Welcome to Conestoga!

Congratulations!

You are entering a journey into a new world of language learning.  Whether you are acquiring a new language, such as French or American Sign Language (ASL), learning to teach English as a Second Language (TESL), or learning how to interpret for those who have challenges expressing themselves in English, your world and opportunities within it have now grown.

Effective language and communication skills are Essential Employability Skills that are vital to today's global economy.  You can apply these newly learned skills in a variety of settings: business, education, health care community services, or the trades.

This handbook provides you with the specific information related to the academic standards, guidelines, and protocols to help ensure your success in your respective program of choice.  If you have any additional questions, please contact your faculty, your coordinator, or me directly.

Sincerely, 

Executive Dean, School of Interdisciplinary Studies

Executive Dean, School of Interdisciplinary Studies
Shawn Brake
Doon, 2A139
519-748-5220 ext. 3058
sbrake@conestogac.on.ca

Chair, Conestoga Language Institute
Natalie Hughes
Doon, 2A139
519-748-5220 
nahughes@conestogac.on.ca

Administrative Assistant
Liliana Pereira Melo
Conestoga Language Institute
519-748-5220 
lpereiramelo@conestogac.on.ca​

Program Coordinator/Faculty
Amanda McIntosh
Waterloo Campus
519-748-5220
amcintosh@conestogac.on.ca

Other Faculty

Including the above-mentioned faculty, dedicated faculty from the Conestoga Language Institute and from partnering language education institutions will work with you for the duration of this program. Your academic success is paramount to the whole team.

Contact information for this faculty will typically be provided on the first day of related courses.

Career Services – Program Specific

As part of the Part 2 Practicum, FPLT8310, a workshop specific to job search for an ESL job market will provide you with sample resumes and cover letters, names addresses of regional employers, and sound advice on looking for work in Waterloo Region and beyond.

Orientation – Program Specific

The TESL Certificate program in-class delivery participates in the post-graduate program orientation prior to the beginning of classes. At that time, you will be introduced to the program faculty and learn important information about the program. You will also receive an overview of services available at the college and have the opportunity to purchase textbooks and parking passes, and to obtain a library card. 

The TESL Certificate program online delivery offers an online orientation on the Monday of the first week of the semester to orient new students to online learning and the TESL program design.

Program Description

The Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Certificate Program is a full-time two semester graduate program designed for students who wish to teach English as a Second Language in Canada and/or overseas.  The program focuses on current theory and practice in language teaching in diverse learning environments, including in-class, blended, and online learning. The program includes two supervised teaching practicums.  This program is recognized by TESL Canada and TESL Ontario.    ​

​Program Learning Outcomes

Successful completion of this program will enable the graduate to:

1. Apply principles of second language acquisition/learning and aspects of the nature of language to the design of learning opportunities in varied contexts.
2. Assess the language learning needs of adult learners in order to develop and facilitate appropriate language learning opportunities.
3. Create a respectful learning environment which enables a culturally diverse group of learners with diverse individual learning styles to meet their language learning needs and goals.
4. Design learning activities which integrate linguistic, sociolinguistic, textual and pragmatic aspects of the English language in a context which is accessible and meaningful to learners.
5. Adapt planning and instruction to program context variables in order to help learners achieve their goals within a variety of current program contexts.
6. Develop plans for teaching and learning which are appropriate for learners in specific programs, drawing on a variety of curricular models and resources.
7. Plan syllabi, lessons, activities, and assessments that support all learners in reaching their language learning goals.
8. Choose from a wide range of teaching resources and technological tools to best meet learners' needs and enhance learners' engagement and motivation.
9. Instruct adult language learners in a clear and engaging manner which fosters community and supports learning.
10. Implement a variety of methods of assessment to monitor learner progress and to guide decision making in keeping with the assessment requirements of a variety of programs.
11. Adapt current technologies to the needs of the learners and the type of delivery model in a variety of adult language learning settings.
12. Develop a dynamic and evolving philosophy of learning and teaching based on reflection, collegial discussion, action research, and dynamic interaction with learners.

