Bilingual and Biliterate Education

Bilingual education supports students from diverse backgrounds in simultaneously learning a new language while strengthening another skill. Bilingual and biliterate education strengthen the executive function of the brain, which develops skills for functions such as switching attention and working memory. Studies show that multilingual people who speak multiple languages are more comfortable in multicultural environments and are more tolerant and open-minded toward people, cultures, and languages.

What are we doing about it?

The College of Education is conducting research on:

  • Bilingual education policy and law
  • Policies and learning instruction programs for multilingual students
  • Understanding how curriculum and instruction can support biliteracy
  • Assessment of ELL students for special education services
  • Training school psychologists to implement best practices in psychological service delivery for ELL students
  • Sociocultural theory
  • Indigenous language revitalization and development
  • Immigration and education
  • Sheltered instruction and ELL teacher preparation
  • Teaching and learning mathematics with emerging bilingual students

Who is doing it?

Associate Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, Carol Brochin
Professor, Educational Policy Studies & Practice, Mary Carol Combs
Assistant Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, Leah Durán
Assistant Professor, Disability and Psychoeducational Studies, Taucia Gonzalez
Assistant Professor of Practice, W.A. Franke Honors College, Nadia Alvarez Mexia
Associate Professor of Practice, Disability & Psychoeducational Studies, Vanessa Perry
Associate Dean, Iliana Reyes
Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, Eliane Rubenstein-Avila
Project Coordinator, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, Alyce Sadongei
Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, Kathy Short
Assistant Professor of Practice, Disability & Psychoeducational Studies, Toni Sparks
Assistant Professor of Practice, Disability & Psychoeducational Studies, Michele Stathatos
Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, Erin Turner
Associate Professor, Disability & Psychoeducational Studies, Desiree Vega
Associate Professor of Practice, Disability & Psychoeducational Studies, Cindy Volk
Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies, Leisy Wyman