Nov 25, 2024

2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Linguistics, Spanish Linguistics Concentration, PK-12 Teacher Education Pathway, B.A.

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The Linguistics program offers a PK-12 teacher certification track for prospective teachers of Spanish. This track is designed to provide prospective PK-12 teachers with a strong academic foundation in the Spanish language.

Program Requirements

Minimum total number of credits required for graduation is 120, by satisfying the following:

USM’s Core Curriculum requirements
Requirements for the major (concentration in Spanish Linguistics)
Requirements for teacher education (includes pre-candidacy courses)

Core Curriculum requirements are listed below. In some cases, these requirements can be met by courses also required for the major or for teacher education (usually pre-candidacy courses). In those cases, the specific course is listed. Recommended courses also are listed for some requirements.

USM Core Curriculum (including pre-internship education courses)

Writing, Reading, and Inquiry 1: ENG 100 - College Writing or equivalent (3 cr)
Writing, Reading, and Inquiry 2: ENG 102 - Academic Writing or equivalent (3 cr)
Writing, Reading, and Inquiry 3: LIN 317 - Two Languages, One Mind: Introduction to Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism (3 cr)
Cultural Interpretation: SPA 202 - Intermediate Spanish II (4 cr)
Quantitative Reasoning: a statistics or MAT course (required) (4 cr)
Creative Expression: THE 102 - Acting for Non-Majors or THE 170 - Public Speaking (recommended) (3 cr)
Socio-Cultural Analysis: EDU 225 - Multicultural Child and Adolescent Development (required) (3 cr)
Science Exploration: LIN 185 - Language, Mind, and Society: An Introduction to Linguistics and LIN 186 - Introduction to Linguistics: Lab (4 cr)
Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility, and Citizenship: EDU 310 - Education, Schooling, and Democracy (recommended) (3 cr)
Culture, Power, and Equity: EDU 305 - Foundations of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (required) (3 cr)
International: SPA 202 - Intermediate Spanish II (4 cr)
Engaged Learning: EDU 222 - Foundations of Language and Literacy Development or EDU 305 - Foundations of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (required) (3 cr)
Capstone: SPA 416 - The Linguistic Structure of Spanish (3 cr)

Major Requirements: Linguistics with Concentration in Spanish Linguistics

Total number of credits (exclusive of the University’s Core Curriculum and Professional Education Internship requirements) required for the major: 51

Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses for the major to meet requirements for teacher education.

LIN 185 - Language, Mind, and Society: An Introduction to Linguistics Credits: 3
LIN 311 - Phonetics Credits: 3
LIN 312 - Phonology and Morphology Credits: 3
LIN 313 - Syntax Credits: 3
LIN 317 - Two Languages, One Mind: Introduction to Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism Credits: 3
SPA 101 - Beginning Spanish I Credits: 4
SPA 102 - Beginning Spanish II Credits: 4
SPA 201 - Intermediate Spanish I Credits: 4
SPA 202 - Intermediate Spanish II Credits: 4
SPA 300 - Building Fluency in Spanish Credits: 3
SPA 301 - Practical Spanish I Credits: 4
SPA 302 - Practical Spanish II Credits: 4
SPA 416 - The Linguistic Structure of Spanish Credits: 3
One three-credit 400-level LIN course (excluding courses focused on interpreting and excluding LIN 498 - Thesis )
Elective in major: One course (at least three credits) relating to Spanish language, culture, or linguistics. Courses in this category are SPA 300 Building Fluency in Spanish (taken a second time), LIN 112 The Birth of a Language , and courses in other Romance languages (French, Italian, Latin). Other elective courses may be chosen in consultation with an advisor. Students are encouraged to attend study abroad programs in Spanish-speaking countries. A course taken as part of such a program fulfills this requirement.

Note on Language Component

One or more of the first four levels of Spanish language courses may be waived on a case-by-case basis for students who demonstrate the equivalent degree of competency. In such cases, students replace these courses with other linguistics or Spanish-related courses. Substitutions are made in consultation with the student’s advisor.

Note on grade requirement for LIN 185 - Language, Mind, and Society: An Introduction to Linguistics

Students must receive a grade of B or higher in LIN 185 - Language, Mind, and Society: An Introduction to Linguistics before enrolling in certain upper-level LIN courses, including LIN 312 - Phonology and Morphology and LIN 313 - Syntax . LIN 185 may be repeated at most one time. Students for whom American Sign Language is their first language may consult with the department about alternative pathways for satisfying this requirement.

Honors for Spanish Linguistics Concentration

Linguistics majors who do outstanding work in the major can graduate with honors in linguistics. Requirements for Honors for students majoring in the Spanish Linguistics Concentration are the following:

Achieve a GPA of at least 3.7 in LIN and Spanish courses
Complete LIN 490 - Introduction to Language Research with a grade of B or higher
Complete LIN 498 - Thesis with a grade of A

Secondary Teacher Education (6-12) Requirements

The Secondary Teacher Education Pathway is designed to prepare middle and high school teachers, grades 6-12 (PreK-12 for world language teachers) who are knowledgeable of the content they will teach and who have the skills to apply that knowledge to classroom teaching. Secondary education students major in the discipline they plan to teach and take a series of teacher education courses that satisfy their University Core Curriculum requirements as well as fulfill the requirements for Maine teacher certification in their discipline. These courses introduce students to aspects of teaching and learning and provide hands-on field experiences in schools and community agencies where they can make connections between theory and practice. At the time of degree completion, students will have met the degree requirements for a major and for initial teacher certification.

