Getting Started in the Second Language Education Program at Virginia Tech
1. University Admission form: Go to the Graduate School’s admission page and complete an application. Your completed application must be received by January 15. If you are not a native speaker of English and you did not receive your undergraduate degree from a university or college in which English is the primary language of instruction, you must present as part of your application a score of 550 (paper) or 213 (computer-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Go to http://www.ets.org/toefl to register for this test. If you are an international student follow the Graduate School’s instructions.
2. Second Language Education program admission form: Please complete and send back to Dr. Tilley-Lubbs the Second Language Education Admission form. This is an internal admission document that will enable the faculty to put you on our Second Language Education spreadsheet and request placements in schools for you. It is NOT the official application for admission to the University or to the program. You must apply to the University as instructed above in #1.
3. Praxis I Pre-Professional Skills Test: Take this test no later than June if you plan to begin in fall; have your scores submitted to the School of Education, c/o Ellen Agee, 106 War Memorial Hall. The test consists of three parts: reading, writing, and math. If you need accommodations because of a disability or if English is not your native language you can request additional time. Go to http://www.soe.vt.edu/professionaled/teacher_ed1/RequiredTests.html for information about signing up for Praxis I.
As an alternative to the Praxis I, you can submit a copy of your SAT or your ACT scores to the School of Education, c/o Ellen Agee, 106 War Memorial Hall. Go to the School of Education’s website for information about how to do this.
4. Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA): This test is offered as a computer-based test at 8-5 daily on a first-come first-serve basis M-F at the Pearson Test Center at 6701 Peters Creek Road in Roanoke. Check the School of Ed website mentioned above for details of how to register. You need a score of 470 in the VCLA to pass (there are two subtests, one in reading and one in writing). YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE THE VIRGINIA READING ASSESSMENT (VRA). You should take this test by August if you plan to begin in the fall. ) For information and to register for the test, go to http://www.va.nesinc.com/VA_toc.asp.
5. Praxis II – Specialty Area Tests: This test must be taken if you plan to teach ESL, French, German, Latin or Spanish in the fall. You can take this test at Radford or at Virginia Tech. Dates vary from year to year but usually the test is given in early June at VT (sign-up deadline in early May); at Radford in mid-September (sign-up deadline in early August) or at VT in mid-November (sign-up mid- October). Take the test in June or in October. Your scores will come back too late if you wait until November to take it. Take these tests according to your area of endorsement. Note that all tests except Latin contain a listening section. ) Go to http://www.ets.org and follow the links for test takers for Praxis II. Please note that this test is not required by the state of Virginia in Latin and ESL and hence will not appear in state requirement listings at the ETS website or the School of Ed website. The test is nevertheless required by your Second Language Education program.
English to Speakers of Other Languages #20360
French Content Knowledge #20173; passing score is 169
German Content Knowledge #20181; passing score is 162
Latin Content Knowledge #10600
Spanish Content Knowledge #10191; passing score is 161
Passing scores on tests for English to Speakers of Other Languages and Latin will be determined in summer 2008.
5. ACTFL Oral Proficiency Exam: Take this exam if you plan to teach French, German or Spanish. You will need a proctor for the OPI and Dr. Shrum will be that person for you. You must clear the time for the interview with her first to make sure she is available. You can take the test in her office in 302 Major Williams Hall using her phone but you will need to bring a phone card with at least 45 minutes on it. Once you know the time when Dr. Shrum can be your proctor, go to https://www.languagetesting.com/acad_va.cfm and sign up for a time for an interview.
6. ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT): You must also take this test if you plan to teach French, German, or Spanish. You can sign up for it when you sign up for the OPI. The rate is cheaper that way. Remember this is the website to sign up for both exams: https://www.languagetesting.com/acad_va.cfm. Dr. Shrum will be your proctor for this exam too. Your exam time will be announced in the summer and you must set the following time as your exam time: September 10, 7 pm. We will do this test as a group in Torgersen Hall on a Tuesday or Thursday early in the fall semester. The test takes 2 hours. This test is only offered once a year and ONLY at the announced time.
You cannot be placed in a school in the fall without a Praxis I (or SAT or ACT) and an OPI score; similarly, you cannot be placed in a school to student teach in the spring without a score on the Praxis II, ACTFL Oral Proficiency Exam and Written Proficiency Test, and the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment.
7. Information about the program structure:
Name of program: Second Language Education
Teacher preparation content areas we serve: English as a Second Language, and foreign languages including French, German, Latin, and Spanish
Names of faculty members:
- Dr. Gresilda A. Tilley-Lubbs, Department of Teaching and Learning (Program Director, and ESL)
- Dr. Judith L. Shrum, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, affiliated with
School of Education (French, German, Latin, and Spanish)
Name of department that houses the degree: Teaching and Learning
Name of College: Liberal Arts and Human Sciences