L&L faculty offer an array of courses for Language & Literacy graduate students. Examples of L&L courses are listed below.
CI 433: Foundations of Bilingual Education
Analyzes historical, political, and educational influences on bilingual/ESL education in US. Theoretical foundation of bilingual and ESL programs are examined as well as the effectiveness of program models in promoting academic achievement. Meets standards and course requirements for the Illinois State Board of Education Teaching Approval and Endorsement for Bilingual and ESL teachers.
CI 446: Culture in the Classroom
Explores cultural, political, and social factors that affect learning and teaching. Introduces students to the fields of educational anthropology and multicultural education and to the application of cultural information to curriculum development and classroom practice. The 3-hour undergraduate version and 4-hour graduate version meet the Cross-Cultural Studies for Teaching Limited-English-Proficient Students requirement for Bilingual and/or ESL Teaching Approval or Endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education.
CI 477: Bilingual ESL Methods & Material
Focuses on bilingual and English-as-a-second language (ESL) curriculum development and instruction for bilingual and second-language learners (K-12) in a variety of language and program settings. Emphasizes bilingual and ESL materials selection and development, bilingual and ESL literacy instruction, bilingual and ESL content area instruction, and sheltered English instruction. Issues related to second-language acquisition, cultural and linguistic diversity, and parental and community involvement are reviewed.
CI 517: Bilingual and ESL Assessment
Explores the role of assessment in education of culturally and linguistically diverse students in K - 12 classrooms. Current trends in assessment in the United States will be analyzed as well as how assessments are used for the identification and placement of bilingual and ESL students. The use and scoring of language proficiency assessments will be examined along with various forms of classroom-based assessment.
CI 560: Trends & Issues Language Arts
Advanced seminar in literacy for teachers, researchers, and specialists. Focuses on trends and issues in elementary and secondary language arts. Current theories, relevant research and practical applications are considered in relation to reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
CI 561: Theory and Practice in Children's Composition
CI 562: Linguistics in the School Curriculum
CI 567: Children's Literature in the School Curriculum
Investigates trends and issues related to teaching literature in the school; focuses attention upon the organization and planning of a balanced literature curriculum (fictional and informational).
CI 570: Issues & Trends in Reading
The timing of beginning reading, the influence of certain linguistic findings on methodology and terminology in instructional materials, and the influence of research on methodology are addressed in a way that provides a historical perspective for evaluating the merit of emerging issues and trends.
CI 580: Qualitative Research in Language & Literacy Education
Focuses on the goals and nature of qualitative, observational study of life in educational settings, with an emphasis on oral and written languages. Adopts interpretive and critical perspectives on research and includes key readings on the ethnography of oral and written communication in schools, given a socioculturally and linguistically diverse society. All students will conduct a small scale study in an education site.
CI 582: Reading and Writing across the Curriculum
CI 585: Informational Children's Literature
Intended for elementary and middle school teachers, this course is an introduction to informational, or nonfiction children's literature. Students will explore the importance of including informational literature in the curriculum, how to select informational children's literature, and methods for teaching with informational text and for helping children learn from informational text.
CI 587: Multicultural Literature K-12
This course focuses on the meaning, function, and value of multicultural/multiethnic literature in teaching and learning. Through readings, dialogue, and research, students will focus on rewards of teaching and reading multiculturally that make it worth any effort involved. Blending multicultural theory and research, literary study, and educational practice, this course is appropriate for graduate students in education, library science, and English literature and for any other graduate student interested in the role of literature in our culturally diverse society.