"I feel competent and educated in the field and have a lot to offer people."
Certificate Program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Choose any course that piques your interest.
This certificate can be completed fully Live Online.
Most students complete the curriculum in 1.5–2 years.
Note: Effective Dec. 5, 2024, we will no longer accept new certificate registrations after June 30, 2025. If you are already registered for the certificate, you can continue to enroll in courses to fulfill curriculum requirements. Classes will not be available after the Spring 2026 semester.
The increasing use of English throughout the world means career opportunities for teachers of English as a second language (ESL). But teaching ESL well requires more than fluency in English and a lesson plan. UC Berkeley Extension's Certificate Program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages provides a foundation in linguistics and second-language acquisition—along with classroom methodologies and curriculum-design skills—so that you can be an effective teacher in a variety of environments.
You receive training in language pedagogy, materials development, assessment and evaluation, and cross-cultural communication. The certificate curriculum is overseen by an advisory board of TESL and education leaders and approved by the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Education, ensuring your education is relevant and up to date. This certificate does not award a California teaching credential, but all courses in the curriculum apply toward a master's degree at the University of San Francisco.
Enrollment in individual courses is open to anyone who meets the stated prerequisites. To participate in the certificate, you must hold at least a baccalaureate degree (B.A.) or the equivalent from an accredited institution. If you completed your undergraduate studies outside of the United States, you must have your transcripts evaluated by an accredited evaluation organization. The most basic evaluation is acceptable; you do not need a class-by-class report. Fluency in a second language is not required to enter the field of TESL, but it is beneficial, in general, to have experience in learning another language and to have knowledge of another culture.
The curriculum comprises 7 required courses for a total of 17 semester units (255 hours of instruction). All courses emphasize practical applications of theoretical material for classroom use. Candidates must pay a nonrefundable certificate registration fee.
All courses must be taken for a letter grade. To receive the certificate, you must maintain an overall minimum 3.0 grade point average, with a grade of C or better in each course. All coursework must be completed within five years.
By registering, you declare your intention to complete the curriculum. You should register for the certificate before you begin your third course in the curriculum. To register online for the Certificate Program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, complete these two steps:
Evidence of a bachelor's degree is required of all new applicants. Once you register for the certificate, send official e-transcripts to extension-education@berkeley.edu. We cannot accept forwarded PDFs fro students. The Education department must be the direct recipient of official transcripts.
All non-U.S. transcripts must be accompanied by a foreign transcript evaluation. The most basic evaluation is sufficient; there is no need for the class-by-class report.
It is not necessary to send your transcript and registration fee if you are enrolling in an individual course.
Each course is priced individually, and you pay the course fee at the time of enrollment. The certificate has an estimated cost of $4,875 (not including course materials or one-time certificate registration fee). Course fees are subject to change.
Once you have completed the certificate coursework, notify UC Berkeley Extension that you have completed the curriculum and request your certificate. Send an email to extension-education@berkeley.edu. After your records have been reviewed, verified, and approved, your certificate will be sent to you in the mail. The review of your records is usually completed within six to eight weeks after you request the certificate.
Professional Organizations
What Are Your Teaching Goals?
Teaching at a public adult school requires an adult education teaching credential. Teaching at the community college level requires either an M.A. in TESL or an M.A. in a related field and the TESL certificate.
English Language Proficiency Requirements
When an application is made for certificate candidacy, nonnative speakers of English will be required to submit an official international or UC Institutional TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) report. Applicants must receive a minimum score of 250 for the computer-based exam (600 for paper) or a minimum total score of 100 for the iBT TOEFT exam. In addition, a minimum score of 25 is required on each of the four sections of the iBT (reading, listening, writing and speaking). The TOEFL must be taken within two years of application to this program. Registration forms for the TOEFL may be obtained by contacting:
Test of English as a Foreign Language
Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
toefl@ets.org
Please have your TOEFL test provider send your score report directly to our departmental email address: extension-education@berkeley.edu.
For more information about the TOEFL, visit ETS.
Note: A Duolingo English Test is also accepted for participants who are nonnative English speakers. The minimum score requirement for this test is 115.