Teaching ESOL to Adults with Limited Literacy (TEALL) Certificate 

With the support of the Office of the Mayor, the New York City Council, and the Department of Youth and Community Development, the Literacy Assistance Center plans to offer the TEALL Certificate Program at no cost to all participants who are selected for 2022-23.

Course Description 
This certificate program provides insight into the needs of adult English Language Learners who have minimal first language literacy. The course addresses questions such as:
  • Where do you start?
  • How are these learners’ needs different from other adult learners?
  • How can you create engaging activities when their skills are so minimal?
  • What does the research say about best practices in teaching adult English language literacy learners?

Format 
Participants attend 26 hours of in-person classes, in addition to 80 hours of study and reflection online as part of a professional community of practice. 

Course Objectives & Outcomes 
By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify the needs of literacy learners and will be able to create evidence-based instruction for learners in both literacy and multi-level English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classrooms. The course features a range of activities including classroom discussion, hands-on activities, and observations of ESOL literacy classes, as well as an online component that allows participants to reflect on assigned readings and material presented during in-person meetings.  

Participant Expectations
To receive a certificate in this course, participants must attend all in-person sessions, participate in online forums, and complete all required activities and assignments. One component of the course will be developing and implementing a project with their ESOL literacy learners. Those not currently teaching literacy learners will be assigned to co-teach in a literacy level classroom for 15 to 20 hours.

Admission requirements
Admission to this program is by application. It is open only to individuals who
  1. have either a TESOL certificate OR a Bachelor's or Master's degree in TESOL and
  2. are currently teaching adult ESOL in NYC. ​

Class Sessions - Saturdays
October 22, 29, 10 - 1:30pm
November 12, 19, 10-1:30pm
December 3, 17, 10-1:30pm
January 7, 10-3pm

Note: The LAC is offering two courses this year, Foundations of English Language Teaching (FELT) and TEALL. Applicants may only apply to one of these two programs. 

Instructor Bio 

William Linn is the ESOL Specialist and Coordinator of ESOL Certificate Programs at the Literacy Assistance Center. In addition to leading ESOL professional development and curriculum design projects, he has co-facilitated the LAC’s Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults (TESLA) course, the Foundations of Adult Education course, and the Teaching English to Adults with Limited Literacy (TEALL) course. William has also taught English Applied Linguistics at the SIT Graduate Institute where he received his MA in TESOL in 2011. Will holds a certificate in Compassionate Communication for Language Teachers from the Institute for Collaborative Learning in Costa Rica. He started teaching ESOL at community-based organizations in 2008 and became a licensed ESOL teacher educator in 2015.


To learn more about the content of the TEALL course, please contact William Linn at Willl@lacnyc.org.

Attend an Info Session

All live information sessions have passed. A link to a recorded information session will be sent to all applicants.

Apply to TEALL

Due to anticipated high demand, early application is encouraged.

Digital Literacy

The TEALL course involves significant online coursework. If you would like to assess your digital skills, please click the link below to access a free diagnostic tool. It’s an easy way to identify areas for improvement so that you can enhance your skills in preparation for the online component of this course.