STARTALK National Teacher Certification Summit Washington, DC December 9-11, 2009

1. STARTALK National Teacher Certification SummitWashington, DC December 9-11, 2009 Breakout Session #4: Improving Teacher Education and Preparation Johanna Watzinger-Tharp (j.tharp&utah.edu)

2. What can institutions of higher education do to improve teacher education and preparation?” • Understand the national and local contexts of world languages learning and teaching • Collaborate across institutional boundaries • Learn each others’ “languages” across disciplines THEN: • Offer teacher education programs that adapt and respond to needs • Produce qualified and marketable teachers, and leaders in the field

3. Teacher Education Program Development • National context • Local context (Utah) • Institutional context (University of Utah) • An example: World Language Master of Arts with Secondary Licensure (WLMA)

4. National Context: Critical-Need Language Study & Teacher Education NSLI Goals • Increase critical-need language study, starting at an early age • Increase the number of foreign language speakers with advanced proficiency with an emphasis on critical-need languages • Increase the number of critical language teachers STARTALK Goals • Stimulate significant increases in critical language enrollments • Increase the supply and quality of critical language teachers • Improve the quality and effectiveness of critical language curricula

5. Local Context: Utah Language Legislation (2007) • Legislative funding for “critical language programs” • $260,000 pilot program • On-going for six years • Incentives for schools and students • Choosing languages • Critical: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian • “Traditional:” French, German, Spanish, Portuguese • Elementary dual immersion: Chinese, French, Spanish

6. The Institutional Context • College of Education • Licensure coursework, student teaching, placement • Foreign Language & Literature/Cultural Studies Department • Language area coursework (content & proficiency); student teaching • Linguistics Department (Applied Linguistics) • L2 methodology, fundamentals of linguistics • International Education • Study abroad opportunities

7. World Language MA with Licensure • The Need • Significant growth of critical-need language programs in the public schools • Shortage of certified teachers • Sustainability of traditional language programs • Program Rationale & Design • Quality teacher education • Integrating licensure into a graduate program • Integrating the curriculum: language proficiency; content knowledge; applied linguistics; pedagogy; licensure coursework & student teaching • Capitalizing on existing L2 pedagogy programs • Utah foreign language capacity

8. Program Rationale & Design (cont.) • Versatility and Marketability: Two Endorsements • Two world languages, e.g. Chinese & ESL; Russian & Spanish; Spanish & Portuguese; French & German OR: • A world language + another subject, e.g. Chinese & Social Studies; Chinese & Theatre ; French & History • Candidates’ Profile • Bachelor or MA (foreign language, other subject) • Intermediate proficiency in at least one language • Life-long language learning commitment

9. Challenges & Goals for WLMA Program • Timely recruitment • Completion of prerequisites • Path to dual language capacity • Funding • Supervisory teachers & mentors • Adaptation of area courses to the National Standards • World languages diversity • Urgent need and quality • Extension from secondary level to elementary immersion (And more…)