Certificate in Adult ESL: Teaching ESL to Adults

(Available at our Northern Virginia Center)

As Virginia’s adult English as a Second Language (ESL) population continues to grow, there is an increasing need to prepare educators to work with this diverse population. Our Certificate in Teaching ESL to Adults is designed for individuals interested in teaching ESL to adults in the following settings

• Adult education programs


• Community colleges


• English language programs in non English-speaking countries

The program is designed to provide students with the pedagogical tools to effectively teach English to adult learners. Upon completion of the 18-credit (6 course) graduate certificate, students will be able to: 

• Design and implement effective ESL curriculum for adult learners


• Apply current research and theory in the classroom


• Teach adult ESL in a variety of academic settings


• Design activities and lessons for diverse and multi-level adult ESL classrooms


• Incorporate student needs, interests, and background knowledge into curriculum development

Courses are offered on an on-going basis. Teachers who are seeking to add the add-on endorsement to their current Virginia teaching license will need to complete all of the required courses (a total of 4) and 3 credits of a modern foreign language (per VAC 20-22-210). The U.Va. Northern Virginia Center does not offer foreign language courses.

Required Courses (4)

PSED 6505

Multicultural Education

PSED 6514

English Linguistics for Adult Education

PSED 6514

Adult ESL Curriculum Development

PSED 6514		Methods of Teaching ESL to Adults
Elective Courses (2)
PSED 6514		Applied Linguistics
PSED 6514		Sociolinguistics
PSED 6514		Second Language Acquisition
Search now for classes offered this semester. Register now for classes offered this semester. Program Contact Northern Virginia Center Charlotte Partain Email:  cpartain@virginia.edu Telephone: 703-536-1123 / 1-800-678-4882 FAQs and Application