CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
MA-TESOL Program
Target-Teaching Levels
Teaching a globally oriented program is complex. There is not one fixed roadmap that applies to everyone.
The field of ESL/EFL is complex and the job opportunities vary from place to place and year by year
depending on the vagaries of government policy, funding, etc.
There are 16 target-teaching levels in the MA-TESOL program. Candidates may be preparing for multiple
levels.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
•
K-3 (candidate must have a multiple subjects credential as well to teach in the US, and can be a
mainstream teacher or ESL specialist)
•
4-8 (candidate must have a multiple subjects credential as well to teach in the US, and can be a
mainstream teacher or ESL specialist)
•
6-12 (candidate must have a single subjects credential as well to teach in the US, with an English
concentration)
•
Community college Credit ESL
•
Community college Non-Credit ESL (resembles Adult ESL but an adult basic credential is not
necessary)
•
Adult ESL (school district adult education program)(adult ESL instructors need an adult basic
credential in addition to their TESOL master's; if a candidate already has a teaching credential at
another level, the school district will sometimes accept this.)
•
Intensive English Program (IEP), the pre-collegiate language preparation programs for international
students housed on college campuses. At CSUSB this is called the English Language Program and is
housed in the College of Extended Learning (CEL). Community colleges may also have IEP
programs.
•
Pre-doctoral (will need to complete doctoral degree in TESOL, Applied Linguistics, Curriculum and
Instruction, etc., to teach at the university level)
English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
•
K-3 (Public or private schools, teaching English only, focus on oral English)
•
4-6 (Public or private schools, teaching English only, focus on oral and beginning reading/writing
English)
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6-8 (Public or private schools, teaching English only, focus on reading English, intensive English
vocabulary)
•
9-12 (Public or private schools, teaching English only, focus on reading English, intensive English
vocabulary, standardized test preparation)
•
College-level English majors
•
College-level all majors (English as a language of instruction: e.g., pre-engineering, pre-med, etc.)
•
Adult EFL (Private schools, teaching business English, focus on oral English)
•
EFL Program Administration (Curriculum and instruction, teacher supervision for private schools)
Once the candidate establishes a focus at a certain target-teaching level, he or she is able to apply a
constructivist learning approach to submitting assignments that fall within the assignment guidelines yet
display content that is specific to the target-teaching level.
