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Student & Professional Services Collge of Education & Human Development Student Services

World languages and cultures

Additional licensure

This program is for teachers who hold a current Minnesota teaching license, but are not licensed in a world language and wish to add licensure to teach a world language to students in grades K-8 or K-12. Candidates for this program must be licensed in Minnesota to teach at the elementary level or to teach subject matter other than a world language at the middle-school or high-school levels prior to enrollment in the additional licensure program.

This program is also for candidates who wish to extend a restricted world language licensure, for example, a candidate who has a restricted 7-12 license in French and wishes to obtain the K-12 licensure that is required in Minnesota.

The additional licensure program in world languages is offered by the Second Languages and Cultures (SLC) faculty in the college’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I).

Candidates may specialize in one or more of the following languages and cultures:

Candidates without a Minnesota elementary or secondary license should not apply to this program but should seek an initial world language license through the master of education (M.Ed.)/initial licensure program in second languages and cultures (SLC) education in the college’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I).  Under specific and special circumstances, some candidates may be eligible for the Alternative Pathway to Initial Licensure Program.

Additional licensure in a world language may be completed in conjunction with the M.Ed. Professional Studies degree in Second Languages and Cultures Education. Individuals who wish to complete the additional licensure in a world language while working towards their M.Ed. may plan their coursework to meet both requirements simultaneously.

Program requirements for the additional licensure in world languages

Language proficiency requirements

Candidates interested in obtaining an additional licensure to teach a world language must demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) for which licensure is sought by passing proficiency tests. Proficiency testing information can be obtained from on the language proficiency web page. Further questions should be directed to Student Services. Note that the “Advanced Low” level required by the SLC program on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) exceeds the “Intermediate High” level required by the state of Minnesota. Applicants may apply to the program prior to taking proficiency tests but are strongly encouraged to take them as soon as possible after beginning course requirements. Should an applicant not achieve a minimum rating of “Advanced Low” on the OPI, s/he will not be recommended for licensure even if all other licensure requirements are completed.

Additionally, all applicants must provide evidence that they have completed at least two upper-division courses focusing on the development of advanced grammar and composition skills in the language in which licensure is sought or that they have successfully completed university-level academic coursework in that language.

Prerequisites

Candidates interested in obtaining an additional licensure to teach a world language must:

  1. Have a bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree
  2. Have a current Minnesota license in one of the following areas:
    1. elementary education
    2. a secondary subject matter other than a world language
      (e.g., social studies, math, science), or
    3. a world language, with restricted status (e.g., for grades 7-12 only)
  3. Apply to and meet admission requirements for the additional licensure program

Application materials

Applicants must submit the following items to:

Student Services
250 Education Sciences Building
56 River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55455

  1. A completed Application for Admission to Additional Licensure Programs form. The form is also available at the college's office of Student Services, 150 Williamson Hall, 231 Pillsbury Dr. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-625-6501; email: cehdgrad@umn.edu.
  2. Application fee: Make check, money order, or bank draft payable to the University of Minnesota in the amount of $55 for up to two additional licensure areas. Application fee for each additional area is $25.

    Note: Fee does not apply to current master of education (M.Ed.) students or applicants or to those who have completed the M.Ed. at the University of Minnesota within the past three years.

  3. Official transcripts from all undergraduate or graduate colleges or universities where the applicant completed 12 or more semester credits and all colleges or universities attended after completion of the undergraduate degree, except the University of Minnesota. Official transcripts must be received from the issuing school in a sealed and stamped envelope.
  4. Professional résumé
  5. A copy of the applicant's current or previous Minnesota teaching license(s)

Application deadlines

Additional licensure applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Submission deadlines for each academic term are listed below:

Applicants’ files will be reviewed for admission by SLC faculty. Based on each individual candidate’s background, experiences, and prior coursework, a list of requirements is determined and is then forwarded to Student Services, where a formal contract is issued and sent to the applicant. Prior coursework that is 7 or more years old is not considered for transfer. The contract identifies the faculty adviser and stipulates all requirements that must be met in order for the candidate to be recommended to the state for the licensure in a world language. Any alternatives to courses on the contract must be approved by the adviser and communicated via email to Student Services.

Applicants can expect to receive written notification of the admission decision and the formal contract outlining program requirements within eight to ten weeks after the application deadline.

Additional licensure requirements

The competencies for world languages and cultures licensure were established by the Minnesota Board of Teaching and can be met through coursework and teaching experiences available at the University of Minnesota.

The requirements are the same for K-8 and K-12 world languages and cultures licensures. The only difference is that the student teaching practicum at the secondary level is completed in middle school grades for the K-8 licensure. The secondary student teaching practicum for K-12 licensure may be at the middle or high school level depending upon placements that are available.

