Master of Arts in Dual Language and English Learner Education
HOW TO APPLY INFO SESSION ASK AN ADVISOR FAQ
The DLE Master of Arts degree program provides teachers and those in the education profession with skills to transform current school programs from a social equity and social justice perspective.
Program Overview
The program is designed to:
- Develop school-wide curriculum change focusing on critical literacy.
- Focus on the integration of language, culture, and codes of power as part of the development of school programs.
- Examine curriculum from a constructivist perspective that recognizes the voices of students, community and teachers as one learning community who inform curriculum and program design.
- Introduce participants to the concepts and the authors of critical pedagogy; a theory of education that gives professionals the opportunity to reflect on their own educational beliefs, practices, and processes in the context of standard curriculum, high stakes testing, and curriculum reform.
- Gives teachers the voice and tools to reflect upon their teaching methodology vis-a-vis their student's critical thinking.
- Promote equality and social justice through action research within the school and community.
Online and Hybrid Options
1. Online Option: Critical Literacy & Social Justice Specialization
The critical literacy and social justice specialization is for individuals interested in applying the concepts of critical theory to their work in curriculum change, school reform, or student, parent and community advocacy. Students who choose this option take their 12 elective units within the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education. Most students choose this specialization, which includes the opportunity to earn a professional development certificate in dual language for academic literacy or English language development for academic literacy at the same time. Courses are held online with synchronous meetings via Zoom and additional material on our online platform, Canvas.
2. Hybrid Option: DLE M.A. (Allows selection of electives, including on-campus courses)
With advisor approval, students in the hybrid DLE M.A. select their own series of elective courses (12 units total) from graduate level courses in any applicable department. This allows students to combine a passion for a specific discipline area with a focus on the needs of emergent bi/multilingual students. May include both online and on-campus courses.
Advising
- Visit Program FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) for M.A. and Certificate
- RSVP for one of our Information Sessions: Get dates and RSVP
Prospective Students: Contact the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education to be forwarded to the graduate advisor.
IMPORTANT NOTE: International Students requiring an I-20 immigration document from SDSU must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 units of in-person course instruction on campus, per semester. International students may not take more than 3 units of fully online course instruction, per semester.
Course Sequence
To receive the DLE Master of Arts degree, students must successfully complete 30 units as outlined in the catalog. The typical schedule is listed below.
Summer 1
ED 690. Methods of Inquiry (3 units)
Procedures for gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information; reviewing the literature; designing studies. Special Option: Study Abroad.
DLE 601 Language Policies and Practices (3 units)
Formal and informal policies related to education of linguistically diverse students at micro/macro level and in school contexts; analysis of bilingual and cross-cultural issues in cognition and literacy.
Fall 1
Analysis of relationships among ideology, culture, and power in educational context; key concepts in critical pedagogy applied to programs, curricula, and school restructuring.
English language development and delivery of comprehensive instruction for English learners. Strategies for implementing state adopted standards for ELD in language and content areas.
Dual language instructional methods, modeling oral and written grammatical structures. Language acquisition strategies for English and Spanish in K-12 grades. Emphasis on written structures for academic literacy.
Conventions of scholarly writing appropriate for student papers, theses, or academic journal articles. Development of research questions and literature reviews as appropriate for students’ disciplines. Revision of current or previous course papers according to disciplinary conventions.
Meet with advisor.
Spring 1
Curriculum development through lens of critical theory and action research. Principles of curriculum, instruction, and programs contextualized and with regard to particular educational institutions or work sites from a social justice perspective.
Theories and methods of assessment and evaluation of diverse student populations including authentic and traditional models. Procedures for identification, placement, and monitoring of linguistically diverse students. Theories, models, and methods for program evaluation, achievement, and decision making.
Linguistic and cultural diversity of school and community. Development of community sociocultural scan; home and school collaboration; effects of home and school collaboration on achievement; responsibility of parent caretaker, stakeholder for student success.
Research in literacy and multi-cultural curriculum theories, methods, and teaching connected to community, school, and personal literacies. Literacy practices for educating diverse students; varying definitions of literacy and social-political contexts of literacy curriculum.
Topics dealing with current issues in multicultural education. Can be retaken for credit with new theme.
Meet with advisor.
Summer 2
Procedures for gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information; reviewing the literature; designing studies.
