ESL and Bilingual Course Requirements
Click your desired endorsement pathway below to read through the recommended courses. Because courses can change, please refer to the course catalog or Dr. Vroom-Fick for the most up to date information regarding requirements.
To earn an ESL endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education, a teacher must:
- hold (or be earning) a valid Illinois teaching license
- have ESL clinical experience totaling 100 clock hours
- have earned credits totaling 18 semester hours in five course areas: Linguistics, Theoretical Foundations of Teaching ESL, Assessment of the Bilingual Student, Methods and Materials for Teaching ESL, Cross-Cultural Studies for Teaching EL Students.
More detailed information is available at the state website: http://www.isbe.net/licensure/html/bilingual_endorsement.html
The ESL endorsement is valid for K-12 grade range, regardless of initial licensure grade range.
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours | When the Course is Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| LING 224 | Theoretical Foundations of Lang. Acquisition | 4hrs | Fall Semester |
| LING 227 | Cross-Cultural Teaching/Learning | 2hrs | Spring B Quad |
| LING 325 | Principles of Assessment | 2hrs | Spring B Quad |
| LING 326 | EL Methods for the Content Areas** | 2hrs | Spring |
| LING 328 | EL Methods for Specialists | 2hrs | Fall (linear quad - night class) |
| LING 328L | ESL Practicum | 1hr | concurrent with course |
| LING 329 | Curriculum and Materials Development | 2hrs | Spring A Quad |
| LING 331 | Introduction to Linguistics | 4hrs | Spring |
*Pre-MAT students should register for LING 618 – the grad level version of LING 326 – as it’s required for the MAT program
Practicum Requirements:
For the LING 328L practicum, you’ll be placed with an EL Specialist for 30 hours. Additional general education practicums will be completed with EL students in order to reach the 100 clock hours required for the endorsement. These can include EDUC 136L, EDUC 225L, and select hours from methods and student teaching. You must submit records of the hours that were specifically with ELs.
Recommended Sequence:
- Freshman Spring: LING 227 (can be taken any spring)
- Sophomore Fall: LING 224
- Sophomore Spring: LING 325, LING 331 (this can be taken any spring)
- Junior Fall: LING 328/ LING 328L
- Junior Spring: LING 326 (618 for MAT), LING 328/LING 328L
- Senior Spring: LING 329 (if graduating in December, please discuss options with Dr. Vroom Fick)
To earn a Bilingual endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education, a teacher must:
- hold (or be earning) a valid Illinois teaching license,
- have bilingual clinical experience totaling 100 clock hours,
- have earned credits totaling 18 semester hours in four course areas: Theoretical Foundations of Teaching ESL, Assessment of the Bilingual Student, Methods and Materials for Teaching ESL, Methods
and Materials for Bilingual Education, Cross-Cultural Studies for Teaching LEP Students. - Demonstrate proficiency in the non-English language. See pathways below.
More detailed information is available at the state website: http://www.isbe.net/licensure/html/bilingual_endorsement.htm
The bilingual endorsement is valid K-12 regardless of your initial licensure grade range.
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours | When the Course is Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| LING 224 | Theoretical Foundations of Lang. Acquisition | 4hrs | Fall Semester |
| LING 227 | Cross-Cultural Teaching/Learning | 2hrs | Spring B Quad |
| LING 323 | Bilingual Methods and Materials | 2hrs | Fall B Quad every other year (night) |
| LING 323L | Bilingual Practicum | 1hr | See Description Below |
| LING 325 | Principles of Assessment | 2hrs | Spring B Quad |
| LING 326 | EL Methods for the Content Areas** | 2hrs | Spring |
| LING 328 | EL Methods for Specialists | 2hrs | Fall (linear quad - night class) |
| LING 328L | ESL Practicum | 1hr | concurrent with course |
| LING 329 | Curriculum and Materials Development | 2hrs | Spring A Quad |
| LING 331 | Introduction to Linguistics (MS ELA) | 4hrs | Spring |
Bilingual Practicum:
For Spanish speakers, your student teaching experience will be in a bilingual classroom and that will more than meet the 100 clock hour requirement for the endorsement. For speakers of other languages, you will make a plan with Prof. Vroom Fick based on the availability of programs in your language.
Recommended Sequence:
- Freshman Spring: LING 227 (can be taken during any other spring)
- Sophomore Fall: LING 224, LING 323 (if offered that year), LING 325 (or junior fall)
- Sophomore Spring: LING 325, LING 331
- Junior Fall: LING 328/LING 328L, LING 323 (if offered that year),
- Junior Spring: Take state TLP
Language Proficiency
Language proficiency must be demonstrated through ONE of the following:
- Hold the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy
- Hold the Global Seal of Biliteracy in the target language
- Pass the applicable Target Language Proficiency test. Information available on the Illinois Licensure Testing Website: https://www.il.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_Tests.html