Modern Language Learning and Teaching
Certificate
About this program
The Certificate in Modern Language Learning and Teaching gives you practical tools to teach world languages (not English) to both second‑language and heritage learners. Designed for students from any major, you learn language learning theory, teaching methods, digital tools for instruction, and gain up to 15 hours of hands‑on tutoring or classroom experience. This 12‑unit certificate helps prepare you to teach in private, weekend, or community language programs.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
Program Scope
This undergraduate certificate prepares the student for teaching a foreign language, a career in language teaching, or graduate school in education. The 12-unit program complements degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and education, especially foreign languages.
Designed to serve SF State undergraduates, the Certificate in Language Learning and Teaching is an introduction to foreign/second language teaching with courses that provide foundational skills and knowledge in language acquisition and pedagogy needed for an entry level positions as a World Language teacher, tutor, or instructional aide in a variety of settings in the US and language teaching contexts around the world.
This certificate does not provide a California Teaching Credential, but it supplements other teaching preparation and could be applied to being an instructional aide in public schools or to teaching or tutoring adults in private schools and language institutes that do not require teaching credentials.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge and pedagogical skills for the teaching of Modern Languages.
- Articulate a philosophy of teaching and create appropriate lessons for traditional and heritage-language learners.
- Produce critical reflections on language teaching practices, materials and digital tools, for how they embody education values of ethics, social justice, diversity, and globalization
Program Coordinator
For questions, please contact the MoLLT coordinator, Ilona Vandergriff, vdgriff@sfsu.edu.