Teacher Education Curriculum; *Teacher Qualifications

Consus=based_estimates suggest that at least 3.5 million children_in the United,States are limited-English-proficient or non-Englishspeaking. Half of all U.S. teathers have one or more of_these children in their classes, but only one in 17 has any specific training to teaching English as a Second langage fESL). Of those actually teaching ESL classes, most have little or no specialized training. ESL inStruction requires unique_background and skills, and ESL teacher certification_is needed_to_legitimize and institutionalize the field_as licensure_has in other specialized fieldS. Recommended_ESL teacher education program elements include academic specializationAstady of language in general and the SyStems of English,_language learning processes, and language in culture), instructional methodology and assessment, teaching experience, and the learning of another language's linguistic structure_and culture. At least 26 states and the DiStrict of Columbia have established ca.;:ification or endorsement_of ESL teachers, but not,all of those states require teacher qualiE.cation in all of those program areas. (MSE