Wheaton College Announces New Department of Applied Linguistics and International Education

Wheaton College announces the formation of the Department of Applied Linguistics and International Education, which includes undergraduate and graduate programs in English language teaching, bilingual education, second language acquisition and international studies in education.  

This new department builds on 25 years of successful programs that were previously housed in the Intercultural Studies Department. It includes the following degrees and certificates: 

• The MA in TESOL and Intercultural Studies, which is offered in both residential, field-based and online formats, including a training site in Thailand. Graduates of this program serve as professional English language teachers and administrators in schools, universities and language institutes throughout the world, with a particular focus on East and Southeast Asia, the Middle East/North Africa, Central Europe and Latin America. 

• The Institute for Cross-Cultural Training, which provides training programs in second language acquisition and language coaching for international workers, as well as workshops in English language teaching. Most classes are offered online. 

• Specialized, in-house professional certification programs for agencies, such as ELIC and TeachBeyond, which recruit and send hundreds of teachers abroad each year. The department offers professional certificates in TESOL, teacher mentoring and materials development.   

• State-approved ESL and bilingual education endorsements for K-12 teachers who serve the immigrant/refugee population in the U.S. and English learners in international schools. 

"Our faculty members have extensive experience in international education, and the majority of our graduate students are already working outside of the U.S.," says Dr. Alan Seaman, chair of the new department. "The overseas students interact with the on-campus students through online platforms, using technology in dynamic ways to globalize a Wheaton education."