Bilingual Endorsement Online
Meet the Rising Need for Bilingual Educators
100% Online Coursework
As Few as Six Months
18 Credit Hours
$665 Per Credit
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Elevate Your Teaching Skills with a Bilingual Endorsement
If you are already fluent in an ISBE-approved language, NPU’s Bilingual Endorsement online program will help you meet state requirements to add the bilingual endorsement to your teaching license.
In this program, you will gain cross-cultural teaching strategies and linguistics-focused instructional methods designed to help English language learners (ELLs) thrive in the classroom. Become a confident and competent educator with the online bilingual endorsement Illinois schools recognize.
Endorsement Details
- No GRE required
- Learn from knowledgeable faculty
- No application fee
- 24/7 access to course materials
Advance Your Teaching Career with a Targeted, Practical Curriculum
Six Total Courses
Accelerated, Seven-Week Terms
In as few as six months, instructors will strengthen your ability to create engaging curriculum and differentiated assessments optimized specifically for bilingual students. You will complete six courses totaling 18 credit hours, including two in-person practicum teaching experiences in a bilingual/ESL setting.
Upon program completion, you will have finished the clinical experience and 18 credit hours required to add the bilingual endorsement to your Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL). This online program does not offer any language courses, as it is for individuals currently fluent in an ISBE-approved language.
Required Bilingual Endorsement Courses
This course examines various aspects of the relationship between language and society. Culture, sex differences, communities, dialects, and speech will be examined.
Assessment techniques of ESL students and bilingual students. Different types of assessment instruments, the theoretical viewpoints of these instruments and testing procedures in general will be discussed. Assessment of all levels of proficiency and grade levels will be considered.
Introduction to the various methods of teaching a second language in K-12 based on the philosophies and theories presented in 5603. Strategies used when working with ESL or second language students and exposure to the issues of multicultural diversity and socioeconomic diversity.
This course provides the current research and theories forming the foundation of bilingual education. It examines and reviews the historical, legal, philosophical, theoretical, pedagogical, and political issues concerning bilingual education programs in the United States. It also analyzes the linguistic, psychological, social, and cultural underpinnings of current practices in the field and cultivates multicultural perspectives.
This course introduces various models, philosophies, and theoretical underpinnings of bilingual education for language minority students. It provides and prepares the participants with the theoretical basis, methods and techniques needed for effective teaching in bilingual/bicultural classrooms.
The purpose of this course is to observe and assist a teacher in an ESL school setting for a minimum total of 100 clock hours. The requirements for this course may also be met through verification of three months of teaching experience with ESL students. Only those who have verification by a principal or other administrators of three months of teaching ESL students prior to entering the program may take this for no credit. To be taken at the end of the five-course ESL sequence.
Program Outcomes for Our Online Bilingual Endorsement Illinois Program
- Demonstrate substantial pedagogical knowledge and skills regarding teaching English language learners (ELLs).
- Identify schoolwide approaches in addressing the needs of ELLs and their families, which includes schoolwide culture and climate for all students; school visions and missions; culturally responsive and language-inclusive classrooms; and schoolwide practices.
- Recognize the internal and external factors that affect second language acquisition including misinformation.
- Interpret the different types of assessment used for measuring and assessing language proficiency and academic achievement of ELLs in various content areas.
- Create, evaluate, and apply English language teaching material while modifying content area assignments according to each student’s stage of second-language acquisition.
It’s Always a Good Time to Apply to North Park
Application Deadline 08/26/2025
Start Date 09/08/2025
Both current and aspiring teachers are welcome to apply to NPU’s Bilingual Endorsement online program. No teaching license is required, but graduate students must have previously earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Also, you must be fluent in an ISBE-approved language.
With no application fee or entrance exams required, beginning your application for the online teaching endorsement program is simple. Apply now and choose the start date that fits your schedule.
AdmissionsPlan for the Future with NPU’s Affordable Tuition
$665 Cost per Credit
18 Total Credits
With NPU’s competitive pricing and pay-as-you-go structure, you can maximize your return on investment with a career-advancing online program that leads to a highly marketable bilingual endorsement.
Tuition & Aid