Linguistically Diverse Education
Requirements for LDE Program
(Degree/Endorsement or Certificates - TESOL, CIEL, CRUE)
Office: Lawrence Street Center, 701
Telephone: 303-315-6300
Fax: 303-315-6311
E-mail: education@ucdenver.edu
Web site: www.ucdenver.edu/education/lde
Faculty
Information about faculty in this program is available at www.ucdenver.edu/education/lde. The faculty of linguistically diverse education (LDE) believe that effective teaching requires an awareness of and the ability to respond to individual differences. LDE faculty also emphasize the importance of teachers as scholars and reflective practitioners. In particular, teachers must understand how linguistic and cultural diversity affect their teaching. Two themes run throughout all program offerings. The first concerns the importance of recognizing a variety of literacies—“home” literacies, school literacy, “mainstream” literacy, first and second language literacies—and to develop teaching practices that utilize an understanding of the complexity of literacy development across language contexts. The second theme involves the meaningful use of language and literacy to improve the quality of one’s life. As an approach to teaching, this theme emphasizes the creation of diverse, rich environments in which learners experience oral and written language as part of authentic tasks, and where concern for the cultural and linguistic heritage of the students is evident.
Program Options
The LDE program offers options leading to the following:
- a master of arts in curriculum and instruction
- the Colorado Endorsement for Linguistically Diverse Education
- a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate
- a Content Instruction for English Learners (CIEL) certificate
- a Culturally Responsive Urban Education (CRUE) certificate
The program is intended for:
- novice teachers who have completed their Colorado teaching credentials in UC Denver’s graduate teacher education licensure program and are enrolled in the MA in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in LDE (see 27 semester-hour option)
- veteran elementary and secondary teachers returning to graduate studies for the master’s degree (36 semester hours)
- veteran elementary and secondary teachers returning to acquire Colorado endorsement credentials (24 semester hours)
- individuals interested in teaching English abroad (TESOL: 15 semester hours)
- veteran elementary and secondary teachers returning to graduate studies for a certificate to aid them in helping their English language learners succeed (CIEL: 9 semester hours)
- elementary and secondary teachers who desire preparation in better meeting the needs of culturally diverse learners (CRUE: 9 semester hours)
- individuals interested in teaching adults (MA: 36 semester hours)
The MA is a field-based professional development program involving university faculty and practicing LDE instructors in public school and intensive English settings. Courses, laboratories and practica emphasize scholarly approaches to complex problems of practice and feature interactive, collaborative and practical approaches to working with English language learners.
We advocate a sociocultural approach to issues of language and learning, acknowledging the legitimacy of linguistic and cultural differences and recognizing that academic settings represent important socializing forces in students’ lives. Because of this, we emphasize the “whole learner” in our teaching and in teacher education and teacher development, understanding that individuals do not merely add a language to their repertoire of communication but make fundamental identity adjustments as they progress in their studies. For this reason, all our course work, laboratories and practica experiences are field-based, putting our program participants in contact with veteran teachers and English language learners. We draw heavily on recent scholarship in collaborative approaches to school-university partnerships and systemic school change in developing classroom methods and materials, curricula and teacher development experiences.
The MA program also provides a foundation in teaching English in a variety of contexts in the United States and abroad. Teachers who work in LDE programs or in other content areas (such as art, language arts, math, music, science, social studies or technology), but who wish to integrate LDE principles and strategies into their instruction for their English language learners, will find the MA program relevant to their interests and goals.
Course work includes language teaching methodology, language acquisition, linguistic analysis of English, multicultural foundations, assessment, literacy and other areas. This program has been developed as an advanced course of study for practicing teachers or individuals with some teaching experience.
Applicants who are new to teaching, and who wish to teach in U.S. K–12 public school settings, should inquire about the teacher education licensure program. Applicants who are new to teaching, but who do not need a teaching license (certification) because they do not wish to teach in U.S. public schools, may consider the TESOL certificate to gain initial teaching experiences before applying for the MA.
Program Requirements and Courses
To complete the LDE program and earn a master’s degree and/or endorsement, or to earn a TESOL certificate, students must complete the appropriate course work as outlined in the table below.
CRUE or CIEL Certificate Requirements
Those considering the CRUE certificate will find course requirements at www.cruecenter.org/certificate.php. Students interested in the CIEL certificate must complete the following:
LLC 5030 – Language and Literacy Acquisition I. Semester Hours: 3
-OR-
LLC 5070 – Linguistic Analysis of English. Semester Hours: 3
LLC 5050 – Linguistic and Cultural Issues in Linking Assessment and Instruction. Semester Hours: 3
-OR-
LLC 5820 – Techniques in Teaching ESL. Semester Hours: 3
-OR-
LLC 5825 – Methods and Materials of Language Teaching. Semester Hours: 3
-OR-
LLC 5826 – Language Teaching Laboratory. Semester Hours: 3
LLC 6912 - Seminar and Practicum in Literacy and Language, ESL and Bilingual Education Semester Hours: 3
Total: 9 Hours
Cumulative Portfolio of Performance Based Assessments (PBAS)
The portfolio is required for the CDE endorsement, counts as the comprehensive exam for the master’s degree and permits you to document your development over the course of your program. Portfolios are reviewed by LDE faculty members. At least two faculty members must agree that the portfolio is acceptable in order to pass. The portfolio process is reviewed in every class as each of the PBAs is completed in the classes, helping students to update their portfolios throughout the program. For more portfolio guidelines, visit the Web site at www.ucdenver.edu/education/lde.
PLACE Exam for Linguistically Diverse Education Endorsement
To add the endorsement to their teaching license, students must pass the PLACE (Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators) exam for linguistically diverse education, secure and submit the appropriate paperwork from the Colorado Department of Education, and pay fees required for the PLACE and for the endorsement paperwork. Information about PLACE is online at www.place.nesinc.com.
Course Scheduling
During the fall and spring semesters, most university courses are offered in the late afternoon and evening and meet for three hours once a week over a 16-week semester. Some alternative course schedules are available, such as meeting on five Friday-evening/all-day Saturday combinations. In the summer semester, three-to eight-week sessions are offered, and courses may be in the morning, afternoon or evening. A current schedule of courses is available online at http://courses.cudenver.edu.
Planning
For practicing full-time teachers, we recommend taking one course each fall and spring semester and up to two courses each summer. Students may simultaneously complete requirements for the MA and the endorsement for linguistically diverse education. Support for course planning is available in LDE advising sessions—usually held once in fall and once in spring. These sessions help students build their programs around course sequences and availability (some courses are offered only once per year).
Active Status in the Graduate School
Students must complete their programs within seven years, maintaining a GPA of 3.0. Students typically take four courses each calendar year. Failure to enroll over three contiguous semesters will result in a requirement to resubmit part I of the application for admission and a letter of intent.
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