Bilingual/Bicultural Education

131 Minné Hall
507.457.5422
mhudgenshenders@winona.edu
Bilingual/Bicultural Education website
Dr. Mary Hudgens Henderson, Director

Purpose

The Bilingual/Bicultural Education Minor program prepares future K-12 teachers to teach academic content (math, science, language arts, etc.) in two languages, such as English and Spanish. The BBED minor is great for these majors:

Elementary Education (K-6)
Math Education (5-12/7-12)
Science Education (5-12/7-12)
Social Studies Education (5-12/7-12)
School Health Education (5-12/7-12)

Children who are in Bilingual/Bicultural Education classrooms learn academic content (math, science, social studies, language arts, etc.) in two languages. There are many benefits to Bilingual/Bicultural Education for children:

Higher academic achievement than English-only instruction
Students are less likely to drop out of high school
Promotes reading and writing skills in two languages
Develops positive attitudes towards other people and different cultures
Builds self-pride and self-esteem

The program offers 22 hours of clinical teaching in a bilingual classroom with guidance from a bilingual teacher and the program advisor, so you are prepared before you student-teach and before you start looking for a job. Our minor program is approved by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), so you can apply for an endorsement to your Minnesota teaching license. WSU is currently the only public institution in Minnesota that offers a minor in Bilingual/Bicultural Education.

More than 5 million students in the U.S. are learning English, and that number is expected to grow. Many school districts have a shortage of bilingual teachers; some districts even pay bilingual teachers more money than other teachers. There are over 70 bilingual/bicultural programs in Minnesota.

Bilingual/Bicultural Education teachers must demonstrate advanced spoken and written proficiency in English and the language of their students (e.g., Spanish). Our program prepares you to read, write, and speak at an advanced academic level so you can teach your students effectively in both languages.

Programs

Minor

Bilingual/Bicultural Education (Teaching) (BBED) - Minor