Program Details

 

The 4+1 program in Childhood Education in Languages, Literatures and Cultures provides University of Delaware Elementary Teacher Education (ETE) students with the opportunity to take graduate courses that could count towards both the ETE major and the Master of Arts in Childhood Education in Languages, Literatures and Cultures. This interdisciplinary masters degree, with coursework in pedagogy, language, and culture, trains candidates to teach in the dual-language immersion classroom. With this 4+1 plan and the proper scheduling of graduate EDUC courses, students may enter immediately into the MA program in the College of Arts and Sciences full-time after graduating with their Bachelor of Science in Education degree in four years, with the possibility of completing their MA within one year. State of Delaware teacher certification in a world language is optional and requires passing the Praxis II exam in the target language (e.g., Spanish). This certification may or may not be recognized in other states.

Qualification for the 4+1 Program

Undergraduates in the University of Delaware ETE major may apply for admission to the 4+1 program after completing 60 or more credits (normally, in the fall of their junior year). Admission decisions will be based on GPA, work experiences, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, maturity, and a personal interview. There is also a proficiency requirement in the target foreign language (Minimum: Intermediate-Mid on the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview, or 43 points on the Versant Language Assessment).
It is generally expected that students will have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.25 and a major GPA of 3.5 or better, and they will have an academic advisor who will strongly support his or her application to the program. Admission is competitive, so meeting the minimum requirements for admission does not guarantee admission, nor does the failure to meet a requirement result in an automatic rejection. Provisional admittance will be granted by the Office of Graduate and Professional Education. Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, the provisional status would be removed.

Procedures

Students in the 4+1 program will complete all requirements for the undergraduate major in Elementary Teacher Education. However, the four-year curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Teacher Education, when taken as part of the 4+1 program, would need to contain specifically required graduate courses that prepare the student for completion of the Master of Arts curriculum. With this 4+1 plan and the proper scheduling of courses as an undergraduate, students may enter immediately into the MA program full-time with the possibility of completion within one year.

UD Elementary Teacher Education undergraduate majors who are provisionally granted admission to the 4+1 BS/MA program in Childhood Foreign Language Education and subsequently admitted to the 4+1 program would take the following courses during their undergraduate program:

  • EDUC 601, Language Development in the Classroom
    OR
    EDUC 740, Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners
  • EDUC 622, The Role of Literacy in Content Areas, as an elective (for students in concentrations that include electives) or in addition to ETE major requirements (for students in concentrations that do not include electives).

Students who take EDUC 740 in place of EDUC 440 and/or take EDUC 601 or 622 as an elective that counts towards the ETE major would need to earn a C- or higher in order for the course to count toward the ETE major.

Course Requirements for the
4+1 BSED/MA
Childhood Education in Languages, Lits and Cultures
(30 credits)

   EDUC graduate courses taken by undergraduates admitted to 4+1 program

   EDUC 601   
 
   Language Development in the Classroom OR   
 
   3   
 
   EDUC 740   
 
   Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners               
 
       
 
   EDUC 622   
 
   The Role of Literacy in Content Areas   
 
   3   
 

   +1 year courses in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures

   SPAN 601   
 
   Advanced Spanish Language   
 
   3   
 
   SPAN 665   
 
   Reading Workshop   
 
   3   
 
   SPAN 668   
 
   Spanish and Latin American Children's Literature   
 
   3   
 
   LLCU 629   
 
   Methods of Teaching Foreign/Second Languages in               
   Elementary Schools   
 
   3   
 
   LLCU 626   
 
   Foreign Language Pedagogy Research Seminar   
 
   3   
 
   SPAN 675   
 
   Topics in Hispanic Culture and Civilization   
 
   3   
 

   Courses taken on approved study abroad program during the summer
   immediately after completion of BS requirements, or during the winter of
   their +1 year (chosen in conjunction with advisor; all courses taught in
   Spanish)

SPAN 667 Topics in Spanish Language (Linguistics, Advanced Oral Communication, or Phonetics) (3 credits)
SPAN 675 Topics in Spanish/Latin American Culture (3 credits)

Candidates must pass an oral proficiency test at the end of the program, and submit a Teaching Portfolio.

 

Delaware Foreign Language Initiative
Contact Information
  • Contact:  Dr. Cubillos
  •                     cubillos@udel.edu
  •              
  • Location:  227 Jastak-Burgess
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