Western’s Department of Linguistics broadens pathways to teaching English language arts and multilingual education in K-12

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Western's Department of Linguistics broadens pathways to teaching English language arts and multilingual education in K-12

June 8, 2026

This fall, Western's Department of Linguistics will launch a new bachelor's degree major, linguistics and English - multilingual education, designed for students who hope to become teachers.

This 90-credit major focuses on the study of linguistics, language, literacy, literatures in historical and cultural contexts, composition and rhetoric and creative writing. Majors take a range of courses that provide a Bachelor of Arts with a solid foundation for someone interested in teaching English language arts at the secondary level or teaching multilingual education at the P-12 level.

Kristin Denham, chair of the Department of Linguistics, said many linguistics students are interested in becoming high school teachers: "A few years ago, we launched the linguistics, literature, and writing major, which provided a direct pathway for linguistics majors to enter into high school teaching. This new major also provides that but adds an additional focus on multilingual education."

There has been increasing national interest in integrating the study of language into English language arts teacher preparation, and Washington state and Western in particular have been at the forefront of this work for decades, said Denham, who is also the adviser for this new major.

"Western has in fact become a model for the integration of language study into education in various ways," Denham said. "The new major is an exciting way that our students can discover and explore the intersectionality of the study of language, literature, writing, communication, and teaching methodologies, and then explore those intersections with their own future students."

Linguistics and English - multilingual education majors who wish to go on to teach in grades 5-12 can apply to the Secondary Education Program offered through Woodring College of Education (58 additional credits). Five additional credits of multilingual coursework (MLE 445) must be taken beyond the major to complete the multilingual education endorsement.

Reach out to Sara Helms ([email protected]) if you'd like to learn more.