Online Graduate Certificate – English Language Learners (ELL)

Become an expert at improving learning and literacy outcomes for multilingual P-12 students with first languages other than English.

1/27/25 Next Application Due Date
2/10/25 Start Classes
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Program Overview

Discover how the online Graduate Certificate –English Language Learners (ELL) from EWU can advance your career

$9,750* Total Tuition
As few as 8 months Duration
30 Credit Hours

Broaden your career as a teacher leader in P-12 classrooms and beyond with the EWU online Graduate Certificate – English Language Learners (ELL) program. With multiple start dates a year and engaging coursework delivered in a convenient online format, you can gain the credentials needed for in-demand educational roles in as few as 8 months.

The rigorous curriculum for this online ELL certificate program emphasizes meaningful, student-centered instruction, including pedagogical application of essential aspects of the English language, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. You will also complete a portfolio and an internship designed to provide you with practical learning in the field teaching or tutoring students learning English as their second language.

This quality online certificate program joins a legacy of practitioner-focused education programs with a reputation for academic excellence dating back over a century. Empower yourself to achieve more rewarding teaching experiences with a respected online Graduate Certificate – ELL from Eastern Washington University.

AACSB logo

The Eastern Washington University School of Business is accredited by AACSB International (AACSB).

In this online program, you will learn to:

  • design optimal language learning environments grounded in research related to second language acquisition;
  • assess language learning development;
  • employ a disposition of cultural humility in teaching-related communications;
  • plan instruction that is appropriate for students' cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. 
In this online program, you will learn to:+
  • design optimal language learning environments grounded in research related to second language acquisition;
  • assess language learning development;
  • employ a disposition of cultural humility in teaching-related communications;
  • plan instruction that is appropriate for students' cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. 

Potential careers for graduates include:

  • ELL Teacher
  • Bilingual Teacher
  • Foreign Language Teacher
  • ESL Teacher
Potential careers for graduates include:+
  • ELL Teacher
  • Bilingual Teacher
  • Foreign Language Teacher
  • ESL Teacher

Also available online:

EWU offers a variety of post-master’s certificate programs in a convenient online format. Check out all our online certificate programs.

$9,750* Total Tuition
As few as 8 months Duration
30 Credit Hours
Professional Educator Standards Board logo

The School of Education programs are approved by the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB).

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Need More Information?

Call 800-826-3411

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Tuition

Completing your certificate at EWU is more affordable than you might expect

The online Graduate Certificate – ELL program features pay-by-the-course tuition, with the same affordable rate for all in-state and out-of-state students.

Tuition breakdown:

$325 Per Credit Hour
$9,750* Total Tuition
View additional tuition information +

Program Per Credit Hour Per 4-Credit Hour Course Per Program
Graduate Certificate – ELL $325 $1,300 $9,750*

Application Fee: $75

*Tuition and fees subject to change. Total program cost does not include foundation courses. If foundation courses are required, the cost will be added to the total program cost.

Tuition breakdown:

$325 Per Credit Hour
$9,750* Total Tuition

Calendar

Don’t miss these important deadlines

The online Graduate Certificate – ELL program is designed to be flexible for working professionals, with six-week courses and seven start dates a year. View the full calendar for upcoming start dates and deadlines for registration, required documents and tuition payment.

Now enrolling:

1/27/25 Next Application Deadline
2/10/25 Start Classes

View full calendar  + 

TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition Deadline
Fall II11/4/2410/21/2410/30/2411/2/24
Winter I12/30/2412/16/2412/24/2412/28/24
Winter II2/10/251/27/252/5/252/8/25
Spring I3/31/253/17/253/26/253/29/25
Spring II5/12/254/28/255/7/255/10/25

Now enrolling:

1/27/25 Next Application Deadline
2/10/25 Start Classes

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Apply Now

Admissions

Know the requirements for this online ELL program

We’ve streamlined the online Graduate Certificate – ELL admissions process to help you get started quickly and easily.

