TESOL Certificate Courses

Our TESOL Certificate includes three courses and a practicum. You may take these courses individually, or all together. You can also choose to study online or on-campus.

You must complete all three courses and the practicum to receive the Acadia TESOL Certificate.  If you are an MEd student, please register in the graduate-level section of the course (5000 level). Course content and assessments will reflect graduate-level outcomes. Explore the course descriptions and syllabi to learn more.

EDUC 4673/5693: Teaching English as a Second Language

  • Learn how to plan and teach ESL classes in a variety of contexts
  • Analyse and develop teaching materials
  • Discuss issues in professional development

EDUC 4683/5193: Linguistics for Teachers

  • Explore the fundamentals of linguistics: phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, pedagogical grammar, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis
  • Discuss how this linguistic knowledge is relevant to your teaching

EDUC 4863/5183: Acquisition of Language

  • Find out how languages are learned
  • Explore how different theories of language learning have shaped the way that teachers teach English as a second language
  • Make well informed decisions about how you will approach your own teaching

Practicum

  • Observe over 10 hours of ESL classes and get 10 hours of supervised teaching practice
  • Put material from all three courses into practice as you plan and teach your own classes under the supervision of experienced teachers
  • The practicum may be completed on-site at Acadia University, or at another approved institution
  • In order to take the practicum, you must be enrolled in EDUC 4673, 4683, and/or 4863 as pre- or co-requisites

Flexible Learning 

Courses are available either online or on-campus. In online courses, you'll be able to begin your studies at any time, with no set term dates, and study in a way that accommodates your commitments and lifestyle. On-campus courses feature classroom sessions and blended learning, in which several class sessions will be delivered online instead of requiring on-campus participation.  Please note, in the 2022-2023 academic year, EDUC 4683 and EDUC 4863 are available on-campus. EDUC 4673 is only available online this year.

TESOL courses are upper-level courses from the School of Education, which makes them a great choice to serve as electives for Acadia University students studying in many different programs.

Award of Certification and Credit

Each of the three courses in the Acadia TESOL Certificate Program is a 3 credit-hour university credit. These credits may be used as credits from the Faculty of Professional Studies for any academic program. Upon successful completion of the Acadia TESOL Certificate Program (three courses plus practicum), students will receive an Acadia University Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

The Acadia TESOL Certificate program is accredited by TESL Canada. Graduates with undergraduate degrees will be eligible to apply for TESL Canada Standard One Certification.  For questions about this accreditation or certification, please contact us or check the TESL Canada website.

Please Note: Only candidates who possess a recognized university degree will be eligible to receive TESL Canada Standard One status for teaching in Canada. Please contact TESL Canada for more information.