Addressing the Shortage: Expanding Asian Language Bilingual Teacher Education in California’s Dual Language Programs

• In Event: Reimagining the Future of Bilingual Teacher Education: Community and Field Visions, Policies, Pedagogies, and Praxis

Abstract

This paper offers a concise history of Asian Language Bilingual Education in California and highlights strategies to recruit, retain, and support critically conscious bilingual and plurilingual teachers. Since the passage of Proposition 58 in 2016, demand for dual immersion programs has grown, especially in less commonly taught Asian languages, creating teacher shortages. A 2019–2020 report found over 1.1 million English Learners in California, with Vietnamese and Mandarin among the most spoken. In response, the 2022 California State Budget allocated $5 million to the Asian Language Bilingual Teacher Education Program (ALBTEP) Consortium. This chapter, authored by CSU faculty, emphasizes culturally sustaining approaches and showcases how the Consortium works to challenge English-only ideologies and support inclusive, multilingual teacher preparation.

Author

• Natalie A. Tran, California State University - Fullerton