Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Non-Linguistic Representation In A 1st Grade Classroom, Haylee Umble

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Reading skills are difficult to comprehend for student who are English Language Learners, especially in first grade! Like many other majors, education majors have an "internship" called clinical practice or student teaching. This is the most influential time to put our learned skills to the test in the most genuine environment possible: a classroom for entire semester. For my clinical practice, I was placed in a on the English side of a dual-language 1^st grade classroom at an elementary school in the OPS School District. I discovered an area where there was struggle for many students. Therefore, I created …

Evaluating The Intersection Of Continuous Growth And Assessment In The Field Of English As A Second Language, Madison Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This teaching portfolio contains a compilation of the author’s personal teaching experiences and research interests while in the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah State University (USU). The sections of this portfolio highlight collaboration with current USU professors in the field of teaching English as a second language and the author’s personal experiences working in a second-grade elementary school classroom as well as teaching English in a community education setting. Much of the mentioned research focuses on the subfield of second language assessment. This is an area of interest to the author as an area for personal …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Planned Accommodations For English Learners: An Assessment Approach For Systematic Improvement, John C. Mooneyham

Doctoral Dissertations

As the dramatic increase in ELs in mainstream classrooms over the last decade continues to impact multiple facets of the educational system, teachers must respond and adapt to the complex and diverse needs of their students. To provide equitable instruction for ELs in the classroom teachers must understand the varied demands of EL instruction and plan appropriate accommodations to help these students grasp grade-level content. The present study investigated how intentionally pre-service teachers (PSTs) plan appropriate accommodations for English learners (ELs) to ensure comprehensibility of the content they are planning to teach. By examining lesson plans developed by PSTs using …

Decolonization Of The Writing Classroom: Creating Space For Decolonial Theory, Tools, Anti-Racist Pedagogy, And Methods To Improve The Emerging Bilingual Student Experience, Desiree L. Brown

Masters Theses

In this thesis, the author addresses the colonial roots of the secondary writing classroom and the origin of standard academic English which enables strict standardized testing and writing assessment requirements that in-turn incite linguistic violence towards emerging bilingual students. The author frames her study within the framework of April Baker-Bell and Asao B. Inoue through a reflective/reflexive study of her teaching in a ninth grade writing classroom in a primarily Hispanic school district in South Texas, which is assessed by the state of Texas through STAAR. This study seeks to identify instances of linguistic violence being perpetuated in the writing …

Improving Second Language Learning Through Performance-Based Assessment Practices, Maria Granados

Dissertations

From the time of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) to the present day, standardized testing has become the benchmark measure for student assessment and school accountability in the United States. Multilingual learners are a vulnerable population with more testing and accountability requirements than mainstream students. Not only are they required to learn a second language, but they are also assessed within the same standardized testing paradigms as their peers - native speakers of the English language. This study aimed to examine and evaluate the benefits of instructional practices and assessments that provide multilingual students and teachers prompt and …

Uncorking The Speaking Skill: Wine And Prosody In Conversation, Efren Antonio Serra

Master's Projects and Capstones

Although the skill of speaking is necessary for attaining basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS), most traditional second language acquisition programs base their pedagogy and curriculums on lexis and grammar of the written form and phonology/phonetics. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how to effectively adapt content-specific material for developing the speaking skill at community colleges with adult students who are interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry as a sommelier. Courses for becoming a sommelier or a server in the wine industry are traditionally offered at community colleges under the culinary arts and hospitality management programs, …

Understanding And Identifying Specific Learning Difficulties: Dyslexia, Autism Spectrum, And Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity In The Adult Esl/Efl Classroom, Kristen Kearns

Master's Projects and Capstones

Specific learning difficulties (SLDs), including dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, are significant factors that influence the way and rate at which students learn English as an additional language. However, few Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) training programs address the cognitive and behavioral strengths and challenges these conditions carry for adult learners, in part due to concerns about bias in the over- and under- identification of learning disabilities among K-12 English language learners. Informed by Critical Disability Theory, and framed within a realistic discussion of the obstacles that remain in identifying and researching the parallel …

Impact Study On Skill Development Of Teaching English With Differentiated Instruction To High School Students In A Multi-Level English Class., Isarel Ortega

International Graduate Program for Educators Master's Projects

The research examined the difference between students placed in an ESL class with a multilevel class versus students in a differentiated class. The information from the study will be used in the future to better the quality of students' success when learning English in the Mexican public education system. English classes in the public education system ranged from no skills to low literacy to high literacy. Most students who came into a public high school from a private middle school had previous English knowledge. However, students who came from a public one, even though all public middle schools had to …

The Reality Of Teaching English Virtually: Esl Teachers' Perspectives And Experiences During The Covid-19 National Pandemic, Natalia Guerrero

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the dilemma ESL teachers experienced as the educational system shifted from the usual modus operandi of in-person lessons to the uncharted virtual learning environment (VLE). ESL teachers, in one of the largest urban districts in Louisiana, accumulated additional roles and responsibilities that were unique to the teachers of the English learner (EL) population enrolled at their schools.

