University of Memphis researchers use $2.6M Department of Education grant to train more local ESL teachers

University of Memphis applied linguistics researchers Emily Thrush, left, and Rebecca Adams (Photos from University of Memphis)

Two University of Memphis researchers recently received a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Professional Development program to address a “critical need” for teachers in the Memphis area who are qualified to teach English as a second language, a recent announcement said.

According to a news release, applied linguistics researchers Rebecca Adams and Emily Thrush will use the funding to recruit bilingual and multilingual students to the university and enroll them in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program, beginning with $503,000 in the 2024-2025 academic year.

“We are excited for the impact this grant will have on our local schools, which have long had a critical shortage of certified ESL teachers,” Adams said in a public statement. “By focusing on providing teacher education for multilingual individuals, this grant will help connect English learners with teachers who understand their experiences and serve as role models for them. After all, the goal of ESL is not only to create English speakers, but rather to develop multilingual abilities.”

According to Adams, the number of grade school students being served by ESL teachers in Memphis-Shelby County Schools has nearly doubled over the past 10 years. She said the project will assist the state’s largest school district by providing a larger pool of qualified ESL teachers.

The announcement noted that the program will recruit candidates to complete the licensure requirements for bilingual mentors currently employed by MSCS, undergraduates interested in completing a Bachelor of Arts degree with licensure in ESL from the English department, and students in the Master of Teaching program in the College of Education interested in ESL licensure. The program will also recruit high school students who have earned the Tennessee State Seal of Biliteracy to enter the university with a full scholarship for the bachelor’s degree program.

Thrush said the aim of the program is to promote the many benefits of bilingualism and increase participation in the university’s teacher preparation program. She noted that the grant will enable the university to build up the bilingual/multilingual educator workforce as the country grows more diverse and the global economy becomes more interconnected.

“The emphasis of this grant is on increasing bilingualism, as research shows that being bilingual improves cognitive processing, makes the brain more resilient to damage and the effects of aging, and contributes to increasing the GDP of the country,” Thrush said.

For more information on the initiative, visit www.memphis.edu.