TESOL Certification in North Carolina | How to Become an ESL Teacher in NC

North Carolina’s population has exploded in recent years (rising about 10 percent between 2010 and 2020 alone), and its influx of immigrants is one of the biggest drivers of its growth. As of 2018, about 8 percent of the state’s residents were immigrants, according to the American Immigration Council.

Featured Programs:

Liberty University Offers Undergrad Cert and B.Ed. in English as a Second Language.
The Grand Canyon University offers a Masters of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program and a B.A. in Secondary Education.
Arizona State University - Online Offers Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, MTESOL
Campbellsville University Offers an ESL Endorsement (P-12), M.A. in Teaching - Secondary Education, M.A. in TESOL
St. John's University Offers a Ph.D. in Literacy: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
George Mason University Offers a MEd in Curriculum & Instruction, Concentration in TESOL

While this may not seem like much, the rise in the number of immigrants in North Carolina has been slow and steady, translating into a rising community of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the state’s public schools. Just a generation ago, ELLs in North Carolina’s public school system (PreK-12) totaled only about 44,000. By 2018, this number had exploded to more than 114,000 one generation later– more than two and a half times higher.

These steps will show you exactly how to earn TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification and become an ESL teacher in North Carolina:

	Earn a Degree in ESL and Qualify to Become an ESL Teacher in North Carolina
	Pass the Required Exams
	Apply for Your North Carolina Teaching License as an ESL Teacher
	Maintain and Upgrade Your North Carolina Teaching License
	Learn More About Salary Expectations and Jobs in North Carolina

Step 1. Earn a Degree in ESL and Qualify to Become an ESL Teacher in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction offers both a primary and add-on K-12 ESL license.

If you’re new to the field of education and haven’t yet completed a bachelor’s degree, learning how to become an ESL teacher in North Carolina involves either earning an ESL bachelor’s or master’s degree through a state-approved educator preparation program or earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree in elementary, secondary, or special education and completing the required ESL education through a track, minor, or concentration.

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Step 2. Pass the Required Exams

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requires that all initial teacher licensure candidates in the state pass examinations assessing their basic skills, as well as their skills in their specific content area(s).

Basic skills exams

All prospective TESOL teachers in North Carolina must pass the following Praxis exams tests (you may be required to take these tests prior to beginning your teacher preparation program):

Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading (score of 156 required to pass)
Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing (score of 162 required to pass)
Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics (score of 150 required to pass)

If you hold the following ACT or SAT scores, you are exempt from taking the Core exams:

SAT score less than 1100 (Verbal and Quantitative) with at least 550 on Verbal = exempt from taking the Core tests in Reading and Writing
SAT score less than 1100 (Verbal and Quantitative) with at least 550 on Math = exempt from taking the Core test in Math
ACT composite score of less than 24, but at least 24 on the English portion= exempt from taking the Core tests in Reading and Writing
ACT composite score of less than 24, but at least 24 on the Math portion = exempt from taking the Core test in Mathematics

Content area exam

All teachers in North Carolina are expected to pass the Praxis II exam(s) for the content area(s) in which they wish to become licensed. For TESOL teachers, that is:

Praxis II: English to Speakers of Other Languages

Step 3. Apply for Your North Carolina Teaching License as an ESL Teacher

When you have completed the above requirements, you are ready to apply for your Initial Professional License as an ESL teacher.

You’ll register with the NCDPI Online Licensure System. This is the portal you will use for submitting your application for a Professional Educator’s License and related documents.

If you hold a teaching license in another state, a copy of the front and back of that license
If you have a graduate degree in education, or think there may be a question about your education, complete Form V and have the licensure officer at your institution complete the recommendation portion

Once registered with the licensure system, you can begin submitting the required documents:

Enclose original transcripts from all institutions you attended and any other coursework you have completed/degrees received
If you are seeking Highly Qualified status, include this form
Include copies of test scores from all examinations taken
If you have prior teaching experience, include Form E, Verification of K-12 teaching experience. You must complete one form for each of your former employers.
Include Form CE, Verification of Post-Secondary (College) educator experience, if it applies
If you received your degree from a school in a foreign country, include an evaluation of your transcript by an international education evaluation service
If you wish to have materials returned to you, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope
Include the proper application fees
Mail everything to NC Department of Public Instruction, Licensure Section, 6365 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6365

Step 4. Maintain and Upgrade Your North Carolina Teaching License

Your Initial Professional License (IPL) is valid for three years. After that time, you’ll convert your IPL to a Continuing Professional License (CPL), which must be renewed every 5 years. You must earn either 8 CEUs or 80 clock hours of professional development during this time and apply for renewal through the NCDPI Online Licensure System.

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Step 5. Learn More About Salary Expectations and Jobs in North Carolina

As of May 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the following salaries for educators in North Carolina:

Elementary School

Early Career (25^th percentile): $42,030
Median: $49,300
Experienced (90^th percentile): $65,340

Middle School

Early Career (25^th percentile): $43,120
Median: $50,450
Experienced (90^th percentile): $66,640

High School

Early Career (25^th percentile): $42,750
Median: $50,360
Experienced (90^th percentile): $68,070

BLS stats also reveal what ESL teachers are earning in North Carolina’s largest metro areas, as of May 2020:

Asheville (Elementary School)

Early Career (25^th percentile): $39,530
Median: $46,000
Experienced (90^th percentile): $60,350

Raleigh (Middle School)

Early Career (25^th percentile): $43,010
Median: $53,890
Experienced (90^th percentile): $77,550

Charlotte (High School)

Early Career (25^th percentile): $44,450
Median: $52,710
Experienced (90^th percentile): $74,620

Find ESL teacher jobs in North Carolina through TEACH North Carolina and connect with others in your field through the Carolina Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

May 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market trends for elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, and secondary school teachers represent state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2021.

Student population data from the National Center for Education Statistics represents English language learners (ELL) enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in the fall of 2018.