Bachelor of Arts in Education in Multilingual and Elementary Education

Bilingual Education
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Support Students From Diverse Backgrounds

The Multilingual and Elementary Education major prepares you to lead in an increasingly interconnected world. As classrooms become more linguistically and culturally diverse, skilled educators who understand bilingualism, language acquisition, and culturally responsive teaching are in high demand.

This program gives you research鈥慴ased strategies, practical teaching experience, and a global perspective to help you support multilingual learners and advocate for educational equity in schools and communities.

Through the program, you鈥檒l pursue either the Bilingual Education Endorsement, which qualifies you to teach in dual鈥憀anguage settings, or the English Language Learners Endorsement, which prepares you to teach multilingual learners in mainstream or English Language Development classrooms. Because these are not standalone endorsements, you鈥檒l complete both the and the Elementary Education Core Requirements as part of your degree pathway.

Alongside your elementary education coursework, you鈥檒l explore topics essential to effective multilingual teaching, including:

  • Language structure and acquisition: understand how languages work and how students acquire them.
  • Principles of bilingual education: learn research鈥慴ased approaches to dual鈥憀anguage instruction.
  • Diversity in the classroom: develop strategies for creating inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments.

A degree in Multilingual Education will open doors to meaningful and in-demand careers. Washington continues to face a statewide teacher shortage, with multilingual educators among the most urgently needed.

The Professional Educator Standards Board recognizes both bilingual and ELL endorsements as official shortage areas, creating strong career opportunities for graduates prepared to support multilingual learners.

Scholarship opportunities are also available for students who declare this major.
Questions? Contact: Dr. Gina Petrie gpetrie@ewu.edu聽or Dr. Miguel Novella mnovella@ewu.edu.

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Applied Learning Opportunities

  • Student Teaching: Build confidence and hone your skills by leading lessons in real classrooms.
  • Study Abroad: Travel, learn, and experience new cultures while earning credit and building communication skills that help you thrive anywhere.
  • Volunteerism: Give back to your community while gaining experience, building connections, and seeing how you can apply your classroom knowledge to make an impact in the world.
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What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official , which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Multilingual and Elementary Education, Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE)

Elementary Education Program Prerequisites

  • Education: and or an approved equivalent
  • English: or an approved equivalent
  • Mathematics: Students will be required to complete or an approved equivalent, as prerequisites before starting the program.
  • Social Studies:
  • Speech: or or an approved equivalent
  • Other: , , , or an approved equivalent
  • All must have been completed within the last 6 years.

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Elementary Education Core
FOUNDATIONS OF ASSESSMENT3
INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTARY READING3
FOUNDATIONS OF ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT3
LITERACY METHODS, MANAGEMENT AND ASSESSMENT IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS 1: INTEGRATED LANGUAGE ARTS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS 2: INTEGRATED SOCIAL STUDIES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
INTEGRATED STEM METHODS 14
INTEGRATED STEM METHODS 24
Require Education Fieldwork Courses
FIELD EXPERIENCE 12
FIELD EXPERIENCE 22
FIELD EXPERIENCE 35
FULL-TIME STUDENT TEACHING15
Multilingual Education
Linguistics Foundation
LANGUAGE STRUCTURE AND USE5
Required Core
INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE5
CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM4
SECOND LANGUAGE LITERACY PLACEMENT AND ASSESSMENT3
SECOND LANGUAGE PRINT LITERACY THEORIES3
Choose ONE of the following endorsement options16
Bilingual Education Endorsement Option
PRINCIPLES OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION
PRACTICES AND ASSESSMENT FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION
PRACTICUM: BILINGUAL EDUCATION (must be taken twice for a total of 6 credits)
Upon completion of these courses, take and pass the Washington State assessment (WEST-E) for the Bilingual Education Endorsement. Bilingual Education candidates must pass the ACTFL oral and written tests at the Advanced-Low level in the language they plan to teach (for example, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish).
Contact the Bilingual Endorsement Advisor in the HAMML Department to plan next steps and ensure a successful outcome.
ELL Endorsement Option
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
METHODS AND MATERIALS IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PRACTICUM
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CAPSTONE
Upon completion of these courses, take and pass the Washington State assessment (WEST-E) for the English Language Learners endorsement.
Total Credits89

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(GER)

  • Minimum Quarter Credits—180 cumulative credit hours
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at 51福利社, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at 51福利社
  • Minimum Semester Credits—120 cumulative credit hours
    • 40 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 30 credits in residence (attendance) at 51福利社, with at least 10 upper-division credits in major in residence at 51福利社
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

University Competencies and Proficiencies


 

 

(BACR)

 
 

 (UGR)




 
 (for Bachelor of Arts)

Application for Graduation (use ) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the to determine .

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

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Students who earn a BAE in Multilingual and Elementary Education from 51福利社 should be able to:​​

  • analyze and explain the interrelationships among language, culture, identity, and learning, and demonstrate cultural humility by identifying how assumptions and cultural differences affect learning environments;
  • apply research and theories from second language acquisition, applied linguistics, literacy development, and discourse analysis to create effective and inclusive language learning environments for multilingual learners;
  • design developmentally appropriate, standards-aligned multilingual lesson plans and assessments that are responsive to students’ cultural backgrounds, home languages, first and second language literacies, prior educational experiences, ages, and community contexts;
  • implement and evaluate bilingual instructional strategies and assessment tools that support the linguistic and academic development of multilingual learners;
  • demonstrate ongoing engagement in their own additional language development and reflective professional practice to continuously improve their effectiveness as multilingual educators.

Sample Courses

ESLG聽471. TEACHING ENGLISH ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES. 3 Credits.

Pre-requisites: junior standing.
Prepares students to teach English Language Learners in U.S. P-12 classrooms with the theory, tools, and strategies needed to plan and implement effective instruction that takes into account the language of the discipline area. Students focus on two areas (Language Arts, Social Studies, Sciences, and Math) exploring with educational linguistics.

GNML聽392. PRACTICES AND ASSESSMENT FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: GNML 391; concurrent enrollment with GNML 393.
Designed to outline some of the foundational elements of effective and successful bilingual schools. Covers related to assessment and the measurement of bilingualism. The final goal is to be able to develop lessons and teaching practices. On becoming a teacher, learn ways of keeping knowledge of research and practices current and up-to-date throughout a teaching career.

ESLG聽488. SECOND LANGUAGE PRINT LITERACY THEORIES. 3 Credits.

Pre-requisites: ESLG 480 and ESLG 481.
Examines current and seminal research that provides insight into the factors affecting the development of literacy by second language learners. Topics covered include prior literacy backgrounds, home-school connections, orthographies, and vocabulary development.

ESLG聽489. CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: ENGL 201.
Provides an introduction to the various cultural and linguistic backgrounds in the region. Covers the impact of background cultures on the interactions that occur and expectations that exist in school environments. Provides an understanding of the role of culture in developing theories about what it means 'to read'.

Careers in Multilingual Education

A degree in Multilingual and Elementary Education prepares you for various career possibilities.

Multilingual Classroom Teacher

Educational Interpreter

Multilingual Curriculum Developer

Education Administrator for Multilingual Programs

Outreach Coordinator for Multilingual Communities

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