Data collected to answer the research questions were the product of single and focus group’s interviews with five ESL elementary and middle school teachers in Freedom District. State and district emergency response to COVID-19 guidelines, along with instructional artifacts, were …

What Is The ‘E’ In Esol? Three Papers On Linguistic Borders, Normativity, And Race In Adult English Education, Kelsey Swift

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this three-paper dissertation project, I explore how ‘English’ becomes a recognizable object within the context of adult ESOL education. Building on scholarship on named languages (García, 2019; Makoni & Pennycook, 2006), the historical construction of languages (Bonfiglio, 2010; Irvine & Gal, 2000), and raciolinguistic ideologies (Flores & Rosa, 2015; Rosa & Flores, 2017), I analyze how language, both as an abstract concept and as a collection of linguistic features, is treated within adult ESOL, looking at specific contemporary classrooms, as well as historical texts. This work culminated in the three studies I present here – focused, in turn, on …

Investigating Emerging Bilingual Learner Related Field Experiences In School Psychology Graduate Training, Austin Rogers

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

There is limited research regarding school psychology field and practicum experiences that are devoted to developing skills related to emergent bilingual learners (EBL). This study attempted to better understand what types of EBL-related field and practicum experiences are most influential in preparing school psychologists to feel confident in their ability to provide school psychological services to EBL students. One hundred thirty-five practicing school psychologists were surveyed using a questionnaire focused on the types of EBL-related field and practicum experiences commonly found in exemplary multiculturally-focused school psychology graduate programs and practitioners’ perceptions of their ability to provide a number of services …

Navigating Acculturative Stress: A Guide For Supporting Newcomer Students In California Esl Classrooms, Daniela Lopera Ruiz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Acculturation has been widely studied as a post-migration phenomenon that individuals face when coming in contact with their new recipient culture and environment. The different experiences, tasks, and requirements that newcomers must endure upon arrival may lead to their suffering prolonged periods of discomfort. This moderate, intermediate, or acute feeling of uneasiness is defined as acculturative stress. In it, the continued exposure to stressors such as adjusting to a new culture, rules, behavioral patterns, a second language, finding housing, and obtaining an education and employment can lead to trauma. This field project has been designed to provide educators and allies …

Esl To Composition Transitions: Investigating The Differences In Disciplinary Values Among Two-Year College Faculty, Amy M. Flessert

English Theses & Dissertations

In this qualitative methods study, I draw on Paul Kei Matsuda’s 1999 article “Composition Studies and ESL Writing: A Disciplinary Division of Labor” to examine if, more than 20 years after its publication, there is still a significant disciplinary division between ESL writing and first-year college composition. I surveyed writing instructors from both ESL and ENG at Mid-Atlantic Community College (MACC) regarding what they value as “good” writing. I also worked with three faculty members – one in ENG, one in ESL, and a third who teaches in both departments, serving, in this study and the department, as a “bridge” …

Settlement Workers In Schools: A Look At The Importance Of The Swis Program, Tule Dugan

Major Papers

Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) provide newcomer students (elementary and secondary) and their families with support as they integrate into their new Canadian communities. In this paper, I explore the experiences of Settlement workers and the perceptions of their roles in the eyes of the newcomer students, families, and school staff they support. I researched the benefits and challenges they experience while supporting the acculturation process of their clients. I also review recommendations on how to support these individuals in their roles. Using a social constructivist lens supported by the Ecological Systems theory, I endeavor to uncover themes that highlight …

Second/Foreign Language Learners And Narrative Film Comprehension: An Intercultural Reception Study, Natalie Killick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sociocultural concepts (Krashen, 1981; Vygotsky, 1978; Wood et al., 1976) and a constructivist narrative film theory (Bordwell, 1985) offer interdisciplinary insights for a study exploring second/foreign language (L2/FL) interpretations of two intercultural films (films made in linguistically and socioculturally diverse contexts) with English audio/dubbing (Chafe, 1980; Desilla, 2014; Erbaugh, 2010). A qualitative reception study examined the potential of intertextual (i.e., knowledge of other texts) and cultural information as learning scaffolds as well as style and narrative cues as forms of comprehensible input used by post-secondary international Chinese and domestic Canadian students as they watched sequences from Shaolin Soccer (Chow, 2001) …

