Bachelor of Science in Teaching English as a Second Language Courses

An introduction to early childhood, elementary, and secondary education for students interested in teaching. Students will explore their potential for teaching in light of admission criteria and licensure requirements. Includes study of historical and social foundations of education; topics such as inquiry into the teaching and learning process, schools in a multicultural and diverse society, the profession of teaching; principles of cooperative group learning; and cultural differences, communication, and stereotyping. Fifteen hours of field experience is included.

The focus of this course is educational uses of technology. Students will explore computer applications as tools for their own learning, as well as the ethics of electronic communications, and will begin developing a Teacher Education portfolio using LiveText software.

This course provides information on the various exceptionalities and facilitates understanding of the basic special needs education services provided to children with disabilities, and includes gifted and talented. Topics include federal and state mandates, planning with parents, team approaches, teaching methodologies, and curriculum modifications and adaptations. A portfolio, reflective journal, and field experience will assist students in valuing diversity and inclusion.

The course acquaints students with the basic theories, methods of study, and research findings on children’s and adolescents behavior and cognition. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking about claims made in this area.

Causes and consequences of prejudice, discrimination, and segregation; relationships of ethnic, racial, and religious minorities to dominant categories in the United States and globally; remedial programs to reduce racial, ethnic, and religious tensions.

The course enables teacher candidates to improve communication proficiency as language develops in the child from early childhood through adolescence. With consideration of the academic ELA standards and inclusion of the ELA literacies: reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and visually representing – including media/digital literacy, the focus of the content of English language arts includes: literature, writing, vocabulary, spelling, grammar/language conventions & effective usage, poetry, phonics, and handwriting. This course explores the process of language development and appropriate strategies to stimulate and encourage the continuation of language growth, and includes focus on understanding interrelationships among culture, language, and thought, with emphasis on technology, diversity, and the needs of English learners. Teacher candidates will complete an informal (self-placed) eight-hour field experience.

This required course for all secondary (5-12/K-12) licensure students addresses instructional strategies and assessment, diversity and exceptionality, classroom management, and home-school-community relationships. Students plan for and teach in clinical settings at nearby secondary schools.

Provide education teacher candidates an understanding of the principles of effective classroom management and an opportunity to use a range of strategies to promote positive relationships, cooperation, and purposeful learning in the classroom; grow in their knowledge on how to create learning environments that contribute to the self-esteem of all persons and to positive interpersonal relations, establish a positive climate in the classroom and participate in maintaining a positive climate in the school as a whole. Participants will professionally grow in their development of skills necessary to lead with confidence, compassion, creativeness and commitment and team planning and teaching with multi-age grouping for K – 6 diverse learners. Teacher candidates cooperatively plan and teach content and skill objectives during a special two-day clinical lab experience in a K – 6 setting with diverse learners.

The purpose of this course will be to learn research techniques and applications by participating in action research, specifically the performance assessment required by the State of Minnesota for teacher candidates who want to obtain a Minnesota teaching license. This course will focus on action research and researching learning strategies in preparation for teaching.

This course consists of the final SMSU School of Education Teacher Education Program requirements for teacher licensure in Minnesota. Teacher candidates successfully completing all the requirements for MN licensure will be moved forward for licensure recommendation.

This course is a study of children’s literature at pre-primary, kindergarten, and elementary levels, with emphasis on diversity.

This course is an introduction to early literacy and linguistics, which is the scientific study of language. The theory of linguistics and teaching methods will be investigated. Topics taught in this course are language development, including the sounds of language and how they are produced (phonology); the structure of words (morphology); sentence structure (syntax); and how meaning is expressed (semantics). Early literacy topics addressed in this course include concepts about print, alphabetic principle, phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, fluency, and written language. Emphasis will be placed on teaching techniques, strategies, and assessment tools used to instruct beginning readers, with special focus on the need to differentiate instruction to accommodate the needs of all learners, particularly the struggling reader and students for whom English is a second language. There is a 15-hour field experience attached to this course.

This course addresses the total spectrum of an inclusive P-6 developmental literacy program, including a study of phonemic, graphemic, and semantic systems, as well as strategies for teaching fluency, vocabulary, writing, and comprehension skills to learners. This course includes a field experience with structured assignments for teaching reading skills to diverse learners in grades P-6.

This course focuses on the central concepts and tools of inquiry for effective standards-based teaching and learning of mathematics from pre-kindergarten through grade 8. The course will address concept development, skill attainment, problem solving, lesson planning, assessment procedures, and techniques for accommodating different learning styles. Fifteen hours of classroom visits for guided practice and teaching a unit using appropriate methods for diverse learners are included.

This course is designed to introduce TESL teacher candidates to fundamental theories in the field of teaching ESL. The course builds a foundation of understanding of English learners and topics impacting the academic experiences of language minority students in the United States. TESL teacher candidates will participate in a 15 hour lab field experience with focus on culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

The required preparation includes two years of HS foreign language or one year of foreign language in a post-secondary setting.

This course is designed to provide an overview of second language acquisition, focusing on communication, pattern, and variability. Through research and practical applications, TESL teacher candidates will develop an understanding of native language acquisition and second language acquisition as well as the impact on the academic setting for ELs, including linguistic, cognitive, social, and affective factors.

The required preparation includes two years of HS foreign language or one year of foreign language in a post-secondary setting.

This course is designed to focus on assessment of English learners across all content areas. TESL teacher candidates will research, develop, and implement effective assessments for ELs to determine language proficiency as well as academic competency.

The required preparation includes two years of HS foreign language or one year of foreign language in a post-secondary setting.

This course is designed to focus on literacy skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and visually representing with an emphasis on linguistics. TESL teacher candidates will consider first and second language acquisition as well as linguistics in efforts to improve the literacy process for ELs.

The required preparation includes two years of HS foreign language or one year of foreign language in a post-secondary setting.

This course is designed to provide TESL teacher candidates the opportunities to create, implement, and reflect on the teaching and learning process regarding the integration of content and language instruction. Teacher candidates will consider best practices in the field of ESL including strategies and methods based on evidence.

The required preparation includes two years of HS foreign language or one year of foreign language in a post-secondary setting.

This course is designed to provide TESL teacher candidates with opportunities to focus on standards and principles of ESL while considering community partnerships and involvement of ESL stakeholders. This course has a community component, which requires experiences outside the class; teacher candidates develop and implement a plan of action to demonstrate planning, commitment, and involvement with ESL stakeholders.

The required preparation includes two years of HS foreign language or one year of foreign language in a post-secondary setting.