The Field Experience is a chance for students to spend at least 20
hours in a teaching setting for ESL/multilingual adult students. There
are a range of teaching contexts that can be used for this requirement,
and we encourage students to find a context that is in line with their
own professional goals. Some students complete this requirement at
DePaul’s intensive English program, the English Language Academy, while
others decide to do it in other settings, including community college
classes, community-based ESL or literacy programs, and WRD composition
courses designed specifically for multilingual undergraduate writers.
The 20 hours may include some combination of class observation,
one-on-one work with students, collaboration with a teacher, and
teaching. After completing the 20 hours, students write a final
reflective essay, in which they connect aspects of the Field Experience
to what they have learned in the TESOL Certificate courses.