EDU 745A - Supporting Language and Literacy Learning for Multilinguals

3 Credit(s) Participants will examine multilingual language acquisition and consider the implications for literacy development in schools. A particular focus will be on the development processes for acquiring conventional literacy skills (i.e., reading, writing, speaking, and listening) and academic language across the curriculum. Emphasis is also placed on the role of culture, family, and society in language and literacy acquisition and equitable access to instruction. The concepts addressed include the theories and research on the interrelationships between oral language, literacy acquisition, and heritage language(s); the components and structure of language and comprehension (e.g., phonology, morphology, syntax, pragmatics, vocabulary, higher-level language skills, and background knowledge); culturally- and linguistically-appropriate literacy assessment; and evidence-based biliteracy instruction. A total of 25 pre-practicum hours are required for participants seeking a Massachusetts Specialist Teacher of Reading license.