Following are the state-required competency areas and the corresponding U of M course requirements.

Second language acquisition, language as system, second language program planning

Curriculum design, teaching methods and instructional practices, assessment

Language and culture

Reading in a world language

Clinical experiences within a range of programming models

Practicum (student teaching) experiences

Because world languages and cultures is a K-8 or K-12 license, candidates must complete student teaching practica (CI 5696 and CI 5698) involving observed teaching experiences with the grade levels they will be licensed to teach. Students seeking K-8 licensure must complete teaching practica in elementary and secondary settings, and will be placed in a middle school setting at the secondary level.

Scheduling the practicum/student teaching experience:

  1. Practicum/student teaching experiences are scheduled for fall (September-December) and spring (January-May) terms. For candidates who are teaching full time during the school year, SLC staff works to make it possible for candidates to complete practicum requirements in the school where they are teaching or in nearby schools.
  2. Practicum experiences are arranged with SLC faculty or staff on a space-available basis after the candidate has:
    • completed at least 80 percent of the required coursework
    • maintained a minimum 3.00 GPA in courses required for the additional licensure
    • passed the required Praxis II tests and OPI oral proficiency test (see language proficiency page)
  3. Candidates must submit a request to arrange the practicum experience(s) to SLC staff in charge of placements for additional licensure by the end of the semester prior to completing the practica. Candidates may request a particular school, but it must be approved by SLC staff.
  4. All candidates are assigned a cooperating teacher (MN licensed language teacher) and a university supervisor for each placement.
  5. Credits for CI 5696 and 5698 cannot be applied toward the M.Ed.

Practicum (student teaching) requirements

Each practicum experience requires the following:

  1. Course registration for CI 5696 and/or 5698: candidates must register for CI 5696 (elementary practicum) or 5698 (secondary practicum) during the semester in which they plan to complete the practicum experience. It is possible to register for both in one semester if placements are available.

  2. Pre-practicum observation: candidates observe the cooperating teacher for a minimum of 10 hours.

  3. Classroom teaching: candidates conduct a minimum of 30 hours of classroom practice (actual contact hours with students). The length of the practicum is negotiated with SLC staff, the cooperating teacher, and the candidate. However, each practicum typically involves at least three continuous weeks of classroom teaching and observation. Longer time frames (up to 10 weeks in a semester) are recommended.

  4. In-depth reflection: candidates engage in some in-depth written reflection throughout the observation and teaching experience. The reflection should be about 10 pages and can be in the form of a journal. This is an opportunity for candidates to contemplate and set some short- and long-term professional goals. Candidates submit this at the end of the placement to their assigned university supervisor.

  5. Self-observation: candidates engage in some focused self-observation, using audio and/or videotape, on an issue of interest (e.g., eliciting student talk, providing corrective feedback, guiding student writing, etc.). Include 2-4 pages of written reflection on this self-observation in the in-depth reflection (see #4 above).

  6. Scheduled visit(s) with university supervisor: candidates arrange via email or phone with the assigned university supervisor a date/time for at least one supervised visit. The candidate is required to provide the supervisor with a copy of the lesson plan the day(s) s/he visits. After an initial visit, the university supervisor determines whether additional observation is necessary.

Applying for the additional licensure

Once candidates have completed the course requirements and testing requirements, they can proceed with their application for the additional license. The application packet must include the following:

Once the application packet is complete, it should be mailed to:

Pam Matti
CEHD Student Services
250 Education Science Building
56 East River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55455

If candidates have further questions, they may contact Pam Matti at p-matt@umn.edu or 612.625.8042.

M.Ed./professional studies program in second languages and cultures education

In conjunction with the additional licensure program in world languages and cultures, students may choose to apply for admission to the separate M.Ed./professional studies program in second languages and cultures (SLC). Additional licensure in ESL is also available.

For more information on these programs, contact Student Services at 612-625-6501, e-mail: cehdgrad@umn.edu.

Program faculty

Martha Bigelow, Ph.D., associate professor
246 Peik Hall
612-624-7087
mbigelow@umn.edu

Kendall King, Ph.D., associate professor
228 Peik Hall
612-625-3692
kendall@umn.edu

Susan Ranney, Ph.D., lecturer
270A Peik Hall
612-626-0319
ranne001@umn.edu

Diane Tedick, Ph.D., associate professor
254 Peik Hall
612-625-1081
djtedick@umn.edu

Constance Walker, Ph.D., associate professor
250 Peik Hall
612-625-4828
walke002@umn.edu

Revised August 2009