Equipment, Supplies and Texts

Required texts are listed in the Course Outline of each course.

Academic Dates - TESL

• Academic start dates for the TESL in-class delivery reflect the start dates of regular Conestoga programming. Courses finish according to the week-by-week schedule provided in the first week of classes.
• Online course start dates reflect the start dates for OntarioLearn courses. Each online course is designed on a 12-week schedule. 
  

Academic Assistance

Academic assistance is available to students through a variety of avenues. The program coordinator and faculty can advise students on specific program and course information. Access the Student Success website for other learning and wellness assistance.

Course Add/Drop – Program Protocols

See Student Forms on the Conestoga website.

• All courses in the program are required for successful completion of the program.

Maintaining Student Files

As a condition of program review and accreditation, the TESL Certificate program is required to retain examples of student coursework in each of the courses of the curriculum. Each student is required to complete the “Permission to Retain Material” form. In doing so, students grant Conestoga permission to retain coursework over the duration of the student’s enrolment in the Program. The course work we retain will only be used for review and accreditation purposes.

Program Transfer Protocols

Use Program Application Form located on the website.

• Any student transferring to TESL from another program at the college will provide any required documentation not already on file and will be interviewed for program suitability.

Attendance - Program Protocols

The TESL Certificate program provides multiple opportunities to practice and apply skills needed for effective teaching and classroom management. In order for students to benefit from these opportunities, regular attendance is expected throughout the program.

Standards of Conduct and Professional Practice – Program Protocols

Standards of conduct and professional practice refer specifically to student conduct during the practicum. They are as follows:

1.  Dress professionally.
   
2.  If you are unsure of the content of the lesson, research it. Make sure that you are prepared. When in doubt, ask for help.
   
3.  Go over your lesson plan with your Mentor Teacher before and after you teach the lesson. Show the Mentor Teacher your lesson plan summary in advance of the class according to the deadline agreed upon by the two of you.
   
4.  Treat your mentor teacher and any colleagues you encounter with respect at all times.
   
5.  Do not argue with your mentor teacher or refuse to take their advice.
   
6.  Maintain the confidentiality of all interaction with ESL students, mentor teacher, and any others involved in your practicum setting.
   
7.  Be reliable and committed. Do not miss a lesson unless you have a documented illness.
   

Unpaid Work/ Education Placement and Job Shadowing – Program Protocols

• Students must provide the practicum supervisor with a completed Pre-Practicum Information form and/or Required Practicum Information form (available online through eConestoga at the beginning of each practicum course) before a practicum placement can be confirmed.
• Students on practicum placement are expected to sign all required insurance documentation before beginning the practicum.
• Each student is responsible for costs incurred by a particular practicum placement, including the following:    
  • ​A police check (if needed – relevant for programs run by school boards) 
    
  • Course texts (if needed – relevant for English for Academic Purposes courses)
  • Transportation/parking as required. ​
    

Evaluations (deadlines, tests and examinations) – Program Protocols

Graduates from the Conestoga College TESL Certificate program, both in-class and online deliveries, can apply to TESL Ontario and to TESL Canada for TESL Ontario Accreditation and/or TESL Canada Certification based on the understanding that graduating students from the TESL Certificate program have interacted with all of the course material in a meaningful way. The program provides for this interaction through providing students with feedback on work which must be completed before the end of each course in order to demonstrate meaningful achievement of program objectives.

Tasks

Course tasks facilitate learning and prepare students for the course assignments. A task may take a variety of forms: discussion forum postings; exercises found within the text(s); tasks created by the instructor; blogs or journal entries.

Chats and On-Campus Workshops

The instructor for each course in the online delivery of the program will schedule chat sessions periodically through the semester. The instructor will ask you for your availability at the beginning of the semester in order to accommodate schedules. These chats are considered a component of the task work. Online courses may include one or two on-campus workshops during the semester. It is required either that you attend the workshop or, if the distance is too great, that you participate in an alternative fashion identified by the instructor.

