Teaching Endorsements

The University of Washington's College of Education (COE) offers teacher certification through their teacher education (Masters in Teaching) program, as well as endorsements in World Languages, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. If you are applying to this program we assist applicants with COE's Endorsement Evaluation Form by reviewing your academic transcripts.

See the language-specific section below for information on which professor in our department to contact for assistance. Teacher candidates must also, prior to admission to the COE program, pass state-required proficiency tests in their language of specialization.

If you already are a certified teacher in the State of Washington, or if you are attending a different teacher certification program that isn't related to World Languages, certified teachers can add a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean endorsement by passing state-required tests. Information is on the OSPI web page. General information on Washington State public school teacher certification is available from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

If you are not currently a student at the UW, but would like to take our courses in order to enhance your subject competence in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, we welcome non-degree students in our upper level language and content courses on a space-available basis. Non-degree enrollment information is available here, and if you are interested in this we recommend enrolling as a non-degree undergraduate student.

If you have further questions about teacher certification and endorsement programs at the University of Washington, please contact Michael Nielsen, Certification Coordinator in the College of Education.

 

Chinese

 

First, review the application requirements for the Master in Teaching program through the College of Education at UW on the Teacher Education Site, and then download the Endorsement Evaluation Form. Second, download the department's detailed coursework requirements for an endorsement (PDF). (The department may accept substitutions of some courses if equivalent coursework has been taken elsewhere).

Email the Chinese Program Coordinator with questions about Chinese courses.

To satisfy Chinese subject requirements, courses vary depending upon the individual's background. Those educated in a Chinese-speaking region generally need to take a Chinese linguistics course and Classical Chinese courses. Those educated in the US who have "Chinese major" or "China studies" backgrounds probably also need something similar. Those with language proficiency who were not educated in a Chinese-speaking region AND lack China-related college coursework will need more courses.

 

Japanese

Review the information on the College of Education's Teacher Education Site to learn about UW's teacher certification/endorsement programs.

To satisfy Japanese subject requirements, courses vary depending upon the individual's backgrounds. Those educated in Japan generally need to take a Japanese linguistics course. Those educated in the US who have "Japanese major" or "Japan studies" backgrounds probably also need something similar. Those with language proficiency who were not educated in Japan AND lack Japan-related college coursework will need more courses.

Please send Professor Akiko Iwata (iwata3@uw.edu) your answers to the following questions, and she will work with you to determine what course or courses you might need to take, if any:

      1. In what country did you receive your high school and college educations? What was the language of instruction in your high school and in your college?

      2. Please list Japan-related college social sciences and humanities courses you have completed. 

      3. Have you had one or more college courses in linguistics? If so, please list these.

      4. Please attach a scan of your college transcripts.

      5. For those who did not graduate from a Japanese-medium high school or college in Japan: Have you passed the ACTFL OPI (speaking and writing) with scores of advanced low or higher in Japanese? (This is required by the College of Education in order to earn a World Languages endorsement, but is not part of the Japanese subject requirements overseen by Asian Languages & Literature.)

Korean

Review the information on the College of Education's Teacher Education Site to learn about UW's teacher certification/endorsement programs.

Those educated in the US must:

  1. Minor* in Korean
  2. Take one course each in: 
     
    • 1) Korean literary and cultural studies offered by the Department of Asian Languages and Literature,
    • 2) Korean political and historical studies offered by the Jackson School of International Studies,
    • 3) Linguistics (either LING 200 or LING 400 or any Korean linguistics course offered by Asian L&L).

      (This requirement may be satisfied by courses taken for your Korean minor.)
       
  3. Prove your proficiency in Korean via the ACTFL OPI and WPI tests with scores of advanced low or higher in Korean. (This is required by the College of Education in order to earn a World Languages endorsement, but is not part of the Korean subject requirements overseen by Asian Languages & Literature.)

*If you are not able to minor in Korean because you place out of "required" language courses, the minor requirement can be waived, but you must satisfy the other requirements 2 and 3.

Email the Korean Program Coordinator with questions about Korean courses.

 
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