Learn the principles and strategies to facilitate learning for students from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Locations
- Statesboro Campus (In Person — Undergraduate Program Only)
- Armstrong Campus (In Person — Undergraduate Program Only)
- Online (Graduate Program Only)
Why Earn an ESOL Endorsement at Georgia Southern?
- Help create inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments.
- 100% online graduate courses, so you can learn right where you are.
- Three-course teacher preparation sequence can be added to a Georgia Teacher Certification or completed pre-service.
- Affordable and efficient way to expand your career opportunities.
- 9 credit hours to completion.
Develop the theoretical framework and practical tools to help students from every background access the life-changing power of education.
In Georgia Southern University’s English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement program, you’ll build a nuanced understanding of how culture and language impact learning. This foundation enhances your ability to create engaging classroom experiences that remove obstacles to students’ growth and prepare the state’s steadily increasing number of English-language learners for success.
Exploring instructional and assessment practices, you’ll acquire the tools and research-backed strategies to empower language acquisition and literacy. Building off your existing education or certification, you’ll be ready to make a difference among your own students and serve as an expert consultant to other teachers looking for more effective ways to meet the needs of all learners.
Ready to Apply?
What Can You Do With an ESOL Endorsement?
Georgia Southern’s ESOL Endorsement program equips you to create more responsive and accessible learning environments for students from varied cultural backgrounds. In examining your role in the broader school community, your knowledge and skills also prepare you to help other teachers address the unique needs of speakers of other languages, including through lesson plans and classroom support.
Your training both enriches your existing certification and extends additional opportunities from primary education to English language classes for adult learners.
Where our graduates work:
- Public schools in Georgia
- Private schools in Georgia
What our graduates do:
- Adult ESL teacher
- ESL teacher
- ESOL coach
- TESOL instructor
What You’ll Learn
The ESOL Endorsement program provides a comprehensive foundation for effectiveness as a teacher of culturally and linguistically diverse students.
You’ll begin by exploring the role of culture in classroom instruction, uncovering how identities contribute to language and literacy development. Next, you’ll study the dynamics of first and second language acquisition and compare the broad structures of English and other languages. Finally, you’ll focus on the theories of second language acquisition and learn to design curriculum and classroom activities that enhance learning.
See the CurriculumWant to Learn More?
Explore essential information about our ESOL Endorsement program, including application details, accreditation status, and licensing disclosures. Gain insight into the program’s credibility and requirements to help you start your journey toward success with the knowledge you need.
Undergraduate Endorsement
To be admitted to the program, you must already be admitted to a B.S.Ed. teacher certification program. Students complete all requirements pre-service before earning their Georgia Teacher Certification in their grade level or area.
Graduate Endorsement
The graduate-level ESOL Endorsement program is open to those with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
You must possess or be eligible for a renewable Georgia Level 4 or higher professional certificate in any teaching, service or leadership field or hold an equivalent out-of-state teaching, service or leadership certificate. Candidates who have completed all requirements for the Georgia Level 4 teaching certificate have until the end of the first semester to obtain their certificate. Candidates with an out-of-state certificate will not receive Georgia certification upon program completion.
Completing the three-course program adds an ESOL endorsement to your existing Georgia Teacher Certification and area: for example, Elementary Education or Secondary Physics.
To apply, please submit:
- An online application to the College of Graduate Studies. (There is a $50 non-refundable application fee.)
- A completed “Disclosure and Affirmation Form” that addresses misconduct disclosure, the Code of Ethics for Educators and tort liability insurance. (This is included within the online application.)
International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES-accredited evaluation service and must be a course-by-course evaluation and include a GPA.
Application Deadlines
Students are admitted to begin the program in the fall, spring or summer term. The application deadlines are:
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority Deadline | March 15 | October 1 | March 1 |
| Final Deadline | July 1 | November 1 | April 1 |
Your application and all required documents must be received by the deadline.
Program Contact Information
Graduate Academic Services Center
gasc@georgiasouthern.edu
912-478-1447
At Georgia Southern, enjoy the flexibility of fully online courses that fit within your busy schedule as an educator. Online instructors weave interactive experiences into each lesson, ensuring you engage at a deeper level.
Learn More About Online ProgramsFor All Online Programs
Federal law requires colleges and universities to make certain disclosures to prospective students of these programs. These disclosures include information on the University’s authority to operate outside of Georgia, complaint processes, adverse actions and refunds.
For required disclosures in general with regard to online programs offered by the University, visit the Office of Legal Affairs website.
The ESOL Endorsement program is approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The College of Education anticipates that graduates of the ESOL Endorsement program will seek a certification upgrade. The program listed above leads to a Georgia Certificate Upgrade only. Visit the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for more information.
Related Programs
Take the Next Step
Earn your ESOL endorsement through Georgia Southern’s convenient program, and prepare for a new level of effectiveness as you learn to craft educational experiences geared to students from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Contact Us
ESOL Endorsement
Program Coordinator
Dr. Alex Reyes
Phone: (912) 478-5092
Fax: (912) 478-0026
areyes@georgiasouthern.edu
Admission/Application Information
Dr. Alisa Leckie
Phone: (912) 478-4117
Fax: (912) 478-0026
aleckie@georgiasouthern.edu