ESOL Literacy

Master of Education

About This Program

Program Purpose

The Master of Education degree in ESOL Literacy is built around the five domains of the TESOL standards: Language, Culture, Managing and Implementing Standards-based ESL and Content Instruction, Assessment, and Professionalism. The program offers classroom teachers an opportunity to increase knowledge, skills, and techniques in all aspects of reading and writing instruction, especially relative to the needs of ESOL students. The course content is focused at the classroom level to better enable teachers to meet diverse literacy needs of students at the elementary, middle/secondary school level. The program addresses the most current theories and practices for developing strategies and techniques for teaching reading and writing, effective schools research, and educational reform and technology relative to second language acquisition. Course content includes literacy theories for second language acquisition, research results, current strategies and techniques and materials, but always focuses on the centrality of teaching and learning as it relates to the student whose first language is not English. Additional courses include foundational reading course. As our population becomes more richly diverse, we recognize the constant need for teachers who understand the variables which affect their environments and who possess the professional skills necessary to contribute to the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs and procedures to effect increased learning, demonstration of desired outcomes, and provide sensitivity, and acceptance of cultural and linguistic diversity within school environments.

Program Competencies

1. The program competencies are the 13 TESOL Standards. These may be referenced in their entirety at www.ncate.org/ProgramStandards/TESOL/TesolStd.pdf. The program seeks to develop teachers who will:

2. Understand language as a system and demonstrate a high level of competence in helping ESOL students acquire and use English in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for social and academic purposes.

3. Understand and apply concepts, theories, research, and practice to facilitate the acquisition of a primary and a new language in and out of classroom settings.

4. Know, understand, and use the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to the nature and role of culture in language development and academic achievement that support individual students’ learning.

5. Know, understand, and use knowledge of how cultural groups and students’ cultural identities affect language learning and school achievement.

6. Know, understand, and apply concepts, research, and best practices to plan classroom instruction in a supportive learning environment for ESOL students. Candidates serve as effective English language models, as they plan for multilevel classrooms with learners from diverse backgrounds using standards-based ESL and content curriculum.

7. Know, manage, and implement a variety of standards-based teaching strategies and techniques for developing and integrating English listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and for accessing the core curriculum. Candidates support ESOL students in accessing the core curriculum as they learn language and academic content together.

8. Be familiar with a wide range of standards-based materials, resources, and technologies, and choose, adapt, and use them in effective ESL and content teaching.

9. Understand various issues of assessment (e.g., cultural and linguistic bias; political, social, and psychological factors) in assessment, IQ, and special education testing (including gifted and talented); the importance of standards; and the difference between language proficiency and other types of assessment (e.g., standardized achievement tests of overall mastery), as they affect ESOL student learning.

10. Know and use a variety of standards-based language proficiency instruments to inform their instruction and understand their uses for identification, placement, and demonstration of language growth of ESOL students.

11. Know and use a variety of performance-based assessment tools and techniques to inform instruction.

12. Demonstrate knowledge of history, research, and current practice in the field of ESL teaching and apply this knowledge to improve teaching and learning.

13. Serve as professional resources, advocate for ESOL students, and build partnerships with students’ families.

14. Collaborate with and are prepared to serve as a resource to all staff, including paraprofessionals, to improve learning for all ESOL students.

Outcomes Assessment

The assessment of outcomes consists of multiple measures. Grades on assignments and for courses are the first level of assessment. The course goals, learning outcomes, and assignments are designed to address the measurement of program and graduation competencies. Students will take an online test of their content knowledge at the beginning and end of their program, as well as a disposition survey. A second assessment will be taking the Praxis II ESL Subject Test (20360) as part of their final clinical courses. Other assessment measures include the observation of application of knowledge in practical settings and alumni surveys that query such items as preparation levels for careers and life-long learning activities.

Course Description

Close [X]

 

See all Wilmington University Course Offerings

dummy