Digital Commons Network^™

On Linguistic Justice In The Writing Center: A Genesis Story, Ghada Gherwash

The Writing Center Journal

This essay presents a reflective account of the origin story of a linguistics justice initiative within the writing center. It concludes by posing questions aimed at promoting dialogue among writing center practitioners as they consider similar initiatives within their own contexts.

Youth Literacy And Social Practices In A Gaming Club, Abdul R. Siddiqui

Theses and Dissertations

One of the growing phenomena of our digital age is the proliferation of digital fan spaces (Gee, 2018). Dedicated to a specific fandom or activity, these spaces have allowed participants to play competitively, share videos with each other, create fanfiction, provide feedback to one another and engage in a host of literacies around something they share an affinity for (Black, 2009; Gee, 2017a). Through advances in technology, access to multiple tools and highly specialized knowledge of specific subjects, youth can now create communities in online spaces where they can engage in complex activities with their friends and fellow gamers without …

5e Instructional Model: A Constructivist Approach To Teaching & Learning, Munira Amirali, Javed Ahmad, Shella Asad, Sadam Hussain, Syed Sardar Hussain, Tahira Jabeen, Tajun Nisa, Wahid Murad

Books

I taught ‘Curriculum Teaching and Learning’ as one of the master-level courses that enables course participants to broaden their understanding of curriculum models, teaching, learning and assessment approaches. The assignment required participants to choose a topic in their subject area, review relevant literature, and identify challenges faced by teachers and students during teaching and learning that topic.
In addition, course participants were asked to list misconceptions students possess regarding the relevant topics and explore possible solutions and recommendations to address the identified challenges and misconceptions. Thus, the course participants developed learning resources (lesson plans) using the 5E model (Engage, Explore, …

Exploring Teachers’ Lived Literacies : Disrupting Hegemonic Conceptions Of Literacy In Schools, Katie F. Whitley

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In schools, literacy is often positioned as a fixed set of reading and writing skills. This can limit what counts as an academically acceptable literacy practice despite the complex and nuanced ways people communicate in their personal and social contexts. With this tension around conceptions of literacy in mind, I wondered how teachers thought about literacy in their lives and in what ways (if any) their personal conceptions of literacy crossed the boundary into their classrooms. Thus, this study examines three secondary English language arts teachers’ conceptions of literacy using a feminist approach to new literacies as the theoretical framework …

Measuring The Impact: Teacher Self-Efficacy In Literacy Instruction Following Letrs Professional Development, Elizabeth Younger

Doctor of Education Dissertations

North Carolina passed legislation that required all elementary literacy teachers to be trained in the Science of Reading (SOR). The North Carolina Public Department of Education (NCDPI) partnered with Lexia Learning to provide training on the SOR to all public-school Pre-K-5 literacy teachers using the professional development (PD) program Language Essential for Teacher of Reading and Spelling (LETRS). This study looked at how teachers in one North Carolina school district perceive the LETRS program to have impacted their efficacy in literacy instruction. This study used a mixed-method design using an explanatory sequential design with two phases. The first stage included …

Unveiling Spanish Language Attitudes In A Los Angeles School And A Third-Generation Multigenerational Mexican-American Family, Eric Alvarez

International Journal of the Linguistic Association of the Southwest

This chapter unearths some of the diverse attitudes towards Spanish of a third-generation child in Los Angeles (L.A.), California, her family members, and school personnel. L.A. is a tension-ridden contact zone (Pratt, 1991) where Spanish has traditionally been subjugated and is still a lesser-taught language (LTL) despite decades of research showing that bilingual education positively impacts student attitudes (Potowski & Muñoz-Basols, 2020). Lack of continuity (Caloi & Torregrossa, 2021) in formal instruction and inconsistent heritage Spanish use in the home may entail divergent attitudes towards Spanish, possibly hindering multigenerational transmission. Decades-long turbulent California language policies (CLP) (Macias, 2001) have consistently …

A Science Teacher’S Experiences When Fostering Intercultural Competence Among Students In Multilingual Classrooms: A Narrative Study, Uma Ganesan, Amanda R. Morales

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Increased globalization of the world economy, growth in human migration, and rapid devel-opments in science and technology have required people to develop intercultural commu-nication skills. Teachers play a crucial role in developing intercultural competence among students in our globalized, multilingual classrooms. The need for fostering collaborative discourse among students with diverse cultural and linguistic repertoires and building in-tercultural competence among students is a common blind spot in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics teacher praxis. This can inhibit efforts to cultivate safe and supportive learning environments for all students and can ultimately threaten multilingual student success. As part of a larger …

Effects Of Translanguaging In Reading Instruction On Chinese Undergraduate Students' English Reading Comprehension, Jingxuan Wang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The objectives of this study were to: 1) investigate the effects of translanguaging in improving English reading comprehension among Chinese undergraduate students, and 2) explore the opinions of Chinese undergraduate students towards the use of translanguaging in English reading instruction. The participants were 42 non-English major undergraduate students from a provincial university in Yunnan, China. The research instruments included pre- and post-tests of English reading comprehension, and semi-structured interviews. Results from the paired sample t-test at the .05 significance level revealed that students’ English reading comprehension improved significantly following the use of translanguaging in English reading instruction, especially among those …

Effects Of Ai-Assisted Collaborative Learning On English Speaking Skill Of Myanmar Undergraduate Students, Tin Lin Kyaw