​Course Assignments and Tests

Assignments and/or tests are scheduled for each course. Due dates will be specified for each assessment. These dates can be found in the Evaluations module.

Late penalties

In order to facilitate learning for the whole class, the following protocols have been established for assignments handed in late.

• A penalty of 5% per day will be applied to all late assignments unless permission is obtained for an extension.
  
• Permission for late submissions must be obtained from the instructor in advance of the due date.

Academic Standing and Promotion Requirements – Program Protocols

• Students must successfully complete all courses in Part 1 before beginning Part 2.
  
• Students who fail no more than one course by not more than 10% in Part 1 or Part 2 may take a supplemental assessment for a pass in the course.
  
• Students who fail the same course more than once will be discontinued from the program. Students who fail two or more courses will be discontinued from the program.
  
• The Practicum is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis. Failure will result based on any of the following three circumstances:
  • ​the student teacher fails to achieve an assessment better than “needs improvement” in more than one category of the supervisor rubric.
  • the student teacher fails to observe professional comportment at all times, as captured in the TESL Practicum Protocols.
  • The mentor teacher requests early removal of the student from the practicum out of concern for the learning of the students in the ESL practicum class or due to failure of the student teacher to observe professional comportment.
• ​ If you fail the practicum, you will attend your feedback session and receive suggestions for improvement. You may apply in writing to request an opportunity to repeat the practicum, listing reasons why the request should be granted. At the discretion of the Practicum Supervisor, you may be given the option to repeat the practicum. If this option is given, you must wait at least one full semester before beginning a new practicum so as to have time to work on the areas suggested for improvement.
  
• This program's faculty reserves the right to modify the implementation of the above policies, in individual cases, due to extenuating circumstances.
  

Program Progression

Students actively registered in cohort delivered programs who take longer than the designed program length of time to complete their studies are accountable for completing any new or additional courses that may result due to changes in the program of study. Students registered in non-cohort delivered programs must complete the program of study within five years of being admitted to the program.

Clearance of Academic Deficiency – Program Protocols

Students who fail a course in Part 1 may wait a year to take the failed course again before continuing to Part 2 or may transfer to the online version of the program in order to take the course as soon as it is available. 
Note: A supplemental evaluation will not be granted for a course in which a student has received an academic offence. An academic incident resulting in a warning is not considered an academic offence.
For more information visit the College Policies, Procedures, Practices and Guidelines webpage then click on the Academic Administration side tab and search for the document entitled Clearance of Academic Deficiency. 

Discontinuance - Program Protocols

• Students who fail the same course more than once will be discontinued from the program. Students who fail two or more courses will be discontinued from the program.
  
• To graduate from this program, students who have been discontinued from the program must request and be granted re-admission to the Program.
  
• A student who wishes to appeal academic decision or discontinuance from the program should refer to the Conestoga College Student Guide​.
  

Re-admission Requirements – Program Protocols

Students who were accepted unconditionally into the program but did not attend or who withdrew before the end will have to re-apply, but will not be required to sit for a second interview or writing sample.

To be readmitted to this program, students who have been discontinued from the program must request in writing and be granted re-admission to the program. The student will then re-apply through OCAS, but will not be required to sit for a second interview or writing sample.

Graduation

Students are eligible to graduate upon completion of all academic requirements in their program of study. Students are expected to respond to their invitation through their Student Portal. Convocation ceremonies are held in the spring and fall of each academic year. Students who take longer than the advertised program length are responsible for completing any new or additional courses due to a program design change. Students who are discontinued or have withdrawn and then return to the college will be placed in the current program design and must meet all requirements to graduate.

Online students are responsible to apply to graduate upon completion of the requirements of the program. See Student Forms on the Conestoga website.