ACT-Houston
Houston 832-200-0552
Dallas 214-267-2222Austin 1-877-286-0024
Alternative Certification for Teachers
English as a Second Language Generalist (Grades EC-4)
Obtaining an alternative teaching certification for English as a second language for early childhood education through fourth grade students will require a combination of general education courses and specialized skills with English language, speech communications and learning strategies. There are a number of significant challenges for young students learning English. However, younger students are also typically more receptive to easily learning a new language in contrast to adults who have a more difficult time discerning the difference in word sounds.
What is Needed for Alternative Teaching Certification
To be eligible for an alternative teaching certification in English as a second language for early childhood education through fourth graders, basic general education requirements such as English literature, science, history, social studies, mathematics and electives such as educational psychology, speech communication and linguistics.
In addition to academic work, hands on experience through an internship or student teaching opportunity will provide valuable exposure to the classroom setting for potential educators. The ability to work side by side with an experienced teacher will help to develop skills that simply cannot be obtained from books.
Teaching Supplemental English as a Second Language Coursework
There are specific classes available for teaching English as a second language for all grades and ages. Younger students may be faced with having parents who also are non-English speaking which can be an added teaching challenge. Coursework specific to teaching English as a language will require solid foundations in strategies and methods for teaching as well as technical skills for accurate English language versus utilizing conversational English.
Having English as a native language is helpful, but in the case of young students, the ability to help transition language skills from native languages to an entirely new one, all while the student is still building fundamental academic skills can be highly challenging. Young students will benefit most from the correlation between what they know, what they are learning and what they need to know outside of the classroom.