English Language Learning

“North Central gave me the confidence to follow my dreams. People here give you real experiences to try out your dreams.”

Sarah’s dream is to help children master the English language. She added a minor in English Language Learning to her majors in elementary education and Spanish so she can teach bilingual education.

“Many children know some English, but they need someone to help them stay on track academically with their subjects while still learning English,” she says. “Through North Central I’ve had so many opportunities to connect with different language communities and practice what I’m learning.”

Her student teaching and practicums have taken her to bilingual classrooms in highly Hispanic neighborhoods in the Chicago area. She also mentors and tutors Spanish-speaking students as part of a college-readiness program and tutors refugee families.

While studying abroad in Costa Rica, Sarah had an internship teaching grades K-5 at a private school. “This experience gave me a profound understanding of how students learn and transition to English.”