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The present study endeavored to: 1) examine effects of AI-assisted collaborative learning on English speaking skill of Myanmar undergraduate students, and 2) explore opinions of Myanmar undergraduate students towards AI-assisted collaborative learning. This research is a quasi-experimental study. The participants were 32 participants, selected through convenience sampling, as they were administered English speaking lessons for eight class periods. The instructional instrument involved lesson plans, while the research instruments contained pre- and post-tests of English speaking, and semi-structured interviews. The research findings revealed that 1) there were substantial developments in students’ English speaking skill after the implementation of AI-assisted collaborative learning, …

Effects Of Drama-Based Instruction With Digital Learning Activities On English Oral Communication Ability Of Myanmar Secondary Efl Students, Nang Phong Noan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Despite DBI’s documented benefits globally, few researchers have examined its integration with digital technologies in the Myanmar educational context. This quasi-experimental study aims to 1) investigate how drama-based instruction (DBI) combined with digital learning tools affects English oral communication ability among Myanmar secondary EFL students and 2) explore their perceptions towards the intervention. The study engaged 23 (Grade 5-9) EFL students from a language training school in Shan State, Myanmar. The 20-hour intervention combined systematic dramatic techniques, including drama games, readers’ theater, role-playing, character improvisation, and hot seating, with targeted digital learning tools (Padlet for collaborative discussions and peer feedback …

Exploration Of Global Englishes Orientation On English Textbooks In China, Lin Chen

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Given China’s growing global perspective in education and the widespread use of English as a Lingua Franca, this study examined the integration of Global Englishes (GE) principles in senior high school English textbooks. Using a qualitative content analysis, the textual, visual, and auditory elements in three textbooks approved by China’s Ministry of Education were examined. The analysis was guided by Rose and Galloway’s 2018 Global Englishes Language Teaching framework, focusing on six aspects: target interlocutors, ownership, norms, cultures, needs, and assessment criteria. Overall, the findings indicate a GE orientation across all three textbooks, evidenced by the representation of diverse English …

Improving Students’ Oral Proficiency In French Through Call In One Tanzanian Public Secondary Schools, Godfrey Alexander Massawe

Master of Education

Oral proficiency is a crucial aspect of language learning; however, the complexities of fluency and accuracy make the study of speaking skills challenging. Recently, secondary school students have been struggling to improve speaking competency, therefore, this study aimed to identify substantial enhancements in language skills, particularly focussing on the aspects of speaking through the implementation of CALL in a Form six class in one of the Tanzanian Public secondary Schools. The study was predominantly Participatory Action Research (PAR) involving 2 teachers in the following principal procedures: reconnaissance, planning, action, observation, and reflection. A mixed-methods approach was employed whereby qualitative data …

Blog-Assisted Language Learning For Enhancing Proficiency In Essay Writing Among National Technical Award Level 4 Students In Mwanza, Simon Sitta Mabula Matondo

Master of Education

Students at tertiary institutions, like National Technical Award level 4, are encouraged to master writing proficiency to succeed in writing assignments and examinations. Since academic achievements depend on writing activities, it is better to find a better strategy that can improve poor writing proficiency at this level. The current study looks into how blog-assisted language learning can help NTA Level 4 students become more proficient essay writers. The study was conducted in the Mwanza region, Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to determine the current writing proficiency levels of NTA level 4 students in essay writing before using blog-assisted …

Exploring The Use Of Comics In The Teaching Of English Language In One Tanzanian Secondary School, Irene Juma Maganga

Master of Education

The changing demands of EFL teaching and learning made many language scholars find ways to address the teaching of EFL. This shift in demand requires modern English language teaching approaches that facilitate interaction and engagement. The shift from Kiswahili to English as a medium of instruction in Tanzania secondary schools’ results in persistently low student performance in English language examinations. This study explores the potential of comics as a teaching tool to enhance language teaching. The researcher adopted the qualitative research approach, and an action research design was done in one school in the Ruvuma region at Tunduru district council …

Child Language And Happiness Behaviors: Evaluating The Effects Of Caregiver Coaching, Ashlen Grubbs

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Caregivers of young children who have or are at risk for disabilities may struggle supporting their child’s language development. This study used a tailored rapid coaching intervention to teach a caregiver different naturalistic language interventions that can be used with their child during play. Evidence-based naturalistic skills for increasing child communication were chosen to teach the caregiver based on baseline levels of skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored RCI (training and coaching) with caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Like other studies, this study involved evaluating child-level communication but extended child measures …

‘Somos Bilingües’: Translanguaging Socialization Of Dlbe Teachers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Grace Jue Yeon Kim

Faculty Journal Articles

After the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the disruption of in-person schooling has significantly affected many students including emergent bilingual students. Designed as an ethnographic study, this research study examines two Spanish-English dual language bilingual education teachers’ implementation of translanguaging pedagogies and language socialization during the pandemic through the following research questions: (1) What adjustments did the teachers make to their teaching and curriculum to support the students as they navigated the pandemic times? (2) How did the teachers and students use languages in their interaction in blended learning environments? Findings from the 2^nd grade Spanish Language Arts and 4^{th …}

When Would You Feel Like A Writer? Exploring Writing With Newcomer Students, Sinélia Peixoto, Thea Williamson

English Faculty Publications

The authors share a story of a middle school writer's experience navigating across languages in an English for Speakers of Other Languages support classroom.

Linking Language Use Practices And Valued Teacher Capabilities: A Mixed Methods Study Of English-As-A-Foreign-Language Teacher Educators, Adeline De Angