Bilingual-Bicultural Experience

This course will provide perspective on how our cultural and linguistic experiences affect our development and readiness for school-based learning. By using examples of typical developmental learning experiences, the course highlights how exposure to and experience with more than one language or culture leads to differences in instructional needs and acquired skills and knowledge. Various examples are used to reinforce how differences affect instruction and assessment needs.

This course is part of the assessment series designed to support students who are learning English language; however, this is a stand-alone course and may be taken at any time.


Intended Audiences

PreK-12 General and Special Educators, District and Building Administrators, Multilingual Educators,  Speech and Language Pathologists, School Psychologists, Social Workers, Interventionists and Specialists

Course Type

Self-paced

Recommended # of PLUs

1 PLU


Course 1: Foundations in First and Second Language Development

Educating students learning English presents unique challenges. Yet with these students we often mistake poor performance and low test scores as indications that a student might have a disability, rather than focusing on the nature of the education a student is receiving as it interacts with their second language development. These students have different circumstances and development compared to monolingual learners; however, if we do not understand or accept this, we are essentially undermining their educational experience. This course will provide educators with a solid base for understanding the many challenges facing students learning English as they enter the school system and are expected to progress and learn in ways that are not always that don't reach every child--which may lead to poor academic performance and mimic intrinsic signs of disability.

This self-paced course is the first in a series on Effective Instruction, Intervention and Assessment of Multilingual Learners designed to provide educators with foundational skills that will be further developed and applied in future courses. 

Course Developer: Dr. Samuel Ortiz


Intended Audiences

PreK-12 General and Special Educators, District and Building Administrators, Multilingual Educators,  Speech and Language Pathologists, School Psychologists, Social Workers, 
Interventionists and Specialists

Course Type

Self-paced

Recommended # of PLUs

1.5 PLUs