New Certification Helps Students Teach Abroad

A new certification program soon to be offered at The Florida State University will open another window of opportunity for Americans interested in experiencing other cultures.

Beginning in the spring 2010 semester, the university’s Center for Intensive English Studies will offer a course that earns its graduates a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification. Along with the certification, they will receive a portfolio containing a variety of teaching materials that will be useful as they undertake teaching positions in other countries.

“This is a great opportunity for students at Florida State and others in the community who are interested in acquiring additional job skills and/or teaching English abroad,” said Ramin Yazdanpanah, assistant director of the Center for Intensive English Studies. “In fact, program participants will receive ‘hands-on’ experience working with international students who currently attend Florida State through structured tutoring and exchange sessions.”

Upcoming dates for the TEFL course are as follows:

* Spring I: Jan. 5-Feb. 18

* Spring II: Feb. 23-April 15 (no classes during Spring Break)

* Summer I: April 27-May 8

* Summer II: June 15-July 27

All classes will meet from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The fee for the course is $500 ($475 for early registration) and includes a textbook and materials. For the Spring I session, early registration ends on Monday, Dec. 14.

Because the course is limited to 15 students per session, people interested in registering are urged to do so right away. Online registration is available at http://tr.im/Ff3j.

The seven-week, 42-hour certification program is structured to provide an overview of the field of English-as-a-second-language education, teaching methodologies, student assessment, and practical approaches to grammar, reading, writing, listening and speaking. Program participants also will learn various strategies for adapting to their host culture.

Once program graduates have earned their TEFL certification, the Center for Intensive English Studies will then provide job-placement counseling and help them to find employment in the countries where they would like to teach.

While the TEFL certification is unaccredited, current Florida State University students in the Master of Science in Teaching or Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages master’s programs will be eligible to transfer two elective credits to their studies. Florida State students also can apply the certification as a Global Pathways educational event.