²ÝݮӰÊÓ

Colleges and Schools

Program Requirements

Master of Arts in Literacy, Language, and Culture

The ²ÝݮӰÊÓ School of Education prepares competent, respectful, and reflective professionals who are dedicated to serving diverse learning communities.

The master of arts in literacy, language, and culture (MALLC) is designed for current, licensed elementary and secondary teachers who are working with linguistically and culturally diverse students in a variety of educational settings. MALLC candidates will have the opportunity to earn the ESL and bilingual endorsement (if fluent in a language recognized by ISBE).

MALLC Courses

The MALLC program includes 11 core courses and a capstone master’s project, for a total of 34 semester hours. All credits must be taken through ²ÝݮӰÊÓ.

Please review the full for the year you enroll at ²ÝݮӰÊÓ for official requirements, including prerequisite and corequisite courses. The catalog and your School of Education advisor will assist you in planning your course sequence to complete your MALLC degree.

Click on the course names below to read a description of the class.

An examination of the issue of diversity with emphasis on the social, political, and cultural dimensions of school settings. Students will apply findings on this issue to their own classrooms and community contexts. Consideration will be given to the needs of ESL, bilingual, and bicultural students and the ways in which teachers respond to their needs. Legal requirements and funding issues will be addressed. Teacher certification candidates will develop a philosophy of diversity statement as a component of this course.


This course examines the application of historiographic and social scientific theories and methods to international issues of education. This course emphasizes comparative analysis of policies and practices that constitute the organization, content, processes of educational systems and institutions found around the world. Selected topics include national, global, political, economic, social and cultural impact of education. Historical and contemporary examples are also used to emphasize the contributions and challenges of those involved in the field.


The purpose of this course is to observe and assist a teacher in an ESL school setting for a minimum total of 100 clock hours. The requirements for this course may also be met through verification of three months of teaching experience with ESL students. Only those who have verification by a principal or other administrators of three months of teaching ESL students prior to entering the program may take this for no credit. To be taken at the end of the five-course ESL sequence.


Introduction to the basic principles of linguistics, the study of human language. Origins of language, what it means to know a language, comparisons of the difficulty levels of different languages, how children acquire language, and common threads that may connect languages will be explored.


Exploration of various aspects of the relationship between language and society. Culture, sex differences, communities, dialects, and speech will be examined.


Philosophical and theoretical considerations for teaching a second language. An explanation of theories as well as comparisons among the different theories of teaching a second language will be explored. The student will build a personal framework for teaching a second language. Kindergarten through high school student populations will be the focus of attention, including design and sequencing of ESL courses.


Assessment techniques of ESL students and bilingual students. Different types of assessment instruments, the theoretical viewpoints of these instruments and testing procedures in general will be discussed. Assessment of all levels of proficiency and grade levels will be considered.


Introduction to the various methods of teaching a second language in K-12 based on the philosophies and theories presented in 5603. Strategies used when working with ESL or second language students and exposure to the issues of multicultural diversity and socioeconomic diversity.


This course provides the current research and theories forming the foundation of bilingual education. It examines and reviews the historical, legal, philosophical, theoretical, pedagogical, and political issues concerning bilingual education programs in the United States. It also analyzes the linguistic, psychological, social, and cultural underpinnings of current practices in the field and cultivates multicultural perspectives.


This course introduces various models, philosophies, and theoretical underpinnings of bilingual education for language minority students. It provides and prepares the participants with the theoretical basis, methods and techniques needed for effective teaching in bilingual/bicultural classrooms.


This course explores reading and writing as a dynamic, strategic and goal-directed process of language and tools that utilizes native language (L1) and second language (English as L2) for learning in academic and social contexts. The course examines research-based best practices and pedagogy for literacy and language arts to help Bilingual and ELL students transition into English language fluency. Multimedia literacy and multimodal tools, such as computer graphics, video clips, blogs, wikis, and electronic resources are also examined. Theories of learning, assessment of Bilingual and ELL students, Rt1, the role of classroom environment, and parent-community partnerships are included. Academic and social competencies in multicultural and global citizenship are explored through the extensive use of multicultural literature for middle school and young adolescents.


This course examines the current research, theories, and best-practices instructional strategies for disciplinary literacy and content literacy in Social Studies, Science, Math, Art, and Music for Bilingual and ELL students. The course applies national and discipline-specific standards to the instructional program and learning strategies that are most effective for Bilingual and ELL students. The course also examines the new technologies and multimodal literacies that enhance student learning and require 21st century literacy.