This endorsement requires 18 semester hours of coursework and additional requirements below.
1. A valid Illinois Professional Educator License.
2. Bilingual clinical experience totaling 100 clock hours or three months teaching experience in bilingual programs. The school professional you work with where the hours are conducted needs to write a detailed letter on school letterhead documenting the nature of activities, the age group of individuals in the program, number of days/hours per day worked, etc. The school professional may also send an email to the Council at info@cote.illinois.edu from their school email account as an alternative to writing a letter on letterhead.
For clinical experience through UIUC, but not through student teaching, students may enroll in CI 595, Independent Study.
3. Successful completion of a Language Proficiency Test for an Education License with Stipulations Endorsed as Transitional Bilingual in the non-English language to be taught. Click here for specific testing information.
NOTE: Per Section 25.720 b) 4) of the Illinois Administrative Code, an individual who holds a State Seal of Biliteracy or who has obtained working fluency or higher on the Global Seal of Biliteracy shall be exempt from the language proficiency test required for a bilingual education.
Click here for more information about the State and Global Seals of Biliteracy.
Credits totaling 18 semester hours distributed among the following course areas:
1. Foundations of Bilingual Education:
CI/LLS 433, Foundations of Bilingual Education
2. Assessment of Bilingual Education:
CI/LLS 517, Bilingual and English as a Second Language Assessment
3. Methods and Materials for Teaching Limited-English-Proficient Students in Bilingual Programs:
CI 477, Bilingual/ESL Methods and Materials
4. Cross-Cultural Studies for Teaching Limited-English-Proficient Students:
EIL 456, Lang and Social Interaction I or
CI 446, Culture in the Classroom
Note: CI 415, Language Varieties, Cultures and Learning is a restricted course, but will count for this area for those who are required to take the course.
5. Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language:
EIL 411, Intro to TESL Methodology or
CI 477, Bilingual/ESL Methods & Materials.
Note: Students pursuing this endorsement will need to take a course to address each subject area and then choose course hours from the remaining options as electives in order to attain the required minimum of 18 credit hours.