College of Education

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Endorsement

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Students raising their hands in a library

Quick Facts

  • 19 credits of required coursework plus a 90-hour supervised practicum 
  • Can be completed in 1.5  years
  • Hybrid format combines face-to-face and online learning
  • Admission every term

The 21st-century classroom is diverse, inclusive, and equitable. You can help students succeed in today’s ever-changing landscape. Strengthen your professional practice by adding an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement that will help you serve your students, their families, and their communities as a whole. Engage with English learners in supportive, sustainable ways. 

Contact

Gayle Thieman
thiemag@pdx.edu
503-725-4619

Admissions Advisor

Tatiana Nochevnaya
askcoe@pdx.edu
503-725-9786*
Book an appointment

*You can text me!

Program Benefits

  • Gain a greater understanding of how identity, history, and culture affect the teaching and learning process
  • Identify cultural and linguistic factors affecting student engagement, development, and learning
  • Develop strategies for assessment, curriculum development, and instruction to help all students learn
  • Understand the ways systemic oppression and privilege are expressed in educational settings
  •  Establish ways to foster strong relationships with students, their families, and their communities

Program Specifics

  • Enjoy convenient, hybrid scheduling for working professionals, including face-to-face and online learning environments where students learn individually and in groups
  • Translate theory learned in the classroom to your field experience
  • Experience incredible value: Learn from committed teachers who have scholarly expertise and advanced degrees—and do so in convenient locations and at an accessible price

About the program

Serve your students, their families, and communities by understanding how to effectively engage with English learners in humanizing and holistic ways. Tailored for your busy schedule, afternoon and evening courses are offered all four academic terms. Completing the ESOL endorsement prepares you to serve in roles such as ESOL Teachers, ESOL Specialists, and other education professionals, paraprofessionals, and consultants in the field. 

You will be guided through the following six areas that are built upon the standards established by the professional organization TESOL (Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages): 

  1. Know your learners by tactfully probing, learning about, and building upon your students’ family-provided and perhaps also previous-schooling-provided memories and experiences
  2. Create conditions for language learning
  3. Design high-quality lessons for language development
  4. Adapt lesson delivery as needed
  5. Monitor and assess student language development
  6. Engage and collaborate within a community of practice (TESOL, 2018) 

Drawing from the most current research in the field, gain insights into the historical and legal foundations that underpin and inform our work with English learners.

Our graduates

Our graduates serve the community in a range of capacities, including ESOL teachers, ESOL specialists, school administrators, school district leaders, consultants in the field, and in a variety of other roles at the school, district, state, and national levels.  

Why PSU?

With our strong focus on social justice, specifically related to working with English learners and their families, PSU’s ESOL endorsement provides a solid foundation to help all students learn in today’s diverse classrooms.