Course Syllabus

TESL 1997 TESL Internship

Course Description

This course is designed to provide hands-on, real-life experience in Teaching English as a Second Language. Internships are an opportunity for student-tutors to connect theory with practice. Internships can introduce student-tutors in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language to solidify their interest and techniques early on in their college experience. Internships are temporary, on-the-job experiences intended to help the student-tutor identify how their studies in the classroom apply to the real-life teaching experiences. Internships can be paid or volunteer, and can be in front of a classroom or on a one-on-one tutoring experience. Student-tutors are encouraged to seek out employment to help with the ESL department needs or at local schools in the area.This course is repeatable for up to 6 credits with no more than 3 credits per semester (2 credits are recommended). Unless a student is in a teaching/studying abroad environment. Each credit requires 45 clock hours of internship experience. Internships are pass/fail credits. Student-tutor desiring a grade will need to negotiate a contract with significant academic work beyond the actual work experience.

Justification

"An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate them." (NACE Definition, NACEweb.org) As such, internships provide students opportunities to explore career options through an engaged setting, they help students apply academic materials and skill to practical work situation, they provide valuable professional experience, and they develop interpersonal skills. Students who participate in internship opportunities secure work more quickly and are promoted more rapidly than students who do not. Often internships work well as capstone courses. All USHE institutions offer internship opportunities to their students. Students at Snow can enroll in up to 3 internship credits (2 credits are recommended) in an academic semester, unless they are teaching/studying abroad. No more than 6 credits can count toward the associate’s degree.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Understand and apply classroom material to a professional work situation.
2. Develop interpersonal skills and sensitivity to all populations.
3. Develop professionalism by developing self-initiative, time management skills, effect communication skills, punctuality and professional conduct.
4. Connect something from working with ESL students back to TESL instruction.
5. Discover the educational and practical experience needed a career in TESL.
6. Network with ESL professors.

Course Content

This will be determined collaboratively by the student-tutor, faculty mentor and the work supervisor. In the case that the student is working for the Snow College Languages and Linguistics department, the chair will be the supervisor and a faculty member will be the faculty mentor. The internship contract uses a student academic and professional interest to serve as the intellectual starting points for developing a semester long project. Together with student-tutor and faculty adviser will design a project that will meet the following criteria:a. Aligns with the student-tutor's academic program,b. Gives the student-tutor an opportunity to develop lessons that can be used in future teaching assignments,c. Encourages the student-tutor's creativity connecting theory with practice.d. Encourages students-tutors to be accepting of students from various backgrounds in the language teaching and learning process. To qualify for an internship, a student must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA), have completed 15 semester hours or have instructor permission; and ideally have completed or be currently enrolled in TESL 1400.