UW creates new program to combat ESL teacher shortage

In response to a statewide shortage of teachers endorsed to teach bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) students, the UW has developed a new certificate program.

There are currently over 66,000 high school-aged or younger students in Washington whose first language is not English. The situation is made even more complex since these students speak 159 different languages, ranging from Cambodian to Urdu.

However, there are few teachers with the necessary skills. According to Helen Malagon, supervisor for bilingual education at the state's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, there are 500 teachers the state has endorsed to teach these students.

The new certificate program is called Teaching in a Multicultural Classroom. It is a three-course program designed for teachers who are not trained in ESL techniques. The program was created by a group of UW professors, teachers who work with bilingual and ESL students, local ESL coordinators, and state program supervisors.

The program begins this July. The teachers-turned-students will spend six and a half hours a day for two weeks during the summer learning about multicultural communication. The program will continue in the fall with afternoon and Saturday classes, and concludes with another intensive course in the summer of 2002.

The courses will focus on ways to modify lessons and teaching styles to reach all students. According to Dr. Carolyn O'Keeffe, who will teach "Issues in the Evaluation of Students with Limited English Proficiency" during the summer of 2002, these modified lessons are very important.

"The modification of lessons helps ensure that students who speak other languages to have full access to education," said O'Keeffe.

Since there is a maximum enrollment of 35, the admission process is competitive. The program costs $1,521 to complete, plus an application fee. Teachers who complete the program will receive a certificate and 12 credits, which is about half of the number needed for an endorsement in ESL teaching.

Lynn Klausenburger, program manager for the certificate program, believes it would be sensible for all teachers to have some type of ESL training in this increasingly diverse state.

"We have to see that teachers have the skills to help bilingual and ESL students realize their potential," she said.