The Need for TESOL in California
Whether you recently completed your undergraduate education while earning your TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate or you are a seasoned educator who returned to school to pursue this certification: congratulations! You have just opened up a wealth of options within the field of TESOL that not only have the potential to provide you with a wide variety of career options, but a chance to make a huge difference in linguistic equity within your local area.
To many, both within and outside the field of TESOL this area of study is often associated with the image of an educator striking out after graduation to roam across the world, traveling to places far from home while sharing the English language. While this may be the reality for some TESOL educators, this notion is a largely misleading one in that it causes many to conclude that teaching abroad is one of the only ways in which one may find their education serviceable post-graduation. In reality, TESOL is not a field that is applicable only in a foreign country but is a field with ever-expanding job opportunities within an educators’ familiar surroundings.
Currently, you might find yourself asking the questions: What are the possible ways I can use my TESOL Certificate in my career? What are my job options besides teaching abroad? How can TESOL help me make a difference as an educator in the lives of my students? There is not only a basic need, but an urgent calling for TESOL educators in California to utilize their skills and passion for the English language within their own communities. This online guide will highlight many career paths available to TESOL educators that work to bridge the gap in linguistic equity that currently exists in California.
To many, both within and outside the field of TESOL this area of study is often associated with the image of an educator striking out after graduation to roam across the world, traveling to places far from home while sharing the English language. While this may be the reality for some TESOL educators, this notion is a largely misleading one in that it causes many to conclude that teaching abroad is one of the only ways in which one may find their education serviceable post-graduation. In reality, TESOL is not a field that is applicable only in a foreign country but is a field with ever-expanding job opportunities within an educators’ familiar surroundings.
Currently, you might find yourself asking the questions: What are the possible ways I can use my TESOL Certificate in my career? What are my job options besides teaching abroad? How can TESOL help me make a difference as an educator in the lives of my students? There is not only a basic need, but an urgent calling for TESOL educators in California to utilize their skills and passion for the English language within their own communities. This online guide will highlight many career paths available to TESOL educators that work to bridge the gap in linguistic equity that currently exists in California.
The importance of linguistic equality and equity
Linguistic equality and linguistic equity are complementary notions within the field of TESOL. According to Hudson (1983) the concept of linguistic equality asserts that “all linguistic repertoires are potentially equal from a communicative point of view: given the right social circumstances, all speakers (and communities) have an equal ability to develop a linguistic repertoire to suit their communicative needs” (9-10). Linguistic equity takes this idea one step further, asserting that all people should have access to opportunities that allow them to learn to communicate with their surroundings in a way that gives them complete agency.
Linguistic equity is a prevalent topic specifically in California, as the state is home to the largest total immigrant population nationwide (Migration Policy Institute, 2013-2017). The diversity of languages present in California is a trait that contributes so much beauty and uniqueness to its population, but also leaves many inhabitants without the tools to communicate and move easily through day-to-day life within the general public and within the state education system. |
Linguistic Isolation:
Limited English Proficient Students:
Not only are adults affected by linguistic inequity and the isolation it creates, California’s students and their educations suffer as a result of students entering public school systems as Limited English Proficient (LEP) students without receiving the necessary aid to improve their linguistic skills. Thomas and Collier (2002a) found that LEP students are “projected to be 40 percent of the school-age population by the 2030s and most U.S. schools are currently under-educating this student group” (1). On a local level, San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (2018) states that "in 2018, San Luis Obispo County had 4,660 (13.4%) students classified as English Language Learners. Countywide, the prevalent language is Spanish with 4,390 (94%) students." With the demographic of LEP students on the steady increase, it is even more imperative that TESOL educators utilize their training within California in order to ensure that educators are supporting these students' learning. Thomas and Collier (2002a) found that "English language learners immersed in the English mainstream because their parents refused bilingual/ESL services showed large decreases in reading and math achievement by Grade 5...when compared to students who received bilingual/ESL services" (2). If LEP students receive the necessary attention that they need from TESOL-trained educators, the trajectory of their entire education changes drastically for the better.
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