Texas schools need more bilingual teachers. The online Master of Science (M.S.) in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Bilingual Education program at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) prepares working teachers to meet that need.
Nearly one in five Texas students in grades 3-12 are classified as English learner students, according to REL Southwest research. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) also lists bilingual and ESL as a critical shortage area for 2026-27, and districts across the state actively recruit teachers who can work with emergent bilingual students.
What Is a Bilingual Classroom?
A bilingual classroom is one where teachers use two languages to help students learn. Students develop skills in both languages at the same time. In Texas, that usually means English and Spanish. The goal is biliteracy – the ability to read, write and communicate in both languages.
TEA guidance describes bilingual classrooms as spaces where teachers use cross-linguistic connections on purpose. Students access what they know in one language to build knowledge in the other. This differs from English-only instruction. In English-only settings, students must learn new concepts while also learning a new language.
Bilingual Classroom Strategies
Effective bilingual teaching draws on research across several areas. The strategies below work in both dual language programs and ESL settings.
Use Students’ Home Languages
One of the strongest tools a bilingual teacher has is the student’s home language. IES research on translanguaging shows that teaching children in their home language supports effective learning. Students draw on all of their language knowledge to understand new content. This is not a shortcut, it is how language learning works.
Practical steps include using bilingual labels and word walls in both languages. Teachers can pair students with similar language backgrounds but different skill levels. This lets stronger students support peers while deepening their own understanding. Encouraging students to explain ideas in either language builds confidence and content mastery.
Build Vocabulary in Both Languages
Vocabulary development is central to bilingual instruction. TESOL International Association research highlights vocabulary instruction as central to helping multilingual learners build both understanding and expression. Students need to hear and use new words many times in context.
Reading aloud in both languages helps build vocabulary. Visual aids connect words to meaning. Repeated exposure in context helps students retain new words faster than drills. Pairing vocabulary work across both languages builds cross-linguistic transfer. When students notice that English and Spanish share word roots, new words come more easily.
Use Ongoing Language Assessment to Guide Instruction
Bilingual teachers don’t wait for one test to know how a student is doing. TELPAS, Texas’s English language proficiency assessment, tracks growth across listening, speaking, reading and writing. Teachers with the proper training use those same proficiency levels all year to see where each student stands.
This shapes grouping, pacing and daily supports. A student advancing in speaking but still developing in writing needs different scaffolds for each skill. Watching language growth, not just content mastery, is part of what sets bilingual teaching apart.
Connect Lessons to Students’ Cultures
NAEYC research highlights the value of honoring students’ home languages and cultures as part of effective, equitable teaching. Every student arrives with a home language, a speech community and cultural knowledge. Teachers who build on those strengths create more engaging lessons.
This can look like choosing books that reflect students’ cultures or building lessons around students’ backgrounds. Teachers can also invite students to share vocabulary from their home languages. Culturally connected lessons improve outcomes for all students, not just bilingual learners.
How Can Teachers Prepare for Bilingual Classrooms?
Teaching in a bilingual classroom takes specific preparation. Teachers need to understand language acquisition theory, bilingual curriculum design and culturally responsive instruction. Graduate training in bilingual education builds all of these skills.
The M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction – Bilingual Education at TAMIU covers these areas in depth. TAMIU designed it for working teachers and offers it fully online. TAMIU sits on the U.S.-Mexico border in Laredo, and the program reflects the real linguistic context of Texas classrooms.
Learn more about the online M.S. in Bilingual Education program at TAMIU and start strengthening your bilingual teaching practice today.
About TAMIU’s Online M.S. in Bilingual Education
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) is located in Laredo, Texas, and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. TAMIU offers online graduate programs for working educators, including the M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in bilingual education. The program is designed for teachers who want to build expertise in language acquisition theory, bilingual curriculum design and culturally responsive instruction while continuing to teach full time.
The university serves a student body living along the U.S.-Mexico border. Its location gives the bilingual education program a direct connection to the bicultural, bilingual communities many graduates go on to serve. TAMIU holds accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
