PHD Archives

ESL Certifications: Where to Begin

Posted on July 16, 2019December 4, 2020 by Caroline Hazelton

The world of English as a Second/Foreign Language teachers is a delightful one, whether we are teaching it where it’s the dominant language to non-native speakers (English as a Second Language) or in another part of the world where it is a non-native language (English as a Foreign Language). There are literally so many situations you can find yourself in if you love other cultures and languages. You can:

build an American dream in an immigrant child or adult learning ESL
teach brilliant international students in English for Academic Purposes programs
teach English online in dozens of countries from your own office
go abroad… and have a “Dream Abroad!”

However, every dream has a road, and every road has a starting point. How do you get to all of these places above? After all, you’re going to need some formal training to explain such cases like “I have eaten,” which means “I previously ate, my previous eating still affects me now, and will continue to affect me into the future” kind of grammatical teaching and understanding.

Where to Begin with ESL Certifications

Here are a few steps to gaining ESL/EFL credentials in specific situations.

Earn a Bachelor’s or higher. This is true in nearly every English teaching case. I suggest majoring in ESL Education or in a related field.
Gain cross-cultural experiences as a volunteer, either abroad or both.
(Recommended but not required) Study a second language.

Steps 1-3 are your “launch pad.” Once you’ve done these things, you have three other options to figure out where you wish to be:

Option A: Earn your ESOL certificate or endorsement to teach English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in public K-12 schools.

Option B: The universally-accepted TEFL certificate lets you teach abroad or in many online English teaching platforms. In my case at EF, my degree credentials substituted this requirement.

Option C: If you wish to teach ESL in a university or in a college, a Master’s is usually necessary. Again, you can either major in ESL Education or a different field such as linguistics, English, Education, etc. Note that teaching English as a Second Language or English for Academic Purposes is usually for non-credit courses. If you wish to train future English as a Second Language teachers, a PhD in one of the fields mentioned above might be necessary.

My ESL Journey

I want to end this on a personal note, as I realize this article has been on the technical side thus far. Teaching English as a Second AND Foreign Language in my case has been a delightful experience, but figuring out how to get where I wanted to go was overwhelming in my early days of undergrad.

I come from a tiny community in the rural southern United States. There were no opportunities in my hometown that would prepare me to be an ESL teacher. Instead, I had to leave. I had to volunteer in Texas, travel overseas multiple times, and volunteer with international students at my university. This was all in addition to learning Spanish and getting both degrees before I was even truly qualified to teach ESL. I’ve held several positions in different cities and states as my personal life changes. While this field requires a unique set of skills, it also allows flexibility.

Start Seeking Opportunities with ESL Certifications

This guide is coming from someone who knew in the very beginning of undergrad that I wanted to teach both Spanish and ESL. For some of you, you may not have even considered ESL/EFL until recently. Oftentimes, there are many interests, goals, and dreams that might not happen the way we imagine. In other cases, we don’t realize a passion that we have for a cause until later in life. If that sounds like you, figure out the skills and education that you already have and start seeking opportunities to add to your repertoire. For example, a former colleague wanted to teach English as a Foreign Language overseas for the Peace Corps. Despite her education, she was rejected for lack of ESL experience. She made up for this volunteering at one of the last schools I taught at, and I hope she’s gotten where she wanted to go.

Teaching English as a Second Language is both satisfying on the intellectual and humanitarian level, not to mention, quite fun! I hope to see many of our Dreams Abroad readers join me in obtaining their ESL certifications!

My Return To Florida For My PhD

Posted on June 5, 2018June 8, 2020 by Dalal Boland

by Dalal Boland

For nearly 4 years now, I have been teaching English to native Arabic speakers in a Kuwait college. From covering different content to teaching grammar and vocab, I knew that my job title of “assistant teacher” was only temporary. I always recognized my studies at Florida State University to be the first chapter of pursuing an even higher education: my doctoral degree.

The educational facility that I work in allows their employees to apply for a scholarship grant after 2 years of being a teacher. In the spring of 2017, I was eligible to apply. I was fortunate enough to be one of the candidates to obtain a Ph.D. scholarship. Earning that scholarship was only the beginning of all the hard work that I had to do. I had to look for accredited universities in the USA and apply to them. Before that, however, I had to have an idea of what my future dissertation was going to be about (which at that time, I had none!). What follows is how I decided to return to Florida for my PhD.

Where to Begin?

The Kuwait Cultural Office of the Kuwait Embassy is an institution located in Washington, D.C. It has the purpose of promoting higher education plans for future Kuwait students who have the intention of attending school in the USA. In other words, if anyone intends to go to an American university, he/she needs to check whether their school meets the regulations offered by the cultural office.

My first step was to access that website in order to look for accredited universities that offer the program that I wanted to apply to. The Kuwait Cultural Office’s information can be accessed through www.kuwaitculture.com. After doing my research, I managed to come up with a list. There were 16 universities that offered my program and complied with the regulations. After writing down that list, I then had to apply. I decided to read some research in order to determine the focus of my future dissertation. After applying to the 16 universities, all in different states, I was finally accepted into several.

Final Decision to Return to Florida for my PhD

I decided to choose the University of South Florida, Tampa, majoring in curriculum and instruction (English Education). I chose USF due to its remarkable print in the field of education. Also, I liked it because Tampa is located in the heart of Florida! When the immigration documents were issued, it was then time to have my F-1 visa issued.

If I were to talk about how I feel about my acceptance to USF and having to move back to the States, I would have to say that I feel a bit overwhelmed! I am so excited to take on this next chapter of my life. It’s my big return to Florida for my PhD. It will be the second chapter of the “million miles dream” that I talked about in my very first post. Despite the anxious feelings, I am ready for my adventure in Tampa to begin! School doesn’t start until August 20^th. I am scheduled to arrive in the US on August 3^rd. This means I should have plenty of time to prepare. I can’t wait for that day to come!

