TESOL Diploma Faculty of Education
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Agenda Item 10(a) 1 TESOL Diploma Faculty of Education Submitted Sept 2019 Program to commence September 2020 Agenda Item 10(a) 2 Table of Contents 1. 3 a. 3 b. 3 c. 5 d. 5 e. 6 2. 7 a. 7 b. 9 English Facility Requirements 10 (1) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 11 (2) International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Version 11 (3) Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) 11 (4) Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST) 11 c. 11 d. 11 3. 12 a. 12 b. 13 c. 14 d. 17 4. 18 a. 18 5. 18 C. Course Outlines (all of which have been approved by TESL Ontario and which reflect TESL Ontario’s required content and number of instruction hours) can be found as appendices. 19 D. Faculty CVs can be found at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rbilrMqQMfuImQGXCqW7WqnX7jcCxHF1?usp=sharing 19 Agenda Item 10(a) 3 1. INTRODUCTION a. Background The Faculty of Education will offer a TESOL diploma program accredited by TESL Ontario (https://www.teslontario.org/accreditation). Students in the TESOL diploma program will earn a post-baccalaureate diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Ontario Tech University and a TESL certificate from TESL Ontario. Graduates will be eligible to teach English to adults both here in Canada (in privately and publicly-funded institutions) as well as in a variety of institutions overseas. Graduates will be eligible to teach in publicly funded programs in Ontario only once they have applied for the TESL Ontario accredited membership and have been approved for the TESL Ontario Adult ESL Teacher Certificate of Accreditation. Our program will run over two academic terms (i.e. September- April and/or January-August) and will be a hybrid program, with at least 72 hours of the TESL Ontario-required 250 hours taking place online in Adobe Connect. The program consists of eleven semester-length courses (nine 36-hour course equivalents) including 274 hours of coursework, 30 observation hours and 20 practicum hours. Taken full-time, the program can be completed in 8 months (two semesters). b. Alignment with Vision, Mission, and Strategic Plan This new TESOL diploma program aligns well with Ontario Tech’s 2017-22 Strategic Plan in the following ways: CHALLENGE: “Offer a greater variety of lifelong learning through career-focused professional development” The TESOL diploma will appeal to individuals at a variety of stages in their professional lives, from those just starting out, to those looking for a mid-life career change. Since notice of our accreditation was posted on TESL Ontario’s website, we have already had inquiries from a number of potential applicants including a woman preparing for a new post-retirement career. INNOVATE: “Double the number of courses that mix technology and face-to-face education to make learner-centered environments, because transformative learning builds problem-solving capacity”. The TESOL diploma program will take a hybrid approach and combine face-to-face traditional classroom learning with online synchronous learning through Adobe Connect, as well as asynchronous learning through a Learning Management System. CONNECT: “Offer practical hands-on learning experiences, like co-ops, internships, research practicums, international exchanges, and entrepreneurial opportunities to every student, because experiential learning develops the skills that employers want. “Build research partnerships that fortify our university’s key strengths, because our national and international collaborations open doors to new ideas and initiatives both locally and globally.” The TESOL program includes 50 hours in practicum placements, some of which must be in an online context. These opportunities for experiential learning ensure the marketability of our students to prospective employers. This program will also be an excellent research site for faculty with research interests in the field of language teaching and learning, and will allow for research collaborations with the English Language Centre as well. Furthermore, the new TESOL program will align well with Ontario Tech’s vision, mission and values. Agenda Item 10(a) 4 VISION: The TESOL program will truly ‘inspire graduates who will make an impact on the world’ since, as teachers of the English language, they will facilitate learning in Canadian and international classrooms while interacting with immigrants, refugees and a multitude of other individuals looing to acquire/improve their English skills. MISSION: The TESOL program will be ‘technology-enriched’ via its hybrid approach, but also through its focus on developing online language teaching skills in ‘response to the evolving workplace’ which has seen a growing trend in international schools hiring Canadians to teach English from home via videoconferencing. VALUES: The TESOL program courses focus on an asset-based approach to supporting culturally and linguistically diverse students acquiring English as another language thereby embracing “respect, inclusivity and equity”. The program’s commitment to “quality and intellectual rigour” is evident through