Bethel Grows English Teaching Program
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowBethel College in Mishawaka is expanding its Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program. The school will now offer a major to help equip students to meet the needs of an “increasingly global economy.”
November 25, 2014
News Release
Mishawaka, Ind. — Bethel College's Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program has expanded to now include a major as well as the previously offered minor. The flexible degree, which has an emphasis on real-world experience, allows graduates to work anywhere in the world and equips them to meet the communication needs of an increasingly global economy.
The degree is double-major friendly, working particularly well with intercultural studies, English and writing, and Christian ministries, although many other majors are an option. Students who want to pursue mission work overseas will especially benefit from the new major, which will allow them to obtain gainful employment compatible with their passion.
All TESOL students will complete a practicum – majors will complete at least 30 hours of classroom observation and 60 hours of solo teaching and minors will complete at least 15 hours of observation and 30 hours of teaching. Experiences are customized to match a student's post-graduate interests and can be completed locally or overseas.
“The practicum is an integral part of the program,” says Eric Oglesbee, Ph.D., assistant professor of linguistics. “From the beginning, everything in our program has been focused on building towards the practicum so that, by the time a TESOL student graduates, he or she will possess the knowledge and experience to thrive in today's competitive work environment.”
Katie Bennett, a 2013 Bethel graduate with a TESOL minor, now works at The Language Company at Indiana University South Bend and is pursuing a Master of Arts in TESOL. “I just can't replace the learning experience I had [at Bethel],” says Bennett. “And I cannot say enough about how supportive and influential [my professors] have been in my journey as a teacher.”
Bethel College, located in Mishawaka, Ind., is an accredited Christian college offering associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in more than 50 areas of study. The current enrollment of nearly 1,800 includes students from 34 states and Puerto Rico, 11 countries and 22 percent from culturally diverse backgrounds. Bethel has been named a top tier college by U.S. News since 2003. Bethel is also nationally recognized by Money Magazine as a best college for your money and by Christian Universities Online as one of the 50 Best Christian Colleges and as the 28th most affordable Christian college. Connect with Bethel online at BethelCollege.edu, or via Facebook (Facebook.com/BethelCollege), Twitter (Twitter.com/BethelCollegeIN) and YouTube (YouTube.com/BethelCollegeIndiana).
Source: Bethel College