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I can't say whether it is reasonable to expect that many applicants for such a position will have training in ESL, but I can say I recently (1997) earned an MA degree in reading/Reading specialist credential from UC Berkeley and we had several ESL and linguistics related requirements. I'm not sure if that's a trend or not. The demographics of California's colleges and universities (Fully 50% of UC Berkeley's recent Freshman class reported that they did not speak English at home.) would seem to make an ESL background indispensable in this state. Also, I know that the Student Learning Center at UC Berkeley recently hired a person specifically to deal with issues around ESL students reading, writing and studying. Nic >I took some grad coursework in teaching ESL, but it was an elective from the >foreign languages department. I don't think an ESL background is a realistic >requirement for a reading specialist position, but I'm curious to see what >others on the listserv think. > >Susan Dawkins >Instructor, Learning Resource Center >University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown >(814) 269-7301 >[log in to unmask] > >"Connor, Jessica" wrote: > >> Does anyone think it is realistic to require that a new reading specialist >> have an ESL background? Our department is trying to create a new "reading >> specialist" position, and we are not sure if we should incorporate ESL >> functions into the job duties or make that sort of thing supplementary. >> >> Any thoughts on this would certainly be appreciated. Thanks, and happy >> holidays! >> >> ******************************************* >> Jessica Connor >> Coordinator of Developmental Writing >> Nova Southeastern University >> (954) 262-8351 >> [log in to unmask] -- Dominic J. Voge UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education Language, Literacy and Culture [log in to unmask] "Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach."--Aristotle "I have spent a lifetime learning to read." --Goethe "The best educated human being is the one who understands most about the life in which he is placed."--Helen Keller