man and woman walking and laughing in times square new york city

Why TESOL?

Why Teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)?

A vibrant melting pot, New York is called “home” by over 4.5 million foreign-born individuals—close to 23% of the total population.1 As a result, 38% of all New York state school-aged children are born to at least one foreign-born parent, with 8% being Limited English Proficient, and these numbers continue to rise year over year.

Because of this steady growth, there has been an increased need for programs that teach English as a new language. Pace University's School of Education meets this demand with a variety of single and dual programs that couple the art of teaching language learners with diverse in-demand specialties, such as Special Education and Childhood Education. And as the need grows for ELL and ENL teachers, Pace’s graduates are rising to meet the demand and join the workforce. 97% of our graduates are employed after finishing their degree or continuing their education.2

Behind the Numbers

44%

ELL Student Growth outside NYC (Source: NYSED 2012 - 2018)

43

States with ELL Student Growth (Source: Education Week 2020 vs. 2010)

52%

Superintendents reporting difficulty hiring TESOL/Bilingual teachers (Source: NYSSBA 2017-8)

Financial support is available

Thanks to the Clinically Rich Intensive Teacher Institute (CR-ITI) ESOL/BE grant, teachers who apply for advanced certificates in either TESOL or Bilingual Education, on our Westchester campus, are eligible to receive up to $4,500 in tuition subsidies. This is an added benefit, as more and more Westchester schools are requiring their teachers to have their certification in either bilingual education or TESOL to qualify for tenure. Assistant Professor and TESOL Program Coordinator, Dr. Tasha Darbes shares, “Because of recent influxes of newly arrived immigrant families to Westchester and other upstate communities, there is an increased demand for teachers with training in meeting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Our program is designed to give teachers with other certifications the knowledge of how to differentiate instruction and connect with the resources of the communities they serve.”

"...there is an increased demand for teachers with training in meeting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners."

Dr. Tasha Darbes, Assistant Professor and TESOL Program Coordinator

Creating Future TESOL Leaders

Graduates from our multilingual programs hit the ground running, ready to make a difference. Cecilia Davis ’21 graduated with a Master’s of Science in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) International and had the honor of being the graduate commencement speaker. She shares, “Graduating from the SOE and learning from highly qualified professors has been an invaluable experience and, similarly to a catapult, it launched me into a new career within weeks from graduating.” Cecilia is now part of an English department that focuses on ESL at the Keio Academy in Purchase, NY, a private Japanese-American HS, and she also teaches several classes. Additionally, she has committed to teaching international students for Global Pathways, on the Pace University Westchester campus.

"Graduating from the SOE and learning from highly qualified professors has been an invaluable experience..."

Cecilia Davis'21, TESOL International MS

1 Geary, Courtney and Sugarman, Julie. “English Learners in New York State: Demographics, Outcomes, and State Accountability Policies”. 2016.

2 Pace University Career Services​