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TESOL and World Language Education

The TESOL and World Language Education (TWLE) program at the University of Georgia engages multilingual and/or multicultural students in questions about research, theory, and practice concerning more than one language in educational settings. From working with young learners to adults, in formal school settings to informal community learning, from language science to language art, our research faculty introduce students to diverse experiences, research paradigms, and theories in fields related to second language acquisition.

Some of the many benefits students can experience in our program:

  • Take courses on several platforms including face-to-face, online, or hybrid, and work with students through a variety of creative platforms.
  • Work across the intersections between TESOL, world language, foreign language, and bilingual education.
  • Share in diverse connections TWLE faculty make to a wide variety of professional organizations, academic and literary journals, conference organizations, and leadership roles at local, national, and international levels.
  • Connect with distinguished TWLE alumni who are recognized leaders in the state and around the globe.
  • Attend the Mary Frances Early College of Education, one of the largest and most comprehensive education schools in the nation, named in honor of UGA’s first African American graduate and a pioneering music educator.
  • Access the intellectual and artistic resources of a top research university composed of 17 schools and colleagues with over 100 research centers on campus with access to extensive technical and library services, athletic facilities, art experiences, and much more.

TWLE Program Overview

Students in our program are involved in research, theory, and practice in six strands:

  1. TESOL and world language education methods, curriculum design, and assessment
  2. Second language acquisition and instructed second language learning
  3. Bi/multilingualism, bilingual and translingual literacies, and education
  4. Creative and arts-based pedagogies and inquiries
  5. Discourse studies
  6. Language education planning and policy

Choosing a Program (PDF)

Degree Programs

Double Dawgs
Combined Bachelor's and Master's Degrees

Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd)

  • BSEd in TESOL and World Language Education

    Earn certification as a world language / TESOL teacher at UGA's highly regarded program featuring hands-on classroom experience and an accomplished, internationally renowned faculty.

Minors

Dual Degrees

  • AB/BSEd in French/World Language Education

    The B.S.Ed. program prepares students to teach modern, classical, and less commonly taught languages in pre-school through 12th grade. There are established plans of study for French, German, Latin, and Spanish education.

  • AB/BSEd in German/World Language Education

    The B.S.Ed. program prepares students to teach modern, classical, and less commonly taught languages in pre-school through 12th grade. There are established plans of study for French, German, Latin, and Spanish education.

  • AB/BSEd in Spanish/World Language Education

    The B.S.Ed. program prepares students to teach modern, classical, and less commonly taught languages in pre-school through 12th grade. There are established plans of study for French, German, Latin, and Spanish education.

Master of Education (MEd)

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Educational Specialist (EdS)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Non-Degree Programs

Certificate Programs

Certification-Only Programs

  • Certification in TESOL and World Language

    Earn your TESOL or World Language certification in an academic year (summer/fall/spring/summer) through this non-degree program aimed at students with a degree in TESOL, modern, or classical languages but not education.

Endorsement/Certificate Programs

  • ESOL Endorsement and Certificate

    Learn to help English learners in your classroom by adding the ESOL endorsement to your teaching certificate through our mostly online program.

Ongoing Faculty ResearchOur faculty are dedicated to addressing the needs of global learners, and as a result, our research stretches beyond the typical classroom boundaries into creativity, narrative inquiry, and multiculturalism.
The Student ExperienceJoin an innovative, diverse group of learners in the TESOL and World Language Education program. Our students come from across the country and the world and interact through several student organizations.
Financial AdviceWe offer several options for graduate assistantships and other forms of financial aid for different degree programs. Find out what programs you may qualify for.

ITA Testing Program

In order to teach at UGA, international students must demonstrate English proficiency. The International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Testing Program in the TESOL and World Language Education program provides two spoken English proficiency assessments for students seeking teaching positions: a) the ITA Test of English Proficiency (ITA-TEP) and b) Duolingo English Test video assessment.

Learn more about these tests and who should take them .

Faculty and Staff

Usree Bhattacharya Associate Professor
David L. Chiesa Clinical Assistant Professor
Dell Perry Giles Part-Time Assistant Professor
Linda Harklau Professor
Ruth M. Harman Professor
Lou Tolosa-Casadont Clinical Associate Professor and World Language Program Coordinator

Contact Info

  • Phone:
    706-542-4505 (general inquiries)
    706-583-8130 (student inquiries)
  • Email: lled@uga.edu
315 Aderhold Hall 110 Carlton Street Athens, Georgia 30602
© University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
706‑542‑3000