1. STARTALK National Teacher Certification Summit Washington, 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…)