English Language Learner Teacher Support Changes During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Inna Slisher

Ed.D. Dissertations

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, ELL teachers focused their culturally responsive instruction and supports through creating meaning, promoting academic and social success, and empowering students and families. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected almost all countries and more than 50 million people around the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate how ELL teachers’ support for students in a southeastern school district, IISD, changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and ELL teachers’ perceptions of how this change may have impacted ELLs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative, basic interpretive design using a questionnaire provided me with opportunities to examine how …

Belonging And Banding Together: Perspectives And Insights Of Newly Recruited Ell Musicians, Edward Francis Luckey, Edward Luckey, Edward Luckey

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to bring forward the lived experiences of English Language Learner (ELL) musicians who were new to the band program as of the Spring of 2021. This study was born out of previous coursework and reflection where it became apparent that more must be done to provide access to our band program for students who are in our ELL program. Therefore, the research question that guides this study is “What are the lived experiences of ELL band students?” The methodology is primarily a pursuit of the stories and lived experiences of the ELLs via a …

Multiple Intelligence Theory Activities In The Middle School English As A Second Language (Esl) Classroom And The Impact On Student Perception And Engagement, Allison M. Horner

International Graduate Program for Educators Master's Projects

In 1983, Howard Gardner published his Theory of Multiple Intelligences and detailed seven distinct intelligence areas. He extended his theory into the classroom and asserted that every student has their own unique gifts and talents which they bring to the classroom. Despite these contributions to pedagogy, schools continue to mainly focus on teaching curriculum standards concerned with matriculating pupils to the next grade level or getting them ready for the next standardized test.

Authentic educational experiences accommodated to student needs are infrequently used in the modern classroom. Educational institutions largely cater to verbal-linguistic and mathematical intelligence profiles, despite many students …

Applications Of Affinity Spaces In English Language Instruction: Writing And Peer Review Of Fanfiction Based On Video Games In An Academic English As A Second Language Writing Course, Marta Halaczkiewicz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This classroom-based research study explored applications of informal online spaces in formal language instruction. Using sociocultural theory as a lens, the present study examined how using creative writing genres and online feedback practices, may assist with alleviating the three pedagogical issues of academic writing instruction: rigidity of academic topics and forms, superficiality of in-class feedback process, and slow language development. Students in an intermediate English language course wrote weekly fiction inspired by their favorite video games. They also engaged in a scaffolded feedback process facilitated in an online space. At the end of the semester, they wrote a reflection on …

Practicing Self-Advocacy For Displaced People In The English Language Learner Classroom, Payton Persinger

MA TESOL Collection

This study is comprised of a literature review of best practices for working with displaced people and interviews with teachers of refugees. The author found that self-advocacy is multifaceted and that promoting self-advocacy is a key way to support learners in advocating for themselves and their communities. As borders become less porous, there will be more refugee crises, and more language teachers will be needed. Best practices for teaching languages include seeing students as cultural experts, teaching and encouraging resistance, being a trauma-informed practitioner, teaching legal rights, and making room for students to choose what they learn.

Esl Teachers’ Perceptions Of Intercultural Sensitivity Training In K-12 U.S. Classrooms, Cherise Rosemarie Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies have suggested that intercultural sensitivity can improve intercultural relationships and that training increases English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ intercultural sensitivity. However, research investigating teachers’ perceptions of their training in intercultural sensitivity is limited. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore ESL teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with training and professional development (PD) toward becoming more interculturally sensitive in K-12 U.S. classrooms. The conceptual framework was Chen and Starosta’s concept of intercultural sensitivity, as a concept from their theory of intercultural communication competence. The research questions addressed the teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with …

First-Year Mainstream Teachers' Perspectives On Preservice Preparation In English Language Learner Instruction, Sally Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the number of English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms has significantly increased over the past decade, first-year teachers continue to begin their careers without adequate training in ELL instruction. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore first-year mainstream teachers’ perspectives of their preservice course training and field experiences in ELL instruction. The study site was a small west Tennessee school district where 32 students are currently receiving English as a second language (ESL) services. Supported by Kolb’s experiential learning theory, this study was framed by the concept of hands-on experience for learning, which is used by …

Aprendizaje En Inglés En Línea: Efectos Sobre La Elaboración De Textos Escritos Y Relación Con La Percepción De Los Docentes Sobre La Integración De Tecnología, Yetzy Limarys Díaz Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations

Los estudiantes de una escuela secundaria del área sur de Puerto Rico presentan un bajo aprovechamiento académico en los cursos de ESL para realizar trabajos escritos en inglés. Por lo tanto, esta disertación aplicada fue diseñada con el propósito de examinar el efecto del uso del programa de aprendizaje de idiomas en línea Grammarly sobre la elaboración de textos escritos y la percepción del docente sobre la integración de tecnología.