Program Declaration and Withdrawal

All students must formally declare their entry into a teacher education pathway by completing the Declaration and/or Dropping of Undergraduate Teacher Education Pathway Form through the registrar’s office. The form is located in the forms section of the Office of Registration and Scheduling Services. https://usm.maine.edu/registration-services

Academic Requirements

The minimum academic requirements to be a student in good standing in the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway are as follows:

A grade of B- or better in all professional education coursework.
A grade of C or better in content courses required for the area of teacher certification.
An overall GPA of 3.0 or better.

Failure to maintain the above requirements may result in program dismissal. Appeals may be made in writing to the Director of Educator Preparation.

Pre-Internship

Upon declaring the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway, a student becomes a pre-intern. The pre-internship phase of the program is the first three years of the program prior to the professional internship. Pre-internship coursework is as follows:

Each of the courses with a * includes required service learning or practicum hours in a partner school or community setting to give pre-interns hands-on experience with students and create connections between theory and practice. These formal placements are arranged by the Field Experience Coordinator in the Office of Educator Preparation. Other education courses may require observation experiences in field settings that students arrange on their own. Students are required to be fingerprinted prior to starting a course that includes a field experience placement. For more information on the fingerprinting process see: https://usm.maine.edu/educator-preparation

Required

EDU 100 - Exploring Teaching as a Profession Credits: 3 *
EDU 222 - Foundations of Language and Literacy Development Credits: 3 *
EDU 225 - Multicultural Child and Adolescent Development Credits: 3
EDU 305 - Foundations of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Credits: 3 *
SED 235 - Students with Exceptionalities in General Education Credits: 3 *

Progress Checks

Upon declaring their Secondary Teacher Education Pathway, pre-interns will have progress checks completed to ensure adequate progression through the pathway. These progress checks will be completed at the end of each academic year. Assuming a four-year program, the checks will be as follows:

Year 1: GPA check, documentation of CHRC/fingerprinting completion, and field placement feedback
Year 2: GPA check and field placement feedback
Year 3: GPA check, successful completion of EDU 442, field placement feedback

Please see the Maine Department of Education site for more information about fingerprinting: http://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/fingerprinting.

Professional Seminar

When pre-interns have successfully completed their required coursework and are set to begin their student-teaching internship the following Fall, they will enroll in the Professional Seminar.

EDU 442 - Professional Seminar in Teaching Credits: 3

Professional Internship

The professional internship is a full-year experience that fulfills Maine’s student teaching requirement and provides secondary education teacher candidates the opportunity to apply what they are learning in their teacher education courses in a more sustained and in-depth setting. The first semester internship is the equivalent of 20 hours per week in a partner school district, and the second semester internship is a full time, five days per week experience in a partner school. Students take the following internship courses concurrently.

Required:

EDU 410 - Creating Positive Learning Environments Credits: 3
EDU 414 - Improving Teaching in the Content Areas through Literacy for All Students Including Those with Diverse Abilities and Backgrounds Credits: 3
EDU 445 - Internship in General Education Credits: 1-3 (6 cr total–3 credits fall and 3 credits spring)
EDU 546 Planning and Assessment I Credits / Units: 3
EDU 547 Planning and Assessment II Credits / Units: 3

Content Area Methods Course-one of the following (3 cr)

Majors

The following majors have Secondary Teacher Education Pathway options:

Biology
Chemistry
English
Environmental Science
Geography - Anthropology
History
Linguistics
Mathematics
Natural and Applied Sciences
Physics

Please see each major’s section of this catalog for their requirements.

Content Requirements

Secondary Teacher Education Pathway students (grades 6-12) need a minimum of twenty-four credit hours in the content areas they plan to teach.

Content Recommendations

It is recommended that those interested in teaching at the middle level complete coursework in a second content area (e.g. English, mathematics, social studies or science) to become highly qualified to teach an additional content area. Students should consider taking additional education courses, which will support them in becoming more well-rounded teachers, in topics such as literacy and technology.

Tk20

Tk20 by Watermark is the comprehensive web-based, assessment management and reporting system used by all students in Educator Preparation programs at USM. All undergraduate and graduate students who matriculate into an Educator Preparation program at USM and are accepted as a candidate for their internship/student teaching year are required to subscribe to Tk20. Students use Tk20 to provide evidence that they have mastered state and professional standards for their profession. There is a one-time subscription fee related to the administration and assessment of the program that must be paid by each student before their internship begins. For loan purposes, Tk20 is eligible for consideration as part of educational costs. Subscription instructions (including the current fee) are posted on the Office of Educator Preparation page on MyUSM at https://mycampus.maine.edu/group/usm/office-of-educator-preparation.

Please note Professional Education Council Policy: In order for USM’s Education Preparation Unit program completers to be recommended by the institution to the Maine Department of Education for certification or licensure, the candidate must provide evidence of meeting all certification requirements including proficiency on the standards relevant to their state-approved professional program.This evidence must be compiled and assessed within the context of the Unit’s data management system (i.e., Tk20).

Recommendation for Certification

Graduates who successfully complete all the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway requirements are eligible for recommendation for teacher certification in Maine. In order to be recommended for certification, students must complete the Recommendation for Certification form. Students who fail to meet the academic or professional requirements for the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway or choose not to pursue teacher certification may withdraw from the pathway and graduate with their major.

NOTE–Course requirements are subject to change based upon changes in teacher certification regulations.

USM Core Requirements

The USM Core Curriculum is a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal education that enables our graduates to be world-minded, intentional, life-long learners and captures your general education degree requirements.

Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have been fulfilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report (DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor. For additional information, access the USM Core webpage.