West Virginia does not have a huge number of graduate programs in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. However, some institutions offer master’s degrees, graduate certificates, teacher certification, and add-on endorsement options in related areas, including English with an emphasis in TESOL, world languages, and ESOL certification. For graduate students interested in TESOL, on-campus classes prevail, but licensed teachers seeking advanced certification and endorsements have some hybrid and online options.
ESL Teacher Certification
The Educator Certification section of the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) website outlines the requirements for earning an endorsement in ESL. Teachers must already hold a license that meets WVDE requirements for working in a K-12 public school classroom. The add-on endorsement for ESL requires additional coursework as outlined by the district website for Fairfax County Public Schools:
- Reading Instruction for ESL Teachers
- Linguistics
- Second Language Acquisition
- ESL Curriculum Development, Methods, and Assessment
- ESL Teaching at Elementary and Secondary Levels
- Cross-Cultural Education
Alternative Certification Options
- WVDE’s Transition to Teaching program places qualified professionals and recent college graduates in critical shortage areas of West Virginia public school classrooms. Participants take pedagogical and subject area coursework online while working in paid positions and receiving professional mentoring.
- Troops to Teachers has a North Atlantic Region branch that recruits eligible military personnel to work in professional education positions in West Virginia K-12 public school classrooms.
- Accelerated Certification for Teachers (ACT), offered through Wheeling Jesuit University, recruits people holding a bachelor’s or a master’s degree but who have not completed a WVDE-approved teacher preparation program. Educators complete online coursework at an accelerated rate to earn state licensure and work in grades 5-12.
WV TESOL Master’s Degree Programs
Marshall University offers a Master of Arts In English with Area of Emphasis in TESOL. Students can also pursue 15 semester hour units for a graduate certificate in Applied Linguistics. West Virginia University offers a Master of Arts in World Languages with a concentration in TESOL. Students can also opt for a concentration in a foreign language or in linguistics.