Undergraduate TEFL certificate

Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

What is a certificate in TEFL?

The certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) provides students with appropriate skills and a credential that will enable them to teach EFL abroad. The TEFL certificate is awarded to students who successfully complete a series of five undergraduate courses offered by the Department of Applied Linguistics & ESL. The TEFL certificate is an entry-level credential for those who plan short-term stays overseas. Students who are interested in a career in teaching EFL/ESL will need to have more extensive education and certification at the master's degree level.

Who is the certificate in TEFL for?

Students who are likely to be interested in the certificate program include those in disciplines where an extended stay abroad would enhance their skills, employment or graduate school admission possibilities upon their return. Some individuals are simply interested in the adventure of living in another culture and of gaining knowledge of the world. Other individuals who would take the certificate courses are post-baccalaureate students who are interested in working abroad but do not want to make the long term professional commitment entailed in a graduate degree in the field. Finally, majors in Language Studies interested in further graduate study in applied linguistics would be able to earn the certificate as part of their undergraduate degree requirements, thus enhancing their graduate school potential.

The TEFL certificate is intended for GSU-admitted students who take the required courses as part of their undergraduate coursework, or as post-baccalaureate students. It is not available as a continuing education program.

Courses Required for the TEFL certificate

The TEFL certificate requirements consist of the following five courses:

	AL/ForL 3021	Introduction to Linguistics (3 hrs.) (a prerequisite for all 3000-4000 level AL/ForL courses)
	AL/ForL 3041	Second Language Acquisition (3 hrs.)
	AL 3051	Methods of Teaching EFL (3 hrs.)
	AL/ForL 4151	Culture and Language Learning (3 hrs.)
	AL 4161	EFL Practicum (3 hrs.) - to be taken in student's final semester-AFTER AL 3051

Georgia State University

Georgia State University is a leading research university located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The university is the second largest in the state and the largest in the Atlanta metropolitcan area, with a total enrollment of approximately 35,000 students from all 50 states and 117 countries. The university offers 52 undergraduate and graduate degree programs with more than 200 majors. There are six college-level units of the university: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Health and Human Services, Law, and Policy Studies.

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Additional Information

Dr. Sara Weigle
Department of Applied Linguistics & ESL
One Park Tower, 12th floor
34 Peachtree Street
E-mail: sweigle@gsu.edu
Phone: 404-413-5192
Website for Applied Linguistics & ESL