This course examines the foundations of education for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in the United States, including the historical, social, multicultural, legal, and political influences that have shaped CLD education. Students explore the relationship between culture and learning and examine how cultural and linguistic backgrounds influence students' educational experiences and academic development. Emphasis is placed on cross-cultural communication, culturally responsive educational practices, and meaningful family and community involvement in supporting CLD students. The course also examines the responsibilities of educators and schools in providing equitable and appropriate educational opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

At the completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Examine the historical, social, multicultural, legal, and political foundations of CLD education in the United States and their influence on current educational policies and practices. InTASC 2,9
• Compare and contrast different theoretical frameworks, including behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, and evaluate their relevance to language learning and teaching. InTASC 1,4
• Analyze and evaluate different pedagogical approaches to teaching ESL, including communicative language teaching, task-based language teaching, and content-based language teaching, and assess their strengths and weaknesses in relation to different learning contexts and student needs. InTASC 1,8
• Apply theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches covered in the course to develop and implement a teaching project that addresses the language learning needs of a specific group of learners. InTASC 1,2,6
• Analyze the connections among culture, learning, cross-cultural communication, and family and community involvement and apply this understanding to supporting culturally and linguistically diverse students. InTASC 2,3,10
• Reflect on their own teaching practices and consider how the theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches covered in the course can inform and enhance their teaching. InTASC 3,7,9