ESL and Bilingual Education Endorsement: What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career
The ESL (English as a Second Language) and Bilingual Education Endorsement is an add-on endorsement for an already licensed teacher. Many K-12 programs across the country are looking for highly qualified teachers trained to teach in ESL/Bilingual programs. National Louis University National College of Education offers the courses teachers need to earn the ESL/Bilingual Education Endorsement and meet the endorsement requirements.
What Is an ESL/Bilingual Endorsement?
ESL and Bilingual Education Endorsements in the state of Illinois are an 18-credit-hour add-on program to the teacher license(s). Once the teacher licenses the required content area(s) of study, they will also complete a clinical component or teaching experience ranging from 100 clock hours to a full semester of teaching in an ESL/Bilingual Program. Most teachers choose to complete both the ESL and Bilingual Education Endorsements, as most of the coursework satisfies the requirements for both.
National Louis University offers ESL and Bilingual Education endorsement coursework through its National College of Education. Most teachers complete their ESL/Bilingual Education (ESL/BE) endorsement coursework within one year of starting. For more information about the number of credits required to complete the endorsement and the time it takes, contact the student services department for details on the teacher's specific program and prior experience.
Why Pursue an ESL/Bilingual Endorsement?
The ESL and Bilingual Education Endorsement is for teachers already in the classroom teaching in the K-12 setting. Multilingual learners are so common in U.S. schools that teachers who can teach and support them in the classroom are in high demand. In fact, many schools pay extra for teachers with this endorsement.
Bilingual or multilingual teachers, however, can use their existing language skills to strengthen their professional credentials by earning an ESL and/or Bilingual Education endorsement.
Key Questions About This Endorsement
Do I need to be a licensed teacher already to pursue this endorsement?
This endorsement is for currently licensed teachers to add to their current teaching license. National Louis University offers the endorsement coursework through the National College of Education.
What's the difference between the ESL endorsement and the Bilingual Education endorsement?
The ESL Endorsement typically enables teachers to teach English as a Second Language and to support students who are English Language Learners in English-medium settings. Teachers with the Bilingual Education Endorsement can teach in bilingual education programs in which students are instructed in both English and another language. Holders of the Bilingual Education Endorsement must be shown to be proficient in a language other than English (usually tested via a state test of language proficiency). They can teach in bilingual education programs in which students are instructed in both English and another language.
Teachers pursuing the ESL endorsement are not required to be fluent in a second language. The endorsement focuses on teaching English to English learners in English-medium settings. In contrast, the Bilingual Education endorsement focuses on teaching in a bilingual program where students are taught in two languages, including the language of the home. This requires the teacher to be fluent in a second language.
How long does it typically take to get an ESL/Bilingual Endorsement?
Typically, teachers can complete the ESL/Bilingual endorsement coursework within a year. Some teachers are full-time and complete the coursework part-time. This can enable them to complete the coursework within a year.
Career Impact
Teachers who add the ESL and/or Bilingual Education endorsements to their existing teaching licenses can teach in more school and district positions. Many school and district positions require teachers who can teach and support multilingual learner populations. Teachers with an ESL and/or Bilingual Education endorsement can teach in ESL/bilingual programs as well as in mainstream classrooms with English learners. National data on the growth of multilingual learner populations in schools, along with federal requirements to support English learners, have created growing demand for teachers with an ESL and/or Bilingual Education endorsement.
In many districts, teachers with an ESL/Bilingual Education (ESL/BE) endorsement are also eligible for additional stipends or higher pay in addition to the normal salary to compensate for the extra training this type of teacher receives. This is also because many areas of the country have shortages, and the ESL/Bilingual Education endorsement, when combined with a core teaching license (for example, Special Education or a STEM area), can make a teacher very competitive in applications for employment in several different areas of need.
ESL and Bilingual Education Endorsements at National Louis University
NLU's National College of Education (NCE) offers the same coursework for the ESL and Bilingual Education (ESL/BE) endorsement. Most teachers complete the ESL/BE endorsement coursework within a year. Teachers can take the courses as a standalone endorsement or as part of a graduate degree program. Courses taken as part of the endorsement can be applied to a related master's or education specialist degree program at NLU.
