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Students Zadie Lakin (left) and Anna Poole talk with one another while sitting on a couch in the new College of Education building.

Zadie Lakin (left) and Anna Poole, recent students in the College of Education's English for Speakers of Other Languages Education program, are pictured inside the College of Education's new building.

Auburn University’s College of Education is rolling out a new course this fall designed to equip future elementary educators with the tools they need to support multilingual learners.

Titled Foundations of Multilingual Learner Instruction, the course marks a significant milestone for the Elementary Education program, which is incorporating a dedicated ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) course in its curriculum.

“This is very exciting,” said Jamie Harrison, associate professor and program coordinator of ESOL Education. “The elementary education program recently underwent revisions to make room for a dedicated ESOL course. It’s a meaningful step toward preparing our graduates to meet the needs of multilingual students in their classrooms.” 

The course, which will be offered through the College of Education’s ESOL Education program, will meet every Tuesday and introduce students to instructional models, linguistically and culturally responsive pedagogy, second language acquisition, and assessment strategies.

According to the syllabus, students will leave with knowledge and skills that will support their work with multilingual learners of English.

Students Anna Poole and Zadie Lakin pose for a photo outdoors next to the new College of Education Building sign.

Real-World Impact

Four recent students in the ESOL Education program — Anna Poole, Zadie Lakin, Sarah Qashou and Ainsley Green —sought to further their educational journey as graduate students last summer after earning their bachelor’s degrees in elementary education. Three of those graduate students recently participated in Auburn’s summer commencement, and all three have secured teaching positions and say they feel prepared to support the array of learners they’ll encounter.

For Qashou, who has accepted a kindergarten teaching position at Rising Leaders Academy in Panama City, Florida, Auburn’s ESOL program was transformative.

“After I graduated with my degree in Elementary Education, I knew I wanted to do more for my students and be the best to them,” she said. “I chose to pursue my M.Ed. in ESOL Education so I could become the kind of teacher who is prepared to support all of my students. Auburn’s ESOL program gave me exactly what I needed.”

Qashou said the ESOL program taught her how to have an inquisitive mind. She said she’s thrilled to know that future Elementary Education students at Auburn will take a course focused on English as a Second Language so they’ll be further prepared for the classroom after graduating with their undergraduate degree.   

“While I was in the Elementary Education program at Auburn, I developed a heart for working with students whose first language was not primarily English. I knew I wanted to serve in a school where ESL is prominent and felt as though I needed a few more tools in my toolbox before embarking on my first year of teaching,” she said. “I have so much more confidence in the classroom than I did after completing my undergraduate degree, and I think this is due to the many tools and resources this program introduced me to.”

“I chose to pursue my M.Ed. in ESOL Education so I could become the kind of teacher who is prepared to support all of my students. Auburn’s ESOL program gave me exactly what I needed.”

- Sarah Qashou, a recent graduate of the College of Education's ESOL Education program.

A Heart for Advocacy

Poole echoed Qashou’s sentiments. Originally from Newnan, Georgia, Poole joined the ESOL program immediately after completing her undergraduate degree in elementary education.

“I knew I wanted to serve in a school where ESL is prominent and felt as though I needed a few more tools in my toolbox before embarking on my first year of teaching,” Poole said. “As a plus, I knew that the university offered graduate assistant positions to help bear the financial burden of grad school.”

Poole was surprised by how much she enjoyed teaching junior high ESL students, despite her specialization in K–6 education.

“This opportunity opened up my eyes to the larger possibilities about teaching English,” she said. “I learned that my passion for teaching ESOL is much broader than I originally thought. I was also surprised to see how much ESOL is a platform for advocacy. As an ESOL teacher, you have the opportunity to fight for a better education for your students in content classrooms.”

Poole plans to teach in a public school, either as an elementary teacher with ESL students or as an ESOL specialist. She credits the College of Education program with giving her confidence and a strong support network. 

“This degree provided me with so many more resources and connections to draw on in my first year of teaching,” she said. “Zadie, Ainsley and Sarah were the biggest blessings of this program, and I know I will be calling them to brainstorm scaffolds and lesson plans for years to come." 

Lakin will be moving to Vence, France, to work for a family there as an au pair. As part of that role, she said she will be helping children improve their English all while she learns French. After returning to the U.S., she said she hopes to start teaching in the general education classroom and eventually will transition to ESL. 

She said the College of Education’s ESOL program “has prepared me for my future as it has taught me a great deal about the theory and pedagogy of teaching ESL students. It has shown me that teaching ESL students can be quite different from teaching native English speakers, something all teachers need to be aware of. It has helped me have a deeper understanding and love for languages and cultures.”

A Lasting Community

Both Qashou and Poole further emphasized the sense of community they found in Auburn’s College of Education.

“I met lifelong friends, mentors and professors who believed in me and pushed me to grow,” Qashou said. “Auburn became my home, and it always will be.”

Poole added, “I love that the College of Education is focused on meaningful relationships between professors and students. I will always know they are in my corner, and I will hold on to the lessons they taught me for years to come.”

With the launch of the new Foundations of Multilingual Learner instruction course, Qashou said Auburn’s College of Education continues to affirm its commitment to preparing educators who are not only skilled but also deeply attuned to the needs of today’s classrooms.

“To anyone considering ESOL education, I would say this: you will have English learners in your classroom, and they deserve a teacher who knows how to support them,” she said. “ESOL isn’t just for specialists; it’s essential for every teacher who wants to create a welcoming classroom where every child can succeed.”

English for Speakers of Other Languages

The College of Education's dynamic English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program prepares future teachers to meet the needs of students who speak English as a second language.

Learn more about the English for Speakers of Other Languages program