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Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Dual Language Education


The EdTerps Learning Academy provides formal and informal training and professional development opportunities that encompasses current evidence-based research and practice related to instruction, policy analysis, counseling, and human development.

Mentoring and advising are an essential part of the program. Students meet with the academic program director to ensure that educational goals and career learning and development goals are met. Students should contact Dr. Alejandro Pérez Belda: anperez@umd.edu.

Overview

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Dual Language Education (DLE) has a 12-credit, 4-course curriculum that prepares educators to teach and lead in dual language PK-12 schools, which include bilingual and immersion language programs.

  • Offered as a blend of in-person and online learning (major code Z149).
  • Addresses the specialized characteristics and pedagogies associated with DLE programs, especially in the areas of research and scholarship regarding language acquisition and multilingualism.
  • DLE programs ensure educational equity for language minoritized learners, improves home-school connections, and fosters native language maintenance, multilingualism, and biliteracy.
  • Can be completed in twelve months of continuous part-time enrollment. See Designation of Full-time/Part-time Status.

Program Features

Coursework is designed following the National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation Standards in the following areas:

  • Bilingualism and Biliteracy
  • Sociocultural Competence/ Critical consciousness
  • Instruction and Pedagogies
  • Authentic Assessment
  • Professionalism, Advocacy and Agency
  • Program Design and Curricular Leadership

Target Audience

  • Domestic bilingual teachers
  • Educators that teach English in bilingual schools
  • DLE school administrators
  • Elementary Education teachers working in DLE programs with a provisional teaching certification
  • International teachers who work or would like to work in DLE programs

Courses

Below is a listing of all program courses. For a detailed course description that includes pre-requisites or co-requisites, see The Graduate School Catalog, Course Listing as follows:

Focus Areas Semesters Offered Course Number Title
Core Fall and Spring TLPL637 Teaching for Equity in Bilingual/Dual Language Immersion Programs
Core (A) Spring and Summer TLPL662 Second Language Acquisition
Core (A) Summer SPAN613 Bilingualism and Biculturalism in Spanish-Speaking Communities
Core (B) Spring and Summer TLPL660 Foundations of Literacy and Biliteracy Development
Core (B) Spring and Summer TLPL655 Student Assessment in the Second Language Classroom
Core (B) Fall and Spring TLPL657 Teaching for Cross Cultural Communication
Elective Spring TLPL661 Multiliteracies: Theory and Practice
Elective Fall TLPL664 Foundations of Second Language Education: Legal, Social and Historical Trends and Issues
Elective Fall TLPL740 Language and Education
Elective Fall SPAN424 Curriculum Design for Spanish Language Teaching
Elective Summer SPAN611 Current Trends in Hispanic Applied Linguistics
Elective Spring SPAN626 Hispanic Linguistics II: Language in Use
  • Core (A): Either TLPL662 or SPAN613.
  • Core (B): One of the following--TLPL660, TLPL655, or TLPL657.
  • Elective: Any course listed as Core (A) or (B) that was not used as a core course may be taken as an elective.

Registration Overview

  • See the sample plan of study, below. Students should use this as a guide to develop a plan with the academic program director. 
  • Actual course offerings are determined by the program and may vary. Students should note if a course has a pre-requisite or co-requisite.
  • Specific class meeting information (days and time) is posted on UMD’s interactive web service services, Testudo. Once on that site, select “Schedule of Classes,” then the term/year. Courses are listed by academic unit.
  • The program uses specific section codes for registration that are listed on the sample plan of study.

In-Person Sample Plan

Semester Year Course Number In Person Section Code Credits
Fall 1 TLPL637 PXQ* 3
Spring 1 Core (A) or Core (B) PXQ* 3
Summer, I 1 Core (A), Core (B), or Elective PXQ* 3
Summer, II 1 Core (A), Core (B), or Elective PXQ* 3

Overall

  • Features a blend of in-person and online learning.
  • Uses the semester academic calendar. Classes are held in the fall and spring semester (16 weeks each) and Summer Session (I and II, 6-weeks each).
  • Classes are held weekday evenings (e.g., after 5:00 p.m.) to accommodate the working professional’s schedule.
  • Instruction provided by University of Maryland faculty and professionals in the field.

In-Person Learning

  • Classes meet in UMD College Park campus classrooms, offering a focused, distraction-free learning environment.
  • Instructors present dynamic and interactive seminar-style instruction.
  • Students enrolled in a program that features in-person instruction are required to submit the University’s Immunization Record Form prior to the first day of their first semester/term. See Health Requirements.

Online Learning

  • Using advanced audio and video technology, UMD’s online learning environment delivers dynamic and interactive content.
  • Featuring convenience and flexibility, online instruction permits asynchronous or synchronous participation.
  • Students attend lectures virtually (e.g., use of video technology, such as Zoom).
  • Online lectures (lecture, slides, presentation, and Q&A interactions) are recorded and video-archived for student review.

Upon successful completion, graduates will have mastered the following competencies:

Learning Outcome National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation Standards Courses
Plan differentiated lessons that integrate best practices for DLE both for language minoritized and language majority students. Bilingualism and Biliteracy; Instruction and Pedagogies TLPL637, TLPL660, TLPL661, TLPL662, SPAN626
Explain and apply theories and research in bilingualism and second language acquisition relevant to dual language education. Bilingualism and Biliteracy; Instruction and Pedagogies TLPL637, TLPL660, TLPL661, TLPL662, SPAN626
Design units and lessons that align with Dual Language Standards. Authentic Assessment; Program Design and Curricular Leadership TLPL637, TLPL655, TLPL664, SPAN424
Assess bilingual language skills and communicative competencies using multiple sources of information. Authentic Assessment; Program Design and Curricular Leadership TLPL637, TLPL655, TLPL664, SPAN424
Collaborate with counterpart-teachers in partner language to successfully bridge materials and learning practices. Authentic Assessment; Program Design and Curricular Leadership TLPL637, TLPL655, TLPL664, SPAN424
Support language and content learning, articulate and enact language/content/culture objectives. Authentic Assessment; Program Design and Curricular Leadership TLPL637, TLPL655, TLPL664, SPAN424
Demonstrate critical consciousness, awareness of language ideologies and the intersection of race, class, gender and other socio-cultural factors that shape language learning. Sociocultural Competence; Professionalism, Advocacy and Agency TLPL637, TLPL657, TLPL740, SPAN613
Reflect on their role as a language policy maker in their own context. Sociocultural Competence; Professionalism, Advocacy and Agency TLPL637, TLPL657, TLPL740, SPAN613
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