Pre-Service Bilingual Teachers and their Spanish Academic Language Proficiency as Measured by the BTLPT: Perceptions and Performance

A mixed methods case study was conducted by bilingual teacher educators to explore the factors and experiences that influence the development of academic Spanish proficiency of bilingual teacher candidates in south Texas as measured by the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT), a required examination for bilingual teacher certification. Results show that schooling experiences prior to admission into the bilingual education program greatly influence the development of academic Spanish. Therefore, quality bilingual programs are needed at the P-12 level to develop competent bilinguals who are equipped with the necessary language skills to become bilingual teachers. In addition, findings suggest the need to infuse the development of academic Spanish across bilingual education coursework. Moreover, differentiated interventions are recommended to address the varied academic Spanish development needs of diverse pre-service bilingual teachers. Further research on the factors, experiences, and challenges faced by bilingual teacher candidates to achieve bilingual teaching certification is suggested