One participant used these interviews to initiate dialogue journals with parents. She and parents use the journals to communicate about areas of common interest, such as children's progress and school activities. Spanish language maintenance. Students are required to develop lesson plans and conduct lessons in Spanish from the time they enter the program. The professional seminars for undergraduates are conducted in Spanish, as are parent involvement activities at field sites.
Students take at least one advanced methods course taught in Spanish.
This course, required for ELBE participants, also includes English-dominant student volunteers from the ESL certification program with varying levels of Spanish proficiency. In this course, students with different language abilities work in cooperative learning teams to complete course assignments and expand their understanding of the challenges presented by an unfamiliar language of instruction. Funding and support. A Title VII grant covers most project expenses, although some part of the staff members' salaries is paid by the university. Title VII provides tuition and stipends for participants.