As part of the Curriculum and Instruction Program, teachers and other educators interested in working with students who are non-native English speakers may specialize in Bilingual Education and/or English as a Second Language (ESL) Program.The program leads to a Masters Degree in Education (M.Ed.) or, for those who already hold a Masters, a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS). Those who wish to complete a thesis may pursue a Masters of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.).
The state approvals for ESL and Bilingual Education also require a valid Illinois teaching certificate, as well as 100 clock hours of clinical experience or three months teaching experience with English Language Learners (ELL) in order to teach in Kindergarten - Grade 12. The National College of Education (NCE) oversees the 100 clock hour process. As an option, 20 clinical/clock hours may be earned in each course.
To obtain an endorsement to teach at the middle school level, an endorsement in middle school is required in addition to the approval requirements indicated above. Middle school endorsement coursework includes MLE500 and MLE 502.
Students choosing to complete a graduate degree use their approval coursework toward the concentration requirement of the degree. Those seeking the M.Ed. also complete five additional courses that are carefully blended into the program to support and enrich the experience of participating teachers:
three courses in curriculum and instruction — CIC503 Curriculum Design and Evaluation; CIC504 Instructional Decision Making; and CIC592 Seminar: Educational Inquiries
one course in cognitive psychology — EPS541 Cognition and Instruction
an educational research course — ESR505 Educational Inquiry and Assessment.
This 34-semester hour sequence leads to the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in ESL/Bilingual Education.
For additional information, please visit the C&I ESL and Bilingual Concentration homepage at http://www3.nl.edu/academics/nce/programs/curricinst/ESL-Bilingual.cfm.
For an overview of Proposed Cluster, please click here.
