"Compañeros": A Teacher Preparation Partnership Model for Teaching FLES

A three-year partnership between a research university and a local elementary school in the north-west resulted in the creation of a K-5 weekly Spanish program staffed by college students majoring in elementary education with bilingual or ESL education endorsements. A central component of this collaborative effort is the FLES methods course for preparation of college students. A theoretical model provided the basis for the integration of the two components of the methods course: the FLES seminar and the teaching practicum. A discussion of the partnership teacher preparation model shows the impact this model has had on FLES instruction in other segments of the community.