University News
Western Faculty Receive Grant for Teachers Working with ELLs
September 17, 2007
MACOMB, IL -- In Illinois alone, nearly 80 percent of the English language learner (ELLs) population is Spanish speaking. To help teachers dealing with the influx of ELLs in their classrooms, two Western Illinois University faculty members are working with schoolteachers in Beardstown and the Quad Cities region so they can better accommodate their students.
Gloria Delany-Barmann and Carla Paciotto of Western's educational and interdisciplinary studies department recently received a $299,980 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for their program "Project Estrella." Beginning this week, Paciotto will travel to Beardstown on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturdays to begin teaching graduate-level education courses with a bilingual-bicultural focus to teachers in that district. The 18-credit hour program is comprised of six courses. Teachers will take three courses per year and will be certified English as Second Language (ESL) educators following successful completion of the program. Delany-Barmann and Paciotto will offer the program to Quad Cities-area teachers at the WIU-Quad Cities campus beginning Spring 2008.
"Through this grant, participating teachers will receive $450 for each class and they may also use their district's tuition waivers," Delany-Barmann explained. "This is a wonderful opportunity for teachers who are working with more and more ELLs in their classrooms."
According to Paciotto, 34 percent of students in the Beardstown School District are classified as ELLs. Nearly 60 percent of those students are at the elementary-school level and Spanish is the primary language spoken in the home.
"Ten years ago this percentage was about one percent," Delany-Barmann added. "The influx of Spanish-speaking students in these districts often comes from industries within the region, such as Cargill. With the dramatic increase of non-English speaking immigrants in the U.S., bilingual/ESL education continues to be a critically needed area of expertise for our teachers."
Paciotto pointed out that in Illinois there are 132 different languages, and the state is the fifth largest population of English Language Learners with the dominant language being Spanish.
"Illinois has a diverse population, and it's not just in the cities. English Language Learners are dispersing to rural communities," Paciotto explained. "Our mission is to prepare teachers who work with multiple populations. Training teachers as English as Second Language educators greatly impacts the lives of their students."
While the program in Beardstown works specifically with teachers in that district, Paciotto and Delany-Barmann stressed that the program at WIU-QC extends beyond that region. Teachers from districts outside of the immediate Quad Cities area are encouraged to enroll.
The pair plan on working with 20 in-service teachers; however, they anticipate having at least 40 participate. The grant also provides support to 30 WIU undergraduate students who choose the bilingual-bicultural major. This intensive program has strict criteria for its students including tutoring elementary-age students, participating in professional development activities, conducting research and studying abroad in a Spanish language country, which is a requirement.
In addition to working with in-service teachers, as well as preparing the department's majors for the field, in Fall 2008 the bilingual-bicultural program will begin providing a semester-long seminar on teaching ELLs to all students enrolled in Western's elementary and secondary education programs.
"Graduates of education programs statewide stated that they did not feel fully prepared to teach ELLs. We are excited to not only work with teachers already in the classroom, but also those who are preparing to be teachers," Delany-Barmann said. "Western's bilingual-bicultural education program, which started in 1973, is the oldest in the state. Our graduates are committed professionals who go out and make a difference."
For more information on Western's bilingual-bicultural program or the grant-funded program for teachers in Beardstown or the Quad Cities region, contact Delany-Barmann or Paciotto at
309/298-1183 or GA-Delany-Barmann@wiu.edu or C-Paciotto@wiu.edu.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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