Career Colleges » Texas » Education and Teaching » ESL
Looking for accredited career colleges, technical schools, and universities in Texas offering ESL degrees. ESL teachers are in high demand these days, and it is a job that many people who had to learn English themselves at some point are qualified to teach.
Students at Texas colleges and universities enjoy being on one of the most distinctive American states. Everything really is big in Texas: big prairie, big sky, big herds of cattle, and yes, big cities. Whether you seek the sophistication of intellectual and artsy Austin, the cowboy culture of Forth Worth, the glitz of oil-rich Houston, or the seaside delights of Galveston, you are sure to find Texas a great place to live and study. The Lone Star State was once its own republic, and once you visit, you'll agree that there is not a lot that this state has in common with the rest of the country. Texas is a place where people are very sincere and their values can be old-fashioned. But they are generous and hospitable, and will make you feel at home.ESL, or English as Second Language, is a term commonly used worldwide to describe the study of the English language in a native, English-speaking country by non-native English speaking people.
To become certified to teach ESL, there are several routes you can take to get the proper credentials. The most common are a certificate, an undergraduate ESL degree, or related field, or a master's ESL degree. A certificate, such as a TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) or a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) certificate can be earned after completing a course that may last anywhere from one week to six weeks. The advantage of this type of certification is that it is relatively inexpensive, and a much quicker program than a four- to six-year degree program. In addition, many certificate programs will help to place you in a job upon completion of the course. The disadvantage of course is that you will only get the basics in such a short program.
If you don't mind investing more time (and money) in your pursuit of an ESL education and profession, then pursuing a bachelor and/or master's ESL degree may better prepare you to meet your goals. The biggest benefit of having an advanced ESL degree is that you can pursue university level teaching positions, which tend to pay more, and provide better benefits. Keep in mind that most ESL degrees offered at universities in the United States are ESL focused, meaning that they are designed for teachers who want to teach English in an English-speaking country. Also, curriculum in an advanced ESL degree, like a bachelor or a master's degree, will include a lot of theory and methodologies, and sometimes don't focus as much on the actual teaching aspect. As a result many students with an ESL degree will also take a TESOL or TEFL course in order to receive better training in practical teaching situations.