Elementary Education PK-3 and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) K-12

Western Michigan University's Elementary Education PK-3 and TESOL K-12 program is designed to prepare educators to meet the unique needs of English learners in K-12 schools. The TESOL K-12 major is available for all interested students who are also seeking PK-3 teacher certification. Graduates of this program will be eligible to teach all subjects to PK-3 students in self-contained classrooms as well as in ESL K-12 classrooms. No minor is required. This undergraduate major qualifies graduates for the Michigan English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement.

This program will provide you:

  • Theories and research about second language acquisition, teaching methods and assessments;
  • Research-based strategies to support English learners;
  • Clinical experiences with experienced K-12 ESL teachers; and
  • Internship in a K-12 classroom with an ESL mentor teacher.

Beyond the classroom

As a TESOL student at WMU, you will be required to complete 24 credits of courses and a variety of clinical experiences in K-12 classrooms that include English learners, as well as an internship with an experienced and ESL certified teacher.

You can also gain valuable networking and professional development opportunities through student and community organizations, including MITESOL, TESOL, and MABE among others.

After you graduate

Recent WMU graduates with degrees in TESOL are working as:

  • Content-area teachers who teach self-contained classes with English learners
  • ESL teachers who work with English learners inside the classroom and/or pull them out for instruction
  • ESL coordinators who oversee the ESL program in a school or district
  • ESL teachers abroad

Among the organizations they work for are:

  • K-12 schools
  • Private English language institutes abroad
  • Colleges and universities abroad

Graduate programs of interest for this major include:

 

Where is this program offered?

Kalamazoo

Other programs of interest