Dec. 19, 2024 — Two University of Memphis researchers of applied linguistics recently received a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Professional Development program to address the critical need for highly-qualified licensed ESL teachers in the Memphis area.
Over the next five years, researchers Rebecca Adams and Emily Thrush will use funds from the grant to recruit bilingual and multilingual students to the UofM and enroll them in the TESOL program, beginning with $503,000 in the 2024-2025 academic year.
“We are excited for the impact this grant will have on our local schools, which have long had a critical shortage of certified ESL teachers,” said Adams. “By focusing on providing teacher education for multilingual individuals, this grant will help connect English learners with teachers who understand their experiences and serve as role models for them. After all, the goal of ESL is not only to create English speakers, but rather to develop multilingual abilities.“
Memphis Shelby City Schools (MSCS) is the largest school district in Tennessee and ranks 23rd in size out of 2,891 school systems in the United States. It serves over 113,000 students in grades Pre-K-12. According to Adams, the number of grade school students being served by ESL teachers has nearly doubled over the past 10 years with more growth predicted for the future.
The four program components of the ESL project will assist the local school district by providing a larger pool of qualified ESL teachers, with particular focus on recruiting and supporting bilingual/multilingual ESL teacher candidates to provide better support for the EL students, ensuring sustainable, measurable success.
The program will be recruiting candidates to complete the licensure requirements from several groups: first, the bilingual mentors currently employed by MSCS, many of whom have degrees or some coursework from institutions in the U.S. and other countries, undergraduates interested in completing the Bachelor of Arts degree with licensure in ESL from the English department, and students in the masters of teaching program in the College of Education interested in licensure in ESL.
The program will also recruit high school students who have earned the Tennessee State Seal of Biliteracy to enter UofM with a full scholarship for the bachelor’s degree. The goal is to increase services for students, and to promote the many benefits of bilingualism. This program will also increase participation in the UofM teacher preparation program.
“The emphasis of this grant is on increasing bilingualism, as research shows that being bilingual improves cognitive processing, makes the brain more resilient to damage and the effects of aging, and contributes to increasing the GDP of the country,“ stated Thrush.
As the country grows more diverse and the global economy becomes more interconnected, it is also essential that post-secondary education provide opportunities for all students to be multilingual.
By creating these pathways for college students, this grant will enable the UofM to build a diversified bilingual/multilingual educator workforce that is vital for the global society and economy of today.
