Due to the exponential increase in students for whom English is a second language, there is a critical need for ESL-certified teachers. UAB’s ESL certification program promotes Best Practices for enhancing the language acquisition and academic achievement of ELLs throughout Alabama. Guided by the School Of Education’s conceptual framework, our program has grown from its first 3 completers during the 2000-01 school year to 150 completers in 2006-07. Three U.S. Department of Education grants have provided funds to support and enhance our program’s distance learning communities (supported online by Blackboard), intensive summer teacher institutes at UAB, and partnerships with Shelby County Schools, Homewood City Schools, and other school systems across the state. Program completers and candidates currently serve 27% of Alabama’s school systems, from the southwest with 16 ESL-certified teachers in Baldwin County to the northeast with 12 ESL-certified teachers in DeKalb County.
Thank you for your interest in teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). I look forward to helping you reach your professional goal through UAB’s ESL certification program.
Dr. Susan Spezzini
Program Coordinator for ESL Teacher Education
Asst. Professor in ELL Education
Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction
Education Building 120
205-934-8357