offers a graduate-level certificate in the area of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). This is a 19-hour program; all courses taken as part of this program must be taken at the graduate level.

Can I earn both a Master's Degree and a Graduate Certificate in TESOL?

YES! The Graduate Certificate in TESOL can be combined with at least three of UT Arlington's existing graduate degree programs:

1. MA in Linguistics
2. MET in Education
3. MA/MS in Interdisciplinary Studies