The TESOL practicum, sometimes called TESOL clinic practices, internships, or field experiences, is a compulsory component of most TESOL degree, certificate, and endorsement programs (Richards & Crookes, 1988; Santos, Olsher, & Abeywickrama, 2015). It is usually a supervised teaching experience, and traditionally takes place near the end of the TESOL teacher education programs (Cirocki, Madyarov, & Baecher, 2019) offering authentic experiences and a critical way to help teacher candidates (or pre-service/student teachers as used throughout this book) link theory to practice (Kent, 2005). It also helps candidates develop or reinforce TESOL professional skills, knowledge, and dispositions. Additionally, strengthening the support to teacher candidates as they move from clinical practices to the classroom and continuous professional development to in-service teachers is also one way to tackle the teacher shortage in content area such as TESOL across the states (Cole, Mitchell, & Anthes, 2017; Flannery, 2020).

Based on our research, K-12 TESOL licensure requirements vary widely across states. State-level education agencies usually offer accreditation guidelines and professional standards, but do not have specific policies that regulate the TESOL practicum such as length, settings, and teaching practices/activities. Hence, TESOL programs usually determine and define their TESOL practicum in terms of the content (e.g., teaching/tutoring ELs, observing classrooms), design (e.g., a built-in component of a TESOL course, a stand-alone course, and a capstone field experience/practice), duration (e.g., 25–60 field hours, two-semesters long), and assessments (e.g., culminative teaching portfolios, reflective journals). We included a typology of TESOL programs and practica in Table 1.1 to contextualize the nature of the complexity of TESOL practica and programs. The TESOL practica included in this volume also reflect the complexity represented in Table 1.1.

Traditionally, throughout the practicum experiences, TESOL teacher candidates are placed in a local K-12 classroom where ELs are served, and they are supported by a cooperating teacher (an ESOL teacher or home classroom teacher), a university supervisor/mentor (e.g., a former/retired classroom teacher), and/or a teacher education faculty supervisor. Candidates are usually engaged in varied teaching practices, including assisting and tutoring small groups of ELs, observing experienced teachers and ELs in class, and practicing lesson planning and teaching (Becker, Waldis, & Staub, 2019). In recent years, TESOL programs have been experiencing paradigmatic shifts and changes. Many traditional face-to-face TESOL programs have moved online or have adopted a hybrid/blended format (i.e., face-to-face and online). Unlike traditional K-12 classroom placements, some TESOL practica are set up in overseas settings and/or community programs; others use virtual simulations or virtual exchange programs to either enhance or replace a face-to-face practicum. However, simply placing candidates with ELs does not automatically help the candidates bridge the gap between theory and effective practice (Hennissen, Beckers, & Moerkerke, 2017); structured assignments designed for the practicum are essential for candidates to apply what they have learned in their coursework in real teaching settings (Zeichner, 2010). In addition, TESOL candidates need emotional, social, and technical support from cooperating teachers, school administrators, TESOL faculty, and TESOL programs during the practicum.

TESOL programs also face challenges in setting up their practicums. The limited time and space in the already-crowded curriculum may constrain faculty to create a stand-alone TESOL practicum course (Li, 2018). TESOL programs usually collaborate with one or more partners (e.g., local schools/districts, community-based ESOL programs) and place TESOL candidates in classroom where ELs are served. TESOL faculty must depend on their partners’ schedules, level of flexibility, and capacity to comply with the design of the TESOL practicum. However, it is also challenging to ensure expectations are shared by all the stakeholders and between the TESOL programs and their partner schools (Cirocki et al., 2019; Farrell, 2008; Numrich, 1996; Payant & Murphy, 2012). Additionally, the TESOL practicum can be easily affected by external changes. Changes include, but are not limited to, (1) the COVID-19 pandemic that forced many K-12 schools and classes to be closed, cancelled or moved to online learning, (2) the online delivery format as a way to recruit more candidates and/or accommodate candidates who cannot attend the TESOL programs in person, (3) the recently implemented teacher candidate assessment (i.e., the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment [edTPA]) in many states, and (4) newly emerging technologies (e.g., virtual/mixed reality). TESOL programs must work diligently and creatively to overcome such challenges and embrace changes. The chapters included in this volume present empirical and innovative examples of TESOL practica in TESOL programs across North Ameri...