In this course, students will explore the theories, research, and related pedagogical approaches of second language acquisition and applied linguistics, especially those pertaining to second language acquisition and teaching with a particular focus on teaching English as a second language to students in schools, grades Pre-K-12. The course will employ frameworks, repertoires, strategies and activities to raise intercultural awareness and respect others and instructional and curricular implications of multilingualism of multilingualism as a resource, rather than a problem.

In this course, candidates will develop an understanding of best practices in planning and delivering instruction to EL students so that EL students successfully learn and use the social and academic language and develop the communicative competencies they need to meet the Common Core State Standards and become college-ready. Candidates will explore how they can effectively establish two-way communication with EL students’ families directly related to students’ academic, linguistic, and social learning.

In this course, students will explore the history of US K-12 second language education, theoretical and research frameworks for how second languages are learned and acquired, and emerging brain research related to second/additional language learning, culture, and cognition. Students will develop an understanding of different types of second language education programs in K-12 settings, key local, state, and national policies impacting language education, and the legal requirements for serving language learners in K-12 schools.

In this course, candidates will develop an understanding of how learners develop literacy in a second language, and a cohesive approach to teaching literacy to ELs in grades K-5. Using a critical lens to unpack and understand the theories and research distinguishing L1 and L2 literacy development, candidates will draw on their knowledge from their sociocultural foundations and linguistics courses as they implement research-based strategies for unit planning, delivering instruction, and assessing student performance in reading and writing that is aligned with the Standards for Effective Pedagogy, the WIDA Standards for English Language Development, and the Common Core State Standards.

The goal for this course is to increase the language assessment and evaluation literacy. Students will understand the processes of assessment in the language classroom, including an understanding of the movement in language assessment toward alternative (more authentic) testing. While learning the principles for evaluating and structuring assessments, students will analyze test types and create their own assessment tools. Students will also learn to design rubrics. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on acquiring language assessment terminology and concepts, learning ways to integrate assessment procedures into any curriculum, and designing assessment tasks that allow for improved learning.