Where & When: Summer and during the school year with length ranging from 20 to 40 hours at all CFLP sites throughout the state.
Standards, Content, and Grade‐level: This program is designed mostly for middle and secondary foreign language teachers. Specific offerings at local CFLP sites will be tailored to the particular language(s) of students.
Program Description: These programs target teachers who teach students who are either heritage or native speakers of a specific language. California’s diverse population includes many students who arrive at school with a high level of linguistic and cultural proficiency in a heritage or native language. Schools throughout the state have established courses for heritage and native speakers and teachers who teach in these programs need professional development programs that specifically prepare them to address the needs of these students. These programs seek to develop academic level’s listening and speaking proficiency and to introduce and/or solidify literacy through academic reading and writing.
HOW IT MEETS THE STANDARDS: This program is aligned with the Language Learning Continuum and focuses on supporting teachers to address primary and second language literacy issues that their students face when acquiring English as a second language and developing their skills in their primary languages.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Traditionally, heritage and native speakers’ programs were taught by more experienced language and culture educators, but due to the expansion of these programs, teachers in the induction phase of their career are being asked to teach these courses. Many of these teachers have no support since courses in foreign language methodology rarely focus on the education of heritage and native speakers.
California Foreign Language Project