The ESL Add-On Licensure Program is offered both via distance education and on-campus for those who wish to take advantage of a more traditional classroom format. It is intended for undergraduate teacher education majors or  North Carolina teachers holding a current initial or continuing license in another field. 

The distance education option is unique among approved licensure programs. It offers teachers the ability to complete licensure course work online. This will help teachers who do not live close to licensure programs to complete the requirements for ESL licensure without traveling to campus.

The program requires four courses (12 credits total):

FL 424: Linguistics for ESL Professionals (3 credits) - Offered in Fall and/or Spring, DE only. Fulfills ENG 210 Linguistic requirement for elementary education majors. Study of the diachronic nature of language and the phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic features of English in relation to other world language groups. Application of linguistic principles to the ESL classroom. Analysis of English speech and writing patterns of non-native speakers. Examination of the ways children, adolescents, and adults learn a second language.

FL 436: Perspectives on English as a New Language (3 credits) - Offered in Fall and/or Spring; DE only. Fulfills ENG Elective requirement for elementary education majors.  Examination of the complexity of multiculturalism in American society and the challenges faced by immigrant families in adapting to U.S. institutions. Emphasis on understanding historical, legal, cultural and pedagogical issues with respect to learning English as a new language (ENL).

FL 427: Methods and Materials in Teaching English as a Second Language (3 credits) - Offered in Fall and Spring; DE/face-to-face  Methodologies and current approaches to teaching English as a Second Language. Techniques and strategies for teaching reading, writing, listening, speaking and culture. Selection, adaptation, and creation of instructional materials for various levels of proficiency and teaching situations. Evaluation and assessment of written and oral language proficiency through standardized and non-standardized assessment tools.

FL 440: Internship in Teaching English as a Second Language (3 credits) - Offered in Fall and Spring; Admission to ESL Licensure Program, Corequisite: Teacher Licensure in any primary area. Skills and techniques required in teaching ESL in a public school setting. Demonstration of competencies essential for teaching ESL. Interns observe an ESL teacher in a North Carolina K-12 school for 15 hours and teach 30 hours under the supervision of an ESL cooperating teacher.  *In-service teachers who are full-time have the option of fulfilling their internship as follows:  Under the supervision of FL 440 instructor, they further develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for teaching ELLs through a set of clinical practice activities in their current classroom setting . 

A grade of C or better is required in all of the professional ESL add-on licensure courses. Candidates must maintain a C average in each of the four courses to remain in good academic standing.   They are also required to take and pass the Praxis II for ESL after the completion of the course work.

Non-native speakers of English must achieve a score of 100 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) with a Speaking section score not lower than 28 as entrance requirements into the program.   Non-native speakers of English who have lived in the U.S. since the age of 8 and demonstrate native-like proficiency in all four language skills may petition to have the TOEFL score requirement waived.

ESL Licensure-Only Program candidates enrolled in Distance Education courses may be eligible for financial aid. Please visit the NC State Financial Aid website or email at financialaid@ncsu.edu or call 919-515-2421.

We have rolling admission; however, prospective applicants are encouraged to apply early so that their applications are processed in time for course registration.

Please contact the following faculty member for more information:

Jennifer Despain as ESL Add-on Coordinator, jhdespai@ncsu.edu