Teaching English as a Second Language & Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education
Ideal for education majors in any program, the undergraduate Teaching English as a
Second Language—also referred to as Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL)—and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Education programs examine
current theories and practices of language acquisition and multilingual language development
in global contexts. You’ll be thoroughly versed in the cultural development of multilingual
learners, and the varied experiences of multicultural and multilingual families and
communities in the United States, even other countries. Completing this program can
either be done through a Teaching English as a Second Language minor (non-licensure),
a K-12 teaching endorsement (the CLD Education Endorsement), and/or a CLD Bilingual
Education Specialist Endorsement.
The undergraduate TESOL and CLD Education endorsements are housed in the College of
Humanities and Social Sciences in Candelaria Hall. Although numerous immigrant groups
are addressed in TESOL coursework at UNC, there is a special focus on Spanish-speaking
children and youth. An appropriate decision, this was reached considering that in
Colorado 84% of all English language learners are Spanish-speaking; in the U.S., 75%
of all English language learners are Spanish-speaking, the majority of whom are from
Mexico. Approximately 75% of students seeking endorsement are Elementary Education
majors; the remainder are Secondary Education or K-12 licensure students.