English Language Learners & Bilingual Education, BAE

Department of Elementary Education, Woodring College of Education

119 credits

Introduction

The Bachelor of Arts in Education: ELL and Bilingual Education major responds to the growing diversity in the state’s schools and the state’s growing focus on dual language education. Currently the major is only offered through Western’s South Seattle site. The major supports the Woodring College of Education’s efforts to embrace diversity and promote social justice through its community routes to certification. The major focuses on research-based and experience-validated knowledge to help elementary school teachers reach all students. This includes increasing teacher candidates’ cultural competency, capacity to teach English language learners, and knowledge to teach effectively in dual language settings. Graduates receive WWU’s recommendation for a Residency Teaching Certificate with endorsements in Elementary Education, and English Language Learners and/or Bilingual.

Why Consider an English Language Learners & Bilingual Education major?

The ELL & Bilingual Education major was designed in response to requests from schools for elementary teachers prepared for dual language and bilingual settings with the dispositions, knowledge, and skills to work with an increasingly diverse elementary student population and their families.

How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):

Before students may begin taking courses in education, they must be admitted to both Western Washington University and the Alternative Routes to Certification Program in Elementary Education. Program admission requirements include:

• Transferable A.A. degree from a Washington state community college, or satisfaction of Western’s General Education Requirements
• Minimum grade point average of 2.75 overall or for the most recent 45 quarter credit hours
• Meet the West-B basic skills requirement. This may be met by: a) Taking the West-B exam, b) SAT minimum scores, c) ACT minimum scores. See the West-B webpage for details: wce.wwu.edu/admissions/west-b-requirement.
• English composition course, completed with a B- or better
• Equivalent of two quarters of college-level foreign language study (ELL endorsement)
• Intermediate High ACTFL writing and reading in a world language for admission as a Bilingual Teaching Fellow seeking bilingual endorsement.
• *Field experience/internship in that world language required to complete the endorsement.

Enrollment restrictions apply in all teacher education programs. Meeting the above criteria makes the applicant eligible for admission, but does not guarantee admission. Students who meet all criteria are further evaluated by the department to determine the most qualified applicants. Retention in the program requires continuous demonstration of competence in standard oral and written English in all coursework. Retention also requires maintenance of a 2.75 quarterly GPA for each quarter after admission.

Grade Requirements

Students must earn a grade of C (2.0) or better in the English Language Learners & Bilingual Education program and in all courses required for the endorsement.