A second language is a valuable tool for anyone. Get your teacher certification and encourage students around the world to develop their skills.
The undergraduate teacher certification program is a four-year degree program offered by the Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures with majors in Classics, French, German, and Spanish with the pre-K - 12 teacher certification option.
Meet recent graduates and current students on our Facebook Page.
Download [pdf] the Undergraduate Foreign Language Teacher Certification Program and MAT in Foreign Languages Handbook
Students will complete the core courses required by the College of Arts and Sciences and the required major courses for the language of their choice. These courses consist of 27 hours at the 300 level and above including a linguistics course.
Additionally, all students will complete 23 hours of Education and Foreign Language Methodology courses as well as a year-long practicum consisting of 3 hours in the fall semester and 12 hours in the spring semester of the student’s last year of studies.
The education courses required for the program and their corresponding credit hours are:
Educational Psychology
EDPY 401 (3) Learners & Diversity of Learning
Content Area Reading
EDRD 500 (3) Content Area Literacy PK-12
Exceptional Children
EDEX 491 (2) Introduction to Inclusion of Students with Mild Disabilities
Instruction and Teaching
EDTE 201 (3) Issues and Trends in Teaching and Learing
Education – Secondary
EDSE 584 (3) Middle School/High School Internship Seminar
The foreign language methodology courses required for the program and their corresponding credit hours are:
FORL 472 (3) Technology in Foreign Language Education
FORL 511 (3) Teaching Foreign Languages in Secondary Schools (cross-listed as EDSE 575)
FORL 510 (3) Teaching Second Languages to Young Children (cross-listed as EDEL 510)
FORL 448 (3) Internship A - Observation
FORL 474 (12) Internship B – Student Teaching
Internship A, Observation, involves the application of effective teaching techniques and organization of instructional settings in foreign languages for pre-K-12. In Internship B, Student Teaching, students will apply methods of curriculum and assessment, professionalism, effective teaching, and organization of instructional settings in a foreign language classroom. Prior to starting Internship B, students must take a double-rated Oral Proficiency Interview and score advanced low (as required by NCATE). During Internship B, students must take the Praxis II Exam.
The application to the Professional Program and Internship Application must be submitted to the College of Education by March 15 if internship A will take place in the fall semester and by Dec. 1 if internship A will take place in the spring semester. The application for certification must be submitted by April 15.
The Kyrl Leighton-Faxford de Gravelines Scholarship is awarded each year to one, two or three rising senior majors in foreign language who demonstrate:
Term of Award: Awarded as tuition remission for following fall semester at USC-Columbia.
Application to include:
We encourage you to study aborad either during the year or for one of our summer study abroad programs in French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. These experiences are invaluable for improving your language skills and cultural knowledge, study abroad experience is also an attractive addition to your résumé.
If you're studying abroad when the internship, professional program, and certification applications are due, you should submit your applications as soon as they return from study abroad in order to be able to participate in both internship programs.
Contact the Undergraduate Foreign Language Assistant Director of Teacher Education, Catherine Wiskes, wiskes@mailbox.sc.edu.