Formal and informal policies related to education of linguistically diverse students at micro/macro level and in school contexts; analysis of bilingual and cross-cultural issues in cognition and literacy.
Fall 2
An intensive study in selected areas of education culminating in a written project.
English language development and delivery of comprehensive instruction for English learners. Strategies for implementing state adopted standards for ELD in language and content areas.
Dual language instructional methods, modeling oral and written grammatical structures. Language acquisition strategies for English and Spanish in K-12 grades. Emphasis on written structures for academic literacy.
Conventions of scholarly writing appropriate for student papers, theses, or academic journal articles. Development of research questions and literature reviews as appropriate for students’ disciplines. Revision of current or previous course papers according to disciplinary conventions.
Meet with advisor.
Spring 2
An intensive study in selected areas of education culminating in a written project.
Theories and methods of assessment and evaluation of diverse student populations including authentic and traditional models. Procedures for identification, placement, and monitoring of linguistically diverse students. Theories, models, and methods for program evaluation, achievement, and decision making.
Linguistic and cultural diversity of school and community. Development of community sociocultural scan; home and school collaboration; effects of home and school collaboration on achievement; responsibility of parent caretaker, stakeholder for student success.
Research in literacy and multi-cultural curriculum theories, methods, and teaching connected to community, school, and personal literacies. Literacy practices for educating diverse students; varying definitions of literacy and social-political contexts of literacy curriculum.
Topics dealing with current issues in multicultural education. Can be retaken for credit with new theme.
Meet with advisor.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop a roadmap toward their ideological clarity as it relates to and informs their classroom practice.
- They know who they are as teachers, their personal beliefs about teaching and learning, and how this affects the students that they teach.
- This involves self-knowledge and dispositions that ensure that educators have a strong belief in the worth of all students and their ability to achieve.
Course aligned with Standard 1: DLE 600
- Possess the theoretical knowledge on important socio-political issues and tensions surrounding language policy. Be conversant in bilingual education models and their history.
- Recognize their role as advocates for English and dual language learners in their classrooms and school communities.
- Promote dual language learner student success through standards based instruction in Spanish and English.
- Create rich, authentic opportunities for students to read, write, speak, listen and think critically using the appropriate, grade-level academic language in order to develop biliteracy/bicognition in English and two or more additional languages.
Courses aligned with Standard 2: DLE 553, DLE 604, DLE 650, DLE 651, DLE 652, DLE 653
- Recognize that complex social relationships dictate equitable access to knowledge and power inside and outside of the classroom.
- Build authentic relationships by engaging in community scans and asset mapping to gain first hand information of community and students’ funds of knowledge
- Advocate with and alongside communities on community driven transformative change.
Course aligned with Standard 3: DLE 651, DLE 603
- Are committed to creating inclusive learning communities, where teacher, school leadership, student, and parent each play an integral role in supporting student success.
- Consider students’ cultural and linguistic background as assets.
- Use data on learning outcomes and performance, to inform differentiation and personalization of each student’s instruction and services, and create partnerships between home and school.
Courses aligned with Standard 4: DLE 600, DLE 601, DLE 604, DLE 651, DLE 686
- Model and acquire teaching principles of global competence through respect of linguistic and cultural diversity in the classroom, school, and community.
- Develop and enact 21st century pedagogies.
- Analyze how ideologies, politics, standards and assessment impact education for language and literacy development.
- Analyze the politics of literacy and language acquisition in education for diverse learners; and gain a global perspective on multilingualism and society.
Courses aligned with Standard 5: DLE 553, DLE 601, DLE 686, LING 505
- Addresses research skills, knowledge and ability to design and implement research and change from a stakeholder and social justice perspective.
- Demonstration of knowledge; expertise and ability to implement research skills including, but not limited to qualitative and quantitative data collection, focus groups, interviews, historical data review and ethnographic processes.
Courses aligned with Standard 6: DLE 650, ED 690, ED 795A, ED 795B, LING 505
Curriculum Alignment Matrix
| Learning Outcomes | DLE 553 | DLE 600 | DLE 601 | DLE 603 | DLE 604 | DLE 650 | DLE 651 | DLE 652 | DLE 653 | DLE 686 | ED 690 | ED 795A | ED 795B | LING 505 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | |||||||||||||
| 2 | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
| 3 | X | X | ||||||||||||
| 4 | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||
| 5 | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||
| 6 | X | X | X | X | X |
