questions re TESL programs/ASU/Coursera and figuring out if this is really what I want to do...
Hi everyone,
Does anyone have any comments or opinions on doing the TESOL program via Coursera & Arizona State University? I'm trying to decide what my net steps are in the path that I've ended up on, kind of accidentally.
I just finished all the coursework for my BA (major in Icelandic language and literature, minor in Ukrainian) and am just waiting for a transfer credit to be finalized before I apply to graduate. When I started, it was during covid and via distance ed, and I was just taking language courses for fun. Then I ended up taking more courses and we (my husband and I) moved to the city my university is in, partly so I could finish the degree which required me to take a number of courses in-person, but also because we wanted to move away from where we were). I currently have enough credits for a 3 year degree, which is something my uni offers, but it's intended for people going on to programs like TESOL etc., and you can't do graduate studies after it. If I graduate now, I would have to go do another 30 credits (2 years full time) to do another degree to do graduate studies afterwards.
My intent was originally to finish the 3 year degree and then attend one of the other universities in my city which had a TESL program that I could do in person, and also had student-teacher jobs available as they also have ESL students attending. This program got canceled a year before I finished my degree. :(
I've found the TESOL Certificate program on Coursera which is offered through ASU, which doesn't require a degree to get into, and is extremely reasonably priced. So I was thinking about doing that program this fall, so that I could leave my BA open and still work on courses part time towards switching my minor in Ukrainian to a major. But I'm interested in hearing whether this program is considered legit and will actually get me anywhere?
I'm in a weird place in that I went back to university as a mature student (I'm 50 now) and will only be looking for jobs teaching ESL either online or in my city, as I am not in a place to be going to another country to work. During the course of my degree, I actually ended up becoming somewhat disabled and my ideal would be working online, and fortunately my husband makes enough that I don't have to worry about not making great money. But I need to be doing something to keep my husband from whining too much. LOL.