Earn Your Combined Bilingual/ESL Endorsement
This combined credential will allow you to earn both bilingual and ESL endorsements. The program combines the ESL endorsement coursework with an additional two courses from the bilingual endorsement. This credential is excellent preparation for teaching in our nation鈥檚 increasingly diverse learning communities.
Our program will help you meet the requirements for earning each endorsement: a valid professional Illinois teacher license; bilingual clinical experience totaling 100 clock hours, or three months, teaching experience in ESL programs; successful completion of a language exam in the non-English language to be taught; and credits totaling 24 semester hours from among the course topics we offer.
Practical Training
More and more school districts are requiring teachers to obtain an ESL endorsement. North Park鈥檚 combined endorsement program will give you the added advantage of gaining experience in bilingual education theory and practice, allowing you to serve as an effective teacher in both ESL and bilingual classroom settings.
You鈥檒l gain hands-on classroom experience in ESL and bilingual settings; explore the relationship between language and society; understand the basic principles of linguistics; learn assessment techniques of ESL and bilingual students; build a personal framework for teaching a second language; and examine multicultural and socioeconomic activity.
Personal Attention
Our compassionate, experienced faculty spend time in the field to master the latest best practices and regularly contribute to advancing the framework of education. They will teach you best practices in education鈥攁nd prepare you to lead and transform others wherever your career takes you.
Affordable Tuition
North Park offers a 25% tuition discount for full-time employees, teachers, and/or day-to-day substitute teachers in public or private Chicago schools as well as students who enroll in the master of arts in educational leadership (MAEL) program.
You might also be interested in:
Special Education Endorsement
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership