K-12 world language teachers seeking credentials within any state in the US must satisfy several requirements. Navigating the websites of state agencies that oversee credentialing is a challenge for most, but especially for world language teachers whose first language is not always English. The National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland, in collaboration with researchers at CLASSRoad HADI and with funding from the STARTALK Program, created this dynamic website to display requirements for teacher certification in a simplified manner for each of the fifty states and US territories.
The overarching goal of LangCred is to provide a one-stop resource for world language teachers to explore certification routes and requirements for certification all fifty states. The website has been updated with 2020-2021 information from state education websites, conversations with state certification agents and world language experts, and, in many cases, state laws or statutes governing teacher credentialing. Because requirements change frequently, LangCred provides a link to each state’s certification website, along with contact information for the state certification/credentialing office.
In most states, applicants need the minimum of a bachelor’s degree, basic skills in English (reading and writing) and Math, and a high level of oral and written proficiency in the world language they want to teach. Once these requirements have been met, applicants are encouraged to complete teacher training at a state-approved traditional or alternative teacher program. For each state, the LangCred site lists route types, which generally include traditional, out-or-state, out-of-country, alternative, and emergency routes, and the list of world languages that can be certified.