Wasan Tawfeeq Talks Teaching and Studying in the USA

Posted on March 15, 2018July 21, 2021 by Leesa Truesdell

Wasan Tawfeeq and I met in 2014 while we were both studying at Florida State University’s College of Education. At the time, we were both taking the same class. I will always remember Wasan’s introduction to the class. Typically on the first day of class in the US, we announce to our classmates who we are and where we are from. There were 10 students in the class. Many were from China, and a handful from the US. And then there was Wasan. She got up, smiled, and said, “I am from Iraq and I speak Arabic. I am getting my Ph.D. in Foreign and Second Language at FSU.”

Until this point, I had never met anyone from Iraq, yet I had heard a lot about the country. Everything I had heard came from family and friends who had been deployed there, and of course, whatever I had picked up from the news. However, meeting Wasan and getting to know her has made me realize that we are very much alike. We both enjoy teaching, learning, and traveling.

Tallahassee, Fl - Entrance At Florida State University's Westcott Plaza. — The Westcott Building on FSU campus

Meet Wasan and Discover Why She is Teaching and Studying in the USA

Why did you choose to come to the USA?

“I chose to come to the USA to get my Ph.D. degree in Foreign and Second Language Education because I wanted to engage with native speakers. Yet I was keen on not only developing my English skills, but also learning more about the culture. Culture and communicating with native speakers is the key to improving your language skills and being fluent in it.”

What are your goals while you are here at FSU?

“While I am here at FSU as a Ph.D student, I have several goals. First and foremost is to get my degree, which is why I am here. Second, is to acquire more experience in teaching, which is what I am doing right now. I am working as a professor at undergraduate level. This is my third semester teaching Arabic at FSU. Before that, I taught elementary students the Arabic language through the STARTALK program. I also worked as an interpreter with the Egyptian delegation with the Learning System Institute at FSU.”

Have you ever taught before? If not, what was your career field?

“My teaching career started in Baghdad, Iraq where I taught English for two years at Mustansiriya University. I taught university students in different departments (Geography, Physical Education, Art Education, and Elementary Education), and advised 14 students on research writing and professional internships. Every student had to complete an internship and a major research project to graduate, so I advised them on project planning, evaluated their efficiency, and academic performance. I still remember my first day— I prepared all the class materials by myself, wrote out a detailed lesson plan, and practiced my entire lecture at home.”

Where are you teaching in the USA? What are you teaching?

“I am teaching Arabic now in the United States, and I am getting a lot of experience through teaching American students Arabic, which is a foreign language for them. I get really excited when I see how my students enjoy learning Arabic and are doing very well.

The Modern Languages and Linguistics department is where I work at FSU. I teach two courses ARA 1121 and ARA 2220. This is my second semester teaching at this department. Some classes I teach are: ARA 1121 Elementary Arabic II – this class introduces extended vocabulary and grammar, and basic conversation is emphasized. Students start conversing in spoken Arabic as well as reading and writing in Modern Standard Arabic. This course also develops the students’ knowledge of Arab culture. ARA 2220 Intermediate Arabic solidifies knowledge of basic grammar and expands the students’ vocabulary. It emphasizes reading and writing in formal Arabic, as well as listening and speaking in colloquial Arabic. Students participate in cultural activities, write compositions, and give oral presentations in class. It may not be taken concurrently with ARA 1120 and/or 1121.

I have taught before at FSU’s College of Education, EDF 1005-004, Introduction to Education.”

Teaching and Studying in the USA: Wasan Tawfeeq — An example from a lesson in her ARA 2220 class.

Why did you choose to teach in the USA? Why did you choose FSU over other schools?

“I chose FSU over other schools because it has a great reputation. I like my major and what they offer. The College of Education offers a Foreign and Second Language Education major for Ph.D. students. Finally, I like how people in Florida are so friendly and I feel at home.”

What assumptions or expectations did you have before you came to the USA?

“As I am from a different country, I was thinking about the differences in educational systems between here and there, and how I could adjust to it. But, when I came here I faced other challenges that are not in my country, like health insurance, car insurance, taxes, and so on. Now, I can say after a year in the USA, everything is okay and I can deal with it without a need to ask somebody.”

What has been the most difficult since you arrived?

“I think I had some difficulties when I arrived in the USA. In my country, we speak British English with some American words that British people do not use. So, basically, I had trouble with communicating and making myself clear so Americans could understand what I was saying.”

What has been the best experience about teaching and studying in the USA?

“Overall, I believe that to make learning better, teachers have to motivate their students by planning and modeling activities that encourage their students to understand and think critically about the subject, and to assist them to achieve their goals. My own dissertation research examines the role of directed motivational currents in second language learning among Arab heritage and Arab ESL learners, teaching and studying in the USA. Motivation has a vital role in learning a language, since the longer language learners maintain their motivation the higher proficiency levels they can reach. In a classroom setting, language teachers can apply DMC components such as goals/visions and time, and help their students reach class-level, project-level, and course-level goals. This approach not only helps students increase their L2 practice (second language practice), but gives them a salient and facilitative structure, a clear perspective on learning, and positive emotional loading.”

Teaching in the USA: Wasan Tawfeeq — Wasan Tawfeeq teaching on International Women’s Day

On International Women’s Day, I had the pleasure of joining Wasan in her classroom to see her in action. Not only was it a great joy to see my former classmate teach her own class, but it was heartwarming to share in her achievements on such a special day. Stay tuned to find out more about Wasan’s classes at FSU and what she will be doing post-graduation.

by Leesa Truesdell