According to the article, Bilingual teachers are hard to find as thousands of migrant students enter NYC schools. “For at least 20 years there has been a real shortage of bilingual teachers,” said Mark Cannizzaro, president of the principals’ union, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators. “And it’s an even bigger problem now.”
Thousands of new students have arrived in city schools over the past few months, largely children of asylum seekers from South and Central America. Some have landed at schools with robust bilingual programs, where they can learn academic content while gaining English skills. Others find themselves lost in classes where the only language spoken is English.
Touro University’s TESOL/BLE Education Program offers an advanced certificate to address the shortage of bilingual teachers and administrators.
Bilingual Education and Services
There is a need for high-quality educators trained to offer bilingual education and services. For certified teachers and professionals, a bilingual certificate can extend your certification and opportunities. All our courses stress the importance of considering cultural factors alongside individual abilities in teaching bilingual students. We offer three advanced certificates in bilingual education and services:
Bilingual General Education, PreK-12, for mainstream teachers looking to work with bilingual students, teaching their content area in two languages.
BILINGUAL SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SPEECH & LANGUAGE DISABILITIES is for special education teachers who want to work with bilingual students with cognitive impediments, and help assess whether it’s a hearing or speech impediment that makes it hard for the student to replicate the English language and with them on speech patterns.
Bilingual Pupil Personnel Services is for school counselors, social workers and psychologists, who want to work with bilingual students.
Admissions Requirements
In addition to the general admission requirements, you must be able to document proficiency in the target language of instruction (Click here to download the Target Language Proficiency Verification Form).
To learn more about the program: https://gse.touro.edu/request-more-information/
EDPN 673 Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language
This course provides a historical overview of second language acquisition theories and teaching methods. Students learn how to apply current approaches, methods and techniques, with attention to the effective use of materials, in teaching English as a second language. Students will engage in the planning and implementation of standards-based ESL instruction which includes differentiated learning experiences geared to students’ needs. Emphasis is placed on creating culturally responsive learning environments. Includes 15 hours of fieldwork.
Fieldwork: Exploration and analysis of relevant K-12 pedagogical approaches, methods, and strategies needed to convey to a diverse population state and professional standards-based curricula. Development, adaptation and evaluation of materials for implementation in lesson planning and assessment for teaching English to speakers of other languages to particular groups of different ages, ability levels and cultural backgrounds.
Using centers will allow my students to work on activities that are differentiated according to their academic levels. In these centers, my paraprofessionals and I can give to one-on-one support to my students and collect data on the acquisition of IEP goals. Moving forward as a bilingual education teacher, I will provide a multicultural learning environment in which students’ native language is seen as an asset rather than a barrier.
Paola Gomez, Touro University Bilingual Advanced Certificate Candidate
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