What is English Education?

This single field program is designed to prepare English teachers of adolescents, largely at the secondary school level (grades 6 through 12). It leads to 6-12 teacher certification in the teaching field of English/Language Arts in Georgia. Candidates complete the equivalent of a major in English/Language Arts and a second major in pedagogical studies with an emphasis on teaching English/Language Arts.

The English Education program aims to prepare teachers who have a broad, rich knowledge of the discipline of English (including courses in British, American, and world literature, language theory, and writing) and who enact an integrated, reflective, and theoretically informed pedagogy for English/Language Arts.

A teacher stands at the front of a classroom, smiling and holding a book, as students seated at a table listen and take notes. A presentation is projected in the background.

Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Learn More About English Education

Admission Requirements

Students may initially declare an "-Interest" based major in this subject, but must still meet additional requirements to be formally accepted into the degree program.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TEACHER EDUCATION ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Related Minors or Certificates Available

  • Language and Literary Studies Minor 
  • Linguistics Minor

 

Sample Classes

  • This course provides an exploration of theories of composition pedagogy and assessment, including a variety of strategies for teaching writing while dealing with institutional policies such as standardized testing. Students practice oral and written communication for various audiences and purposes; create, implement, and assess writing instruction in a middle school setting; and create and practice research-supported approaches to grammar instruction. The course includes a 45-hour embedded field experience in a middle school.
  • Using narrative as a central genre, this course introduces current English teaching philosophy and practice in teaching literature to adolescents. This course models current ways to integrate technology into the curriculum, identifies a variety of multicultural teaching texts, and extends the study of critical theory into the teaching of literature to adolescents.
  • This course addresses the practical application of English Language Arts curricula, learning theories, teaching strategies, instructional materials, and assessment choices within specific teaching contexts. The course emphasizes justifying teaching decisions based on clear rationales anchored in practice, theory, and research; refining the facilitation of high levels of learning in all students through effective practices; and adjusting teaching moves based on evidence, such as classroom self-observation, student response and performance, and student products.
  • This course introduces middle and/or secondary teacher candidates to today’s diverse English learner population, education policies that impact these students and how cultural resources can be leveraged to meet their academic needs. This course focuses on developing effective instruction, assessment, and literacy development for English learners and other linguistically diverse learners in middle grade classrooms. Specifically, candidates will a) examine the academic, linguistic and social needs of linguistically diverse learners, b) explore the differences between teaching reading and writing to English learners and native English speakers; and c) develop skills necessary for the differentiation, scaffolding language and content for English learners at a variety of language proficiency levels.