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Non-Traditional World Languages Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Program
Michigan State University offers a non-traditional, post-baccalaureate program leading to initial certification for individuals who wish to become teachers of world languages. Candidates for this program must have a bachelor's degree and be proficient in one of these languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish. Students in this program take 39 credits to meet certification requirements (see the courses listed below). Additional coursework is required to earn the Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum (MATC) degree.
Admission Requirements
- Complete the entire application package for the Masters of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum program (see http://www.educ.msu.edu/te/matc/ then click on Apply). Applicants must follow all instructions and meet all requirements for admission to the MATC program.
- Demonstrate oral proficiency in English, if English is not the applicant's first language (refer to MATC admission requirements for specific information). Requests for waivers can be considered (e.g., applicant holds a degree from a U.S. institution of higher education, applicant has become a U.S. citizen, etc.)
- Pass all three parts of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Basic Skills Test. This test requires separate registration and payment at the MTTC website. Applicants should request that scores be sent to MSU. Official scores are required and must be sent directly from the testing company to MSU.
- Demonstrate oral proficiency in the language the applicant wishes to teach (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, etc.). This must be done through MSU's Center for Language Teaching Advancement (CeLTA). Applicants seeking certification in French, German, or Spanish must score at the Advanced Low level or higher. Applicants seeking certification in Arabic, Chinese, or Japanese must score at the Intermediate High level or higher.
- Submit written responses to the two prompts that follow. Responses must be written in the language the applicant wishes to teach. Each response should be between 500-750 words. Please include each question in English above the response.
- Why do you want to become a World Languages teacher?
- What experiences (personal, professional and/or academic) have you had with the literatures and cultures associated with the your language?
- Following admission to the MATC program, applicants must also complete the application for admission to the Non-Traditional Post-Bachelors Certification program. This application allows codes that will ultimately be needed for certification to be assigned.
Program Overview
The following tables show the typical course requirements and when candidates would typically take them across the two years. Course codes in italics indicate online courses.Note 1: Candidates with missing prerequisites must resolve them before Fall semester of year 2; that is, before being allowed to do the student teaching internship.
Note 2: In addition to coursework, candidates must also pass the MTTC subject test in their language before Fall semester of year 2; that is, before being allowed to do the student teaching internship.
Year One
| Semester | Course number (credits) | Course title; plus notes |
|---|---|---|
FALL |
TE 407 |
Teaching World Languages to Diverse Learners; includes field placement |
|
TE 822 |
Issues of Culture in the Classroom and Curriculum |
SPRING |
TE 408 |
Crafting Teaching Practices; includes field placement |
|
TE 843 |
Reading, Writing and Reasoning in Secondary School Subjects |
SUMMER |
TE 825 |
Diverse Learners and Learning Subject Matter |
|
TE 842 |
Advanced Methods for Elementary School Reading; this course is required ONLY for those candidates seeking K-12 endorsements. |
Year Two
Semester |
Course number (credits) |
Course title; plus notes |
|---|---|---|
FALL |
TE 801 |
Professional Roles and Teaching Practice I |
|
TE 802 |
Reflection and Inquiry into Teaching Practice I |
|
TE 896 |
ESL/FL K-12: Practicum; this course accounts for part of your student teaching internship |
SPRING |
TE 803 |
Professional Roles and Teaching Practice II |
|
TE 804 |
Reflection and Inquiry into Teaching Practice II |
|
TE 896 |
ESL/FL K-12: Practicum; this course accounts for part of your student teaching internship |
Anticipated FAQs
1. Does my bachelors degree have to be in the language I want to teach?
That would be ideal, but it is not a requirement. To teach a language effectively requires knowledge of the structure of the language, as well as the literatures and cultures associated with the language. If you have a major in Arabic (either as a foreign language from a U.S. university, or, for example, a degree in Arabic from the University of Jordan), you will have had extensive experiences in these areas.
If your undergraduate degree is in a different area, you may have additional prerequisite coursework to complete in addition to the program described above.
We will conduct a transcript analysis when you apply, so you will know before you begin the program exactly which additional courses you will need to take. Also, we take into consideration your response to the second writing prompt when deciding if there are any prerequisites that must be completed.
2. Does my bachelor’s degree have to be from Michigan State University?
No.
Or from a US-based institution?
No. However, if you earned your degree from a university in which English was not the language of instruction, you will need to provide a certified translation of your university transcripts from an approved agency, such as Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc (ECE); International Education Research Foundation, Inc (IERF); or World Education Service, Inc (WES). In addition, official transcripts must be received in an unopened, sealed envelope sent directly from the issuing institution.
3. Do I have to be a native speaker of the language I want to teach?
No. Native speakers are welcomed and encouraged to apply, but anyone with a bachelor’s degree who is also proficient in the language is eligible.
The Michigan Department of Education has proficiency requirements for all candidates seeking world language teacher certification. Given the expedited nature of this program, we expect you to meet these proficiency requirements before you apply.
For French, German, and Spanish, you must score at the “Advanced Low” level or higher on the oral proficiency interview to be admitted. For Arabic, Chinese and Japanese, you must score at the “Intermediate High” level or higher on the oral proficiency interview to be admitted.
4. When are courses offered?
Courses during Year 1 are offered entirely online or after 4pm on weekdays. TE 407 and TE 408 do have field placement components that require you to observe and do other work in a world languages classroom for roughly 4 hours per week (typically, 2 hours twice per week). Otherwise, your daytime is free.
At the heart of Year 2 is a year-long student teaching internship. This means you will be working as a student teacher intern in a world languages classroom Monday-Friday for most of the academic year (late August through late April). TE 801, 802, 803 and 804 are partly online and partly face-to-face; 10 Fridays per semester are reserved for these courses.
5. Do I need to live in Michigan to complete this program?
Yes. All of the teaching methods courses and field placements take place in Michigan. Face-to-face courses are offered ONLY at our main campus in East Lansing, and - if there are enough students enrolled - at our building in downtown Detroit. For the teaching internship in Year 2, we place students in selected districts in the greater Lansing, Grand Rapids and Detroit areas. Students may also apply separately for the opportunity to complete the internship year in the Chicago Public Schools. We simply do not have the resources to support this work in different states or other locations.
6. Can I start in the spring semester?
No. We only accept students to start this program in the fall of each academic year.
For more information visit the Non-Traditional World Languages Post-Baccalaureate program page.
