ESL Program Specialist / Specialized Diploma

*This is an overview of the program. The course sequencing is meant to serve as a guideline for your semester planning. Please note that the scheduling of courses, program sequencing and curriculum are subject to change.*

This program prepares teachers and paraprofessionals to support children with English as a Second Language. A collaborative effort to assist educators in acquiring the knowledge and skills to enable English Language Learners (ELLs) to meet Pennsylvania Academic Standards. A particular focus is that of improving instruction and school climate for ELLs through increased cultural awareness, sensitivity, and ongoing and sustained professional development for teachers and paraprofessionals.

Designed to provide educators with information and skills needed to understand ELLs and develop a positive learning environment and appropriate instruction for the sestudents. Courses address second language acquisition and its implications for success of ELLs, culture and its impact on student achievement, and effective teaching strategies for ELLs.

Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

• recognize principles of first and second language acquisition andapply them to facilitate language and literacy development of ELLs.
• use knowledge of culture and its impact on student achievement to create a positive learning environment for ELLs.
• identify resources, materials, and instruction that incorporate and value the cultures represented in the classroom.
• demonstrate and implement approaches to teach in diverseclassrooms and employ strategies to integrate the students' culturalbackgrounds in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• use knowledge of linguistics to develop effective instruction for teaching ESOL students to listen, speak, read, and write.
• demonstrate a variety of strategies and techniques foradapting content instruction and making the content comprehensiblewhile expanding and refining students' language.