The Applied Linguistics Minor
The Applied Linguistics Minor offers two tracks - the General Track, and the ESL Track.
Applied Linguistics Minor FAQs
What is ESL?
ESL = English as a second language. The ESL minor prepares prospective K-12 teachers to meet the needs of multilingual students in their classes. It includes 18 credits of coursework and a 5-credit teaching practicum (taken during student teaching semester).
Does the ESL Minor lead to K-12 ESL Endorsement?.
Yes. The curriculum for the ESL minor at GVSU meets MDE standards for ESL teacher certification. Students who complete the minor are eligible to take the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) for ESL, and, after earning a passing score, they will receive ESL Endorsement, an add-on credential to a Michigan teaching license.
Is ESL a valuable additional certification to pursue? Will it increase my marketability?
YES! ESL is included on the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Critical Teacher Shortage List because across the country, the demand for K-12 ESL teachers has grown exponentially, while the supply remains low. To redress the shortage, the U.S. is offering new ESL teachers student loan forgiveness (see: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/ed-serv/educator-retention-supports/loan-forgiveness-programs-for-educators/used-loan-forgiveness-list).
Can PCKET majors easily add the ESL Minor?
YES! PCKET students pursuing PK-3 and/or 3-6 certification can add the ESL Minor. They will declare 2 majors (Educational Studies + PCKET) and one minor (ESL). One grade-band + ESL takes 4.5 years. Both grade-bands (PK-6) + ESL takes 5 years.
Do PCKET students pursuing 3-6 certification need a 9-credit Concentration if they ADD the ESL Minor?
NO! PCKET majors pursuing 3-6 certification who add the ESL minor are NOT required to also complete a 9-credit Concentration in English, Math, Science, or Social Studies (though they may choose to do so).
Can English majors carry over credits from their major to the ESL Minor?
YES! GVSU requires 30 unduplicated credits for a major and 19 unduplicated credits for a minor. This allows English majors (who must complete 39 credits) to use two category E electives (6 credits) + ENG 261 (3 credits) toward the ESL minor. Only 3 additional ENG courses (9 credits) + the ESL student teaching practicum (EDR 470/471, 5 credits) are required to complete the minor.
When should ESL minors plan to complete their major area and ESL Student Teaching Internships?
The MDE requires 10 weeks of student teaching per certification. So, ESL minors must teach in their major (10 weeks) and in ESL (10 weeks), for a total of 20 weeks. In their student teaching semester, ESL minors take 2 student teaching practicums: one for their major (EDI 430 or EDI 431) and one for the ESL minor (EDR 470 Teaching ESL--Elementary or EDR 471 Teaching ESL-- Secondary). EDR 470+471 are offered in WINTER semesters only, during the second 10 weeks of an extended, 20-week-semester.
Is the ESL Minor part of GVSU's Applied Linguistics (AL) Minor?
Yes. The AL minor at GVSU has 2 tracks: general AL and teaching ESL. Your transcript will show the track you’ve chosen.
The general AL Minor allows for more curricular choice and requires a cross-departmental elective. Students interested in careers in applied linguistics or graduate study in linguistics or TESOL are well served by the AL minor, as are students planning to teach English domestically or internationally to learners outside the US K-12 school system (e.g. in adult literacy programs, intensive English institutes, refugee education centers, etc.). AL minors interested in teaching English are advised to take the ESL Practicum offered by the English department, ENG 469, to gain practical experience teaching adult English learners.
Questions?
Contact the Applied Linguistics area head, Dr. Colleen Brice, in the English Department, at [email protected]