200,000+
Alumni from our Global Campuses
Transforming Language Education Worldwide
The Global English Language Teaching (GELT) Institute at Webster University is dedicated to increasing the professionalism of English Language Teaching (ELT) in the U.S. and worldwide. Through programs, grants and events, the GELT Institute empowers teachers to use language classrooms for academic and professional advancement, promotes exploration of diverse identities and helps teachers reflect on their role in ELT at local, national and global levels.
A Global Leader in English Language Teaching
Over the past decade, the University's Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program has grown from a few dozen students in Missouri to hundreds worldwide. The University has received two National Professional Development grants from the U.S. Department of Education, providing free tuition for more than 200 Missouri teachers to complete their Missouri ELL Certification. Institute faculty bring professional experience from dozens of countries across five continents.
Nationally and Internationally Accredited
The GELT at Webster holds the distinction of being Missouri's first and only TESOL program recognized by both the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and TESOL International.
Most students can complete their program with dual credentials, as TEFL and Missouri ELL certification courses integrate with the master's degree requirements.
Transform Your Teaching Career Through Global Education
The GELT Institute, part of the School of Education at Webster University, offers innovative pathways for language educators worldwide. Through our specialized programs, educators develop advanced skills for today's diverse classrooms.
The Institute empowers teachers to create dynamic language learning environments, explore multicultural perspectives and shape the future of English language teaching at local, national and global levels. Whether you're pursuing advanced credentials or expanding your teaching expertise, GELT provides the foundation for excellence in language education.
Degrees and Programs
Teachers will acquire knowledge about theory and concepts in second language acquisition and be equipped with methodological skills to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
Designed for teachers who want to help non-native English speakers develop their use of the a foreign language, the Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) guides students in becoming the educators who make a difference.
DJ Kaiser, PhD, MATESL
Director, GELT Institute; Professor, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
DJ Kaiser received his PhD from Washington University in St. Louis and his MATESL from the University of Illinois. He has been a visiting faculty member at the University of Barcelona and received a Fulbright Scholars grant to conduct research in Uruguay. He has received other research grants to go to Italy, Brazil, Uruguay, and Catalonia. He has written, directed, and worked on multiple grant projects focused on teacher preparation, including projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation.
With more than two decades in the field of English Language Teaching, Kaiser has delivered presentations, workshops and seminars on language instruction, teaching pronunciation, language planning and policy, technology for education and program development throughout the United States and in Mexico, Canada, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Spain, Greece, Holland, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Ecuador.
Kaiser, D. (forthcoming, 2023). English in Uruguay. In Bolton, K. et al. (Eds.) The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of World Englishes. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Kaiser, D. (2020). Setting up shop in Uzbekistan: TESL programs in new markets. The Journal of AsiaTEFL, 17(4), 1524–1531.
Kaiser, D. (2018). Observations of Ceibal en Inglés: A SWOT Analysis and the Strategies of Stronger Uruguayan Teachers in English Classrooms. In 1.er Encuentro de Ceibal en Inglés. “Encuentros Cercanos con lo Remoto en la Creación de una Comunidad Educativa” (pp. 61–77). Montevideo: Plan Ceibal.
Kaiser, D., & Saisanan Na Ayudhya, Y. (2018). Promoting inclusion through English for organic farming and ecotourism in ASEAN countries: A Thai example. In The VietTESOL International Conference 2017: English Language Education in Diverse Contexts (pp. 105–117). Hanoi: Vietnam National University Press. (Peer-reviewed article).
Kaiser, D. (2018). Mobile-Assisted Pronunciation Training: The iPhone: Pronunciation App Project. Speak Out! Journal of the IATEFL Pronunciation Special Interest Group, 58, 38-51. (Invited article).
Kaiser, D. (2017). English language teaching in Uruguay. World Englishes, 36(4), 744–759.
Oybek Imomov
MA TESOL Program Leader in Uzbekistan
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