our choice to meet the standards of a regulatory body (TESL Ontario) and to offer the program as a diploma (post- undergrad degree) rather than as a certificate. The Faculty of Education, Ontario Tech, is committed to providing educational opportunities to promote life- long learning. For many years, the Faculty of Education’s Bachelor of Education program has provided first- class teacher education. For the past decade, the Master’s program and the BA program in Educational Studies at Ontario Tech have enabled the faculty to develop deep expertise in online teaching, learning, and accessibility of programs. The proposed Teaching English as a Second/Subsequent Language program meets the goals and mission of both the University and the Faculty of Education. The intent of the program is to provide a first-class education and training experience designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s workplace and meet TESL Ontario standards of practice. Teachers of English to speakers of other languages are in high demand globally and locally. With Canada’s commitment toward immigration, there is a need for a steady supply of individuals who have Teaching English as a Second or Subsequent Language education. There is also a steady market abroad for persons who can teach English. The proposed TESOL program at Ontario Tech will be supported by technology that will be used to increase access to the program. The proposed hybrid format will provide face-to-face and online components to allow ease of access to students who may already be working but need to acquire new skills. The Faculty of Education at Ontario Tech, through the Master’s program and its Bachelor of Educational Studies and Digital Technology (BA ESDT) programs, has shown that it can provide an outstanding online educational experience. This proposed hybrid program will provide a needed service to the community, and will not only train students in Teaching English as a Second/Subsequent Language skills, it will also provide students with the necessary skills for online language teaching, as modelled by its professional faculty. The Program will fall under the category of Post-baccalaureate certificates (stand-alone, for- credit). The TESOL diploma program will be administered through the Faculty of Education as a diploma program taught by Ontario Tech instructors, and our graduates will convocate with the rest of the Ontario Tech degree students. Our program has been accredited by the professional association TESL Ontario, which will regularly review our program to ensure we maintain the highest standards in English teacher training. This diploma program lays the foundation for successful teaching of English as a Second/Subsequent Language. It provides the theoretical and practical experience to teach English within Canada and abroad. The program meets the requirements for TESL Ontario certification. The key concepts of the program include: linguistic and pedagogical theory, language teaching methodologies, phonetics and phonology, Agenda Item 10(a) 5 culture, grammar and reflective practice. Students will apply the theory through observations and practice teaching in an ESL classes. Graduates of this program can pursue employment inside and outside of Ontario in Language Centres, Education, private schools, colleges and universities. Graduates will have to apply to TESL Ontario individually to obtain their TESL Ontario certification. c. Student Demand The chart in section e below shows the existence of current TESL Ontario accredited programs offered by post-secondary institutions in Ontario. The Faculty of Education is eager to fill an existing gap east of the GTA. A TESOL Program at Ontario Tech would be the only accredited program between Toronto and Ottawa. Our nearest competition would be in Toronto, and as a result, we believe there will be sufficient demand from individuals living east of Toronto to make an Ontario Tech TESOL program viable and profitable. TESL Ontario requires a minimum of six students to run a course. We anticipate having 15-20 the first time we run the program (Sept 2020 - April 2021), with sufficient time to advertise. We will promote the program within our other three programs (BEd, BA and MEd/MA). Thereafter, we anticipate 25+ students per section, with two start points (Sept and Jan) which affords us greater appeal to our B.Ed. students who graduate in December and could transition into the TESOL program in January. The two start dates would also allow for increased interest amongst international students and Canadians living overseas. The number of course offerings will be scalable based on demand, minimum enrollment numbers and the faculty’s ability to meet demand. We foresee steady growth over time for the first 3 years and will expand as demand grows. Table 1. Projected enrolment by year of operation and program year. PROGRAM Enrolment Predictions 2021- 2020- 2022- 2023- 2024- 2025- 21 22 23 24 25 26 Yr1 16 35 35 70 70 70 Yr2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Yr3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Yr4 0 0 0 0 0 0 Yr5 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL PROGRAM 16 35 35 70 70 60 d.