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2017-2018 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Applied Linguistics Minor

For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section in this catalog.

Website: www.gvsu.edu/english

The applied linguistics minor is designed to provide systematic study of language and applied issues in language teaching, language learning, and language use. The minor is an excellent disciplinary complement to such fields as anthropology, classics, computing and information systems, English, education, modern languages, philosophy, psychology, and writing. Courses in the minor consider such topics as learning and teaching of languages, social and regional language variation, literacy, language and gender, language and power, language disorders, and language history.

Minor Requirements

The applied linguistics minor has two tracks: the general track that requires 21 credits and the ESL track that requires 18 credits and a College of Education ESL practicum.

Applied Linguistics Minor - General Track (credits: 21)

The general track of the applied linguistics minor is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a systematic study of language and applied issues in language teaching, language learning, and language use. Students with a minor in applied linguistics/general track are well prepared to teach English internationally as well as to work in such settings as adult literacy, refugee services, nonprofit/NGO services, and electronic and print publishing. The minor is an excellent disciplinary complement to majors such as anthropology, classics, communications, computing and information systems, English, education, modern languages, philosophy, psychology, and writing.

Foundation (credits: 9)

Elective Courses (credits: 12)

The minor requires four electives. Three electives must be chosen from the English electives. The fourth elective must be chosen from the cross-departmental electives or be an elective approved by an English linguistics advisor.

English Electives (credits: 9)

Cross-departmental electives (credits: 3)

Applied Linguistics Minor - ESL Track

The ESL track of the Applied Linguistics Minor is designed for students seeking elementary, including CSAT, or secondary teacher certification. The curriculum meets Michigan Department of Education (MDE) standards for a teachable minor for elementary and secondary certification and leads to ESL endorsement, an add-on credential to a Michigan teaching license. Students must complete 18 credits of coursework in English and a supervised teaching practicum during their teacher assisting (EDI 330/331) or student teaching (EDI 430/431) through the College of Education to fulfill the Applied Linguistics Minor/ESL Track. They must also pass the MDE subject-area test in order to qualify for ESL endorsement.

Requirements for a Minor in Applied Linguistics - ESL Track: 18 credits + College of Education ESL teaching practicum.

ESL Track (credits: 9)

Foundation (credits: 9)

ESL Practicum

Students must complete an ESL teaching practicum offered by the College of Education during the required semesters of teacher assisting or student teaching:

EDI 330 - Teacher Assisting - Elementary (5 credits) OR EDI 331 - Methods and Strategies of Secondary Teaching (5 credits)

EDI 430 - Student Teaching, Elementary (10 credits) OR EDI 431 - Student Teaching, Secondary (8 credits)

In addition to the required coursework, the MDE Introduction to Standards for the Preparation of Teachers of English as a Second Language (2016) requires all candidates pursuing ESL endorsement to have "documented experience learning a second language equivalent to two semesters' worth of college-level study in order to gain an understanding and appreciation of the processes of learning an additional language." Students pursuing a B.A. from GVSU fulfill this state requirement by completion of the degree requirement that requires third semester proficiency in a second language. Students pursuing a B.S. from GVSU can fulfill the state requirement in one of the following ways:

  • Two semesters of second language study at the college level;
  • Second semester proficiency in a second language as demonstrated by the appropriate proficiency exam(s) administered by the Modern Languages and Literatures Department or the Classics Department;
  • Certificate from an intensive language institute verifying at least 15 weeks of intensive second language study.

Note to students in the following areas of teacher certification:

  • If you are seeking elementary certification in a core subject (language arts, social studies, science, or math), you will need to complete two minors: the elementary distributed minor and the applied linguistics minor/ESL track.
  • If you are seeking elementary certification with a Comprehensive Science and Arts for Teaching (CSAT) major, the applied linguistics minor/ESL track fulfills the required "student-centered" minor.
  • If you are seeking secondary certification in any of the state-approved teachable majors, the applied linguistics minor/ESL track fulfills the requirement for a teachable minor for initial certification.

Applied Linguistics Program Description


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