Illinois Credential Guide
English as a Second Language Endorsement Requirements in Illinois
Issued by Illinois State Board of Education.
Illinois pairs a specified 18-semester-hour course sequence with ESL clinical or teaching experience. Check both parts against the subsequent-endorsement rules.
Official sources reviewed . Requirements can change, so confirm your route with the issuing agency before enrolling.
Illinois Transcript Audit
Map ESL Coursework and Clinical Experience
Illinois requires an existing Professional Educator License or teaching-endorsed Educator License with Stipulations for the ESL subsequent endorsement. Its rule combines 18 semester hours across six content areas with either 100 clinical clock hours or three months of ESL teaching experience.
| Required area | What to locate in your record |
|---|---|
| Linguistics | A course explicitly covering linguistics. |
| Theoretical foundations | Foundations of teaching English as a second language. |
| Assessment | Assessment of the bilingual student. |
| Methods and materials | Methods and materials for teaching ESL. |
| Cross-cultural studies | Cross-cultural studies for teaching limited-English-proficient students. |
| Elective | One additional ESL or bilingual course. |
Have the college send verification of 100 ESL clinical clock hours directly to ISBE.
Have the school district send verification of three months teaching in an ESL setting directly to ISBE.
If you already have an ESL endorsement in another state
ISBE says endorsements on a valid, comparable out-of-state license qualify for full reciprocity. Apply for the subsequent endorsement in ELIS and upload the qualifying license on the Images tab. That is a different evidence path from assembling Illinois's six-course and clinical record; ask ISBE to confirm comparability before buying more study.
Apply for the subsequent endorsement through ELIS after both parts of the rule are documented. Ask an Illinois-approved program to review the transcript map before you enroll. The published ESL row does not list a separate content exam for this route.
Illinois State Board of Education, checked September 29, 2026: subsequent endorsement requirements and ELIS application guidance. ISBE flags archived content on its site, so confirm the current ESL row before applying.