English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Major

Language forms a bridge between cultures and being the one to bridge that gap can be extremely rewarding. The ESOL program at Salisbury University leads to a Bachelor of Arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) and a State of Maryland K-12 ESOL Certification. The program is designed to prepare educators in instructional and leadership capacities for K-12 school settings.

Why Choose an ESOL Major at Salisbury University?

SU’s interdisciplinary oriented program is designed for both native and non-native speakers of English who wish to enter the teaching profession. Our K-12 ESOL Certification Program is aligned with national standards, as established by the National TESOL Organization and AAQEP. It also reflects principles of Maryland’s Redesign for Teacher Education.

At SU, you will find a personalized program with:

Up-to-date training that is customized to local and national needs, resources and cultures of our international students
Experienced, international faculty spanning a diversity of continents, countries, institutions and linguistic backgrounds
Embedded field experiences, including field observation and internship opportunities
Field placements at professional development sites that provide close collaboration and mentoring with highly qualified school personnel
Opportunities to complete internships abroad as part of graduate programs
The option of face-to-face or online instruction

With Salisbury, you can expand your experiences beyond our borders. Our ESOL graduates have taught English abroad in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America.

Careers for ESOL Majors

What can you do as an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) major? Our ESOL program is designed for students who wish to enter the teaching profession. Using your mastery of the English language, you could become one of the following:

Academic Advisor
Academic Communications Instructor
Adult ESOL Teacher
ESOL Program Director

Government Agency Advisor
Speech Instructor
Translator/Interpreter

Meet Amanda – ESOL Major

Find out the skills Amanda has learned from ESOL that she finds both interesting and marketable in the job industry.

ESOL Faculty with Real-World Experience

Our highly experienced faculty includes recipients of the prestigious Henry C. Welcome Fellowship and linguist experts serving on competitive, specially convened panels for agencies such as the Native American and Alaskan Children in School Program, Office of English Language Acquisition and Early Childhood Education Program.

Not only is it about language learning itself, but also learning about the culture, and seeing and respecting the differences.

Derya Kulavuz-Onal, Ph.D. Applied Linguistics/TESOL Faculty

Learn More About Our ESOL Program

Courses and ESOL Major Requirements
Learn about our robust course offerings.

Visit our catalog to see the requirements for this program:
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You can also see a handy curriculum guide that shows you a suggested course of study to graduate with the major in four years:
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Our Department and Faculty
Study Abroad Programs
Graduates of the program will:
- demonstrate understanding of language as a system, including phonology, morphology, syntax, pragmatics and semantics, and support ELLs as they acquire English language and literacy in order to achieve in the content areas
- understand and apply theories and research in language acquisition and development to support their ELLs’ English language and literacy learning and content-area achievement
- know, understand and use major theories and research related to the nature and role of culture in their instruction, demonstrating an understanding of how cultural groups and individual cultural identities affect language learning and school achievement
- know, understand and apply concepts, research and best practices to plan classroom instruction in a supportive learning environment for ELLs, planning for multilevel classrooms with learners from diverse backgrounds using standards-based ESL and content curriculum
- know, manage and implement a variety of standards-based teaching strategies and techniques for developing and integrating English listening, speaking, reading and writing –supporting ELLs’ access to the core curriculum by teaching language through academic content
- become familiar with a wide range of standards-based materials, resources and technologies, and choose, adapt and use them in effective ESL and content teaching
- demonstrate understanding of various assessment issues as they affect ELLs, such as accountability, bias, special education testing, language proficiency and accommodations in formal testing situations
- know and use a variety of standards-based language proficiency instruments to show language growth and to inform their instruction, demonstrating understanding of their uses for identification, placement and reclassification of ELLs
- know and can use a variety of performance-based assessment tools and techniques to inform instruction for in the classroom
- demonstrate knowledge of history, research, educational public policy and current practice in the field of ESL teaching and apply this knowledge to inform teaching and learning
- take advantage of professional growth opportunities and demonstrate the ability to build partnerships with colleagues and students’ families, serve as community resources, and advocate for ELLs
For a full list of outcomes, search for your program in SU's Academic Program Student Learning Outcomes database.