WWU announces new path to becoming a secondary education teacher

The Department of Linguistics has officially launched its new major, the Linguistics, Literature, and Writing Bachelor of Arts (85 credits.) This major is open to any student who would like to engage with linguistics, English literature, and writing, but it is especially designed for students wishing to pursue a career teaching middle or high school English Language Arts.

"Many of our students are interested in being high school teachers, but there has not yet been a direct pathway for Linguistics majors to enter into high school teaching. This new major now provides that and we're very excited and think that many students will be too," said Kristin Denham, chair of the Department of Linguistics.   

"There has been increasing interest at the national level on 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; Western has in fact become a model for the integration of language study into education in various ways," said Denham, who is also the advisor for this new major. "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, Literature, and Writing majors who wish to pursue their teacher certification can apply to the Secondary Education program offered through the Woodring College of Education (58 additional credits for teacher certification). See the Secondary Education Professional Program for program admissions and teacher certification requirements. Completion of the major plus the secondary education certification program leads to an endorsement in English Language Arts.

Reach out to Sara Helms (helmss@wwu.edu) if you'd like to learn more.