MATESL Program Objectives

HPU's MATESL program objectives are the TESOL/NCATE Program Standards with minor revisions. The original TESOL/NCATE standards were written for teacher education programs in which candidates would be prepared to teach English as a second language (ESL) in P-12 (pre-school through 12th grade) in the United States. The revised standards that follow expand the scope of the original standards to include the teaching of English as a second or foreign language (ESL or EFL) to adults as well as children, and abroad as well as in the United States.

Students who complete HPU's MATESL program (henceforth "candidates") will meet the following standards:

Domain 1: Language

Candidates know, understand, and use concepts, theories, and research related to the nature and acquisition of language to construct learning environments that support students' acquisition of written and spoken English in ESL/EFL settings.

Standard 1.a. Describing language. Candidates demonstrate understanding of language as a system and demonstrate a high level of competence in helping ESL/EFL students acquire and use English in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for social and academic purposes.

Standard 1.b. Language acquisition and development. Candidates understand and apply concepts, theories, research, and practice to facilitate the acquisition of English and, in the case of P-12, the students' primary language in and out of classroom settings.

Domain 2: Culture

Candidates know, understand, and use concepts, principles, theories, and research related to the nature and role of culture and cultural groups to construct learning environments that support ESL/EFL students' cultural identities, acquisition of written and spoken English, and, where appropriate, content-area achievement and/or to present representative aspects of the cultures of various English speaking communities (e.g. North America, UK-Ireland, Australia-New Zealand, former British colonies, etc.) in a balanced way.

Standard 2.a. Nature and Role of Culture. Candidates know, understand, and use the concepts, principles, theories, and research related to the nature and role of culture in language development and academic achievement that support individual students' learning.

Standard 2.b. Cultural Groups and Identity. Candidates understand, and use knowledge of how cultural groups and students' cultural identities affect language learning and school achievement in the two major teaching milieus they may find themselves in, either ESL or EFL.

Standard 2.c. Presentation of Culture. Candidates understand and apply knowledge about representative aspects of the cultures of several English-speaking communities (e.g. North America, UK-Ireland, Australia-New Zealand, former British colonies, etc.) in a balanced way.

Domain 3: Planning, Implementing, and Managing Instruction

Candidates know, understand, and use standards-based practices and strategies related to planning, implementing, and managing ESL/EFL lessons and content instruction, including classroom organization, teaching strategies for developing and integrating language skills, and choosing and adapting classroom resources.

Standard 3.a. Planning for Standards-Based ESL/EFL and, Where Appropriate, Content Instruction. Candidates know, understand, and apply concepts, research, and best practices to plan classroom instruction in a supportive learning environment for ESL/EFL students. Candidates serve as effective English-language models, and they are prepared to teach in a wide variety of ESL/EFL settings with learners from homogenous or diverse backgrounds, using standards-based ESL/EFL and, where appropriate, content curriculum.

Standard 3.b. Managing and Implementing Standards-Based ESL and Content Instruction. Candidates know, manage, and implement a variety of standards-based teaching strategies and techniques for developing and integrating English listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and, where appropriate, for accessing the core curriculum as their students learn language and academic content together.

Standard 3.c. Using Resources Effectively in ESL/EFL and Content Instruction. Candidates are familiar with a wide range of standards-based materials, resources, and technologies, and choose, adapt, and use them in effective ESL/EFL and content teaching.

Domain 4: Assessment

Candidates understand issues of assessment and use standards-based assessment measures with ESL/EFL students.

Standard 4.a. Issues of Assessment for ESL. Candidates understand various issues of assessment as they affect ESL/EFL student learning. These include, but are not limited to, various forms and purposes of assessment from teacher-made quizzes to standardized achievement tests, various formats for assessment from traditional item types to standards-based performance assessments, and various cultural, linguistic, political, social, and psychological factors that affect assessment of ESL/EFL learners in various settings.

Standard 4.b. Language Proficiency Assessment. Candidates know and use a variety of standards-based language proficiency instruments to inform their instruction and understand their uses for identification, placement, and demonstration of language growth of ESL/EFL students.

Standard 4.c. Classroom-Based Assessment for ESL/EFL. Candidates know and use a variety of performance-based assessment tools and techniques to inform instruction.

Domain 5: Professionalism

Candidates demonstrate knowledge of the history of ESL/EFL teaching. Candidates keep current with new instructional techniques, research results, advances in the ESL/EFL field, and public policy issues. Candidates use such information to reflect upon and improve their instructional practices. Candidates work collaboratively to improve the learning environment and provide support for ESL/EFL students. In the case of P-12, they also advocate for ESL students and their families.

Standard 5.a. ESL/EFL Research and History. Candidates demonstrate knowledge of history, research, and current practice in the field of ESL/EFL teaching and apply this knowledge to improve teaching and learning.

Standard 5.b. Partnerships and Advocacy. Candidates serve as professional resources. In the case of P-12, they also advocate for ESL/EFL students, and build partnerships with students' families.

Standard 5.c. Professional Development and Collaboration. Candidates collaborate with and are prepared to serve as a resource to all staff, including paraprofessionals, to improve learning for all ESL/EFL students.