El diseño de este estudio fue uno cuasi-experimental. El marco teórico que sustenta el estudio se basa en la teoría del procesamiento de información cognitiva de Atkinson y Shiffrin (1968). …

Building A School Culture Of Success For Multilingual Learners: A Multiple Case Study Of Perspectives From Secondary School Leaders, John P. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

The present study seeks to address achievement and opportunity gaps for Multilingual Learners (MLs) by studying secondary schools who have established a school culture that prioritizes ML support and success. It draws on existing literature in the fields of ML best practices, educational leadership, and school culture research to study case schools in order to distill from their lived experiences recommendation for practitioners. The author used a multiple case study methodology to delve into four case schools identified as exemplars of cultures for ML success. The author used in-depth qualitative interviews to find out if leaders in any secondary schools …

The Policy Feedback Loop: Exploring English Learner (El) Policy, Policy Implementation, And The Relationship Between Policy, Research, And Practice, Nathan D. Koerber

Doctoral Dissertations

This study will explore the EL policy implementation process and offer evaluative feedback by systematically reviewing the history of US federal educational language policy and its impact on schools and classrooms, as well as the role research, has played in the development of EL policy. Additionally, this study will explore how current language policy implementation impacts programming and practices in both the UK and the US through two separate case studies, as a means of providing evaluative feedback on the policies.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the complicated history of EL policy and its impact, as well …

How Can Music Most Effectively Be Used In The English Learner Classroom, Robert Ryden

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Music is an omnipresent part of everyday life. Whether it’s in the background or the foreground, music is everywhere. This capstone project aims to deliver the best answer to the question: How can music most effectively be used in the EL classroom? Effectively using music in the EL classroom involves understanding how to thoughtfully select the right music for the right situation, how to use music to build community and social skills among students, and how music can be used to positively impact the language learning process. Through this project, educators are also given the opportunity to participate in a …

Creating An Engaging Environment For Adult Esl Learners In E-Learning Settings: Reducing Affective Filters And Cognitive Overload, Qian Liu

Master's Projects and Capstones

Countless online ESL programs targeting adult learners have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially since the unemployment crisis made people start thinking about self-improvement. This emergence of online education is a life-changing chance not only for the ESL education industry and teachers, but also for countless learners. This field project includes appropriate background, a review of relevant literature, and ultimately presents a free, online self-training session for novice online ESL teachers who teach adults.

Research that informed the creation of this project indicated that online second language education programs that use technological tools can lead to positive learning outcomes. Adult …

Teaching The English Language Through American Holidays: Halloween And Thanksgiving, Naranchimeg Bat-Yondon

Master's Projects and Capstones

ABSTRACT

Culture remains one of the crucial issues in foreign language education research worldwide, and theories related to linguistics suggest that culture must be emphasized as an important part of language classrooms. Learning any foreign language without learning the focal culture of it is less meaningful, so it is important to include cultural instruction in every language class. Compounding these already tenuous issues in Mongolia, students have little chance to be exposed to real-life situations where they can interact with native speakers from different cultural backgrounds, so the students face great challenges of not being able to become fluent speakers …

Secondary Teacher Attitudes Targeting Inclusion Of English Language Learners In Mainstream Classrooms, Jacquelin Drusilla Buttram-Brownell

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Educational leadership in public schools have struggled to service second language learners across the United States. Although support systems in urban education settings have seemed to be fully staffed, the surge of new immigrants, has posed challenges to classroom teachers. Unspoken attitudes of bias and perception of faculty members have been menacing and could have impeded equitable practice and performance of both the English language learner and the teacher. Previous research of Reeves (2002, 2004, & 2006) has inferred teachers have struggled with their attitudes toward ELLs in their mainstream classes and have indicated professional development as being essential. Specifically, …

Variety In Second Language Instruction: Student Engagement In Sla, Emily Borgstrom Woodruff

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a collection of works completed by the author during her time as a student in the Master of Second Language Teaching program at Utah State University. It highlights important aspects and experiences of foreign language education that represent the author’s personal journey of learning and teaching.

The first section is comprised of the author’s teaching perspectives which are represented through the author’s desired professional environment, her teaching philosophy statement, and the author’s professional development through teaching observations. The second section presents the author’s pedagogical research pertaining to foreign language pragmatics and music integration in the classroom. The …