Foreign language programs
Your language study at Northwestern will include cross-cultural opportunities around the world and outside your door as you learn about breaking through barriers. In addition to spending a semester abroad, you might accompany professors as they translate in the courtroom or hospital. Majors can also sign up to live in the college’s Spanish House, where only español is spoken at home.
TESL (teaching English as a second language) Minor
The TESL minor is designed for non-education majors who plan to teach ESL outside the United States, and/or in a church or community-based program in the United States. Education majors who plan to teach ESL in a K-12 setting should consult the TESL endorsement requirements under the education department.
| Requirements |
| Foreign language 0-9 * |
| ENG 283 - Grammar in the Classroom Most middle schools and high schools expect their English teachers to teach writing and grammar. What are the goals of teaching grammar? What grammar should young writers know? This course takes a rhetorical approach to the study of grammar and to its use in the teaching of writing. Prerequisite: ENG184 and sophomore standing. (2 credits) |
| ENG 345 - Linguistic Perspectives on English Where did our language come from? How did English get the biggest vocabulary of any modern language? How are the words joust, yoke, and yoga related? Why is English spelling so irregular? Are there bad words? This course traces the 1500 year development of our language, from the Germanic tongue of Beowulf to the Frenchified language of Chaucer, to the many varieties of modern English spoken around the world.(4 credits, alternate years, consult department) |
| TSL 207 - TESL Grammar Study of English grammar as it applies to the teaching of English as a second language. Designed for active speakers of English who anticipate teaching ESL and wish to learn about those grammar topics of concern to ESL students. (2 credits, alternate years, consult department) |
| TSL 222 - Practicum in TESL Designed primarily for students who plan to teach English as a second language but who are not part of the TESL endorsement, this practicum places TESL minor students in an ESL teaching setting, primarily with recent immigrants in Sioux County. Students teach ESL to immigrants, either on a one-to-one basis or with small groups. Prerequisite: 201 proficiency in a foreign language, TSL307 or permission of instructor. (2 credits) |
| TSL 224 - Applied Linguistics in Language Education The course is a survey of key issues in socio-and applied linguistic inquiry on case studies of topics such as the nature of language, bilingualism and bilingual education as well as language planning and language policy. (4 credits, alternate years, consult department) |
| TSL 225 - Language Development and Acquisition This course will examine the similarities and differences between the acquisition of first and second languages. (3 credits, alternate years, consult department) |
| TSL 307 - Methods in TESL Study of the unique problems and opportunities in teaching English to classes made up of individuals from heterogeneous language backgrounds. Discussion of recent research, methodology and grammar concepts unique to ESL. Prerequisite: one year of a foreign language or permission of instructor. (3 credits, alternate years, consult department) |
| Total credits required: 20-29 |
Note:
* 201 proficiency in modern foreign languages
