The
Careers in Language Education and Academic Renewal (CLEAR) project (2001-2006)
was developed to provide the administrative infrastructure, staff, technology,
and materials for developing and implementing an undergraduate liberal
studies program in Bilingual Studies. CLEAR specifically provides teacher
education preparation for students from heritage language (HL) backgrounds
who are interested in careers in K-16 ESL and HL teaching. Through working
closely with the Hawaiian and Asian Pacific Department, the Department
of Second Language Studies, and the College of Education at UH, the program
helps undergraduate students develop academic abilities in their HL,
academic skills in English, and professional educational expertise in
bilingual teaching across content areas.
In addition to Second Language
Studies and heritage language courses,
Bilingual Studies
seminars have been offered to assist students in developing metalinguistic
abilities as well as further their professional development. The seminars
draw extensively on critical approaches to literacy teaching, learning,
and assessment (see Theoretical Resources)
and include development of English and HL academic literacies, communities
of practice, language materials development, practicum experience, ethnography,
and student-as-researcher/critical language awareness approaches. The
Seminar series provides support for the preservice teachers and, in turn,
builds a community of practice wherein Wenger’s (2001) notions
of negotiation of identity are central. The Seminar series serves as
a venue for the HL students to construct their multiple/hybrid identities
in learning (or resisting) new academic discourses at the college level.
In addition to weekly class meetings, a comprehensive electronic portfolio
(EP) project is interwoven throughout the CLEAR seminar series. Not
only does the EP project serve as a basis for students, teachers, and
other interested parties to track the on-going development of students'
academic literacy, heritage literacy and professional growth, but it
also provides a venue for bilingual preservice teachers to express their
multiple identities and linguistic abilities.