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree
  • Teacher certification
  • Professional resume
View all admission requirements +

Online Graduate Certificate – ELL Admission Requirements

  • Teaching certificate required
  • Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester-graded postsecondary credit hours**
  • Transcripts from all previous colleges/universities attended
  • Professional resume

Document Submission Information

Order your official, electronic transcripts from the degree-granting institution where you earned your highest degree (bachelor’s or master’s) and have them sent to Eastern Washington University.

  • Most EWU graduate programs only require one transcript. Please submit a transcript from your degree-granting institution. This transcript should include the final two years of your degree completion. If it does not, please submit transcripts to cover your final two years of earned credits.
  • Please note that transcripts ordered by main may take 4-6 weeks to arrive.

If you are ordering a mailed paper transcript, please have it sent to:

Eastern Washington University
Showalter Hall 206
Cheney, WA 99004

Have a question? Call us at 800-826-3411.

**We encourage you to apply if your GPA is lower than a 3.0 and you have at least 3 years of professional work experience. Applicants with GPAs below 3.0 are considered for admission on a case-by-case basis. Please contact an Enrollment Services representative at 800-826-3411 for more information.

This offering is available as an endorsement program for those teachers who hold or who have held an initial, residency, continuing or professional teaching certificate in the state of Washington. Please note however that this will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington. Additionally, this program may satisfy the requirements for states other than Washington. Please check with your applicable licensing board to determine whether this program satisfies requirements for licensure in the state in which you reside. For current contact information for applicable licensing boards, please refer to our State Authorization page or contact Christi Wavada at [email protected].

Please note, however, that this will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington. If you are looking for an initial teaching certificate, please visit the School of Education’s webpage.

Courses

View the courses for your online Graduate Certificate – English Language Learners (ELL)

In order to earn the Graduate Certificate – ELL online, you must complete nine courses (including an internship) for a total of 30 credits.

Expand All
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course examines the principles underlying the development of a K-12 school curriculum. With an emphasis on methods of determining curriculum priorities, objectives, scope and sequence, and organizational patterns, as well as an examination of how curriculum design facilitates student-learning opportunities.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
An advanced course for students wanting to study current literature on literacy as practiced in a variety of social contexts, as evaluated through a number of critical perspectives. Developing practitioners reflect and discuss the importance of respecting socio-economic, cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity in the teaching process. Demonstrate knowledge that students’ interests, literacy skills and funds of knowledge are always considered and integrated within literacy practices. Instructional implications will be highlighted so students will develop reflective and sound classroom practice.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course provides a linguistics foundation and pedagogical application of aspects of the English language including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Contrastive analysis of learners’ languages is included as well as discourse analysis within and across contexts and cultures. Challenges that learners face are addressed through multimodal materials. Learners reflect on their language learning and literacy events across languages.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
The course provides various theoretical perspectives of second language acquisition, similarities and differences in first and second language acquisition and in child and adult second language acquisition, basic psycholinguistic theory, particularly the role of the brain, memory, and language universals in language acquisition, and both the cognitive and affective domains and cultural influences with analysis of how these impact performance, motivation, and learning in the ESL classroom.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Theory and practice in designing, Major 20th and 21st century language teaching methods, strategies, and approaches. Theory and practice in designing, developing, and evaluating ESL or EFL materials for English language learners of different ages and settings.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Review and in-depth study of English grammar and teaching approaches for multilingual and multicultural English language learners in the United States and in other countries. Application of syntax, stylistics, rhetoric, pragmatics and sociolinguistics for teachers’ knowledge base. Review of relevant composition research and theory.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
Teaching or tutoring experience in speaking and listening by working with speakers of a language other than English.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
Teaching or tutoring experience in speaking and listening by working with speakers of a language other than English.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
In this course, students will be able to create an e-portfolio that includes pieces of their work from courses throughout their M.Ed. or Graduate Certificate programs with the TESOL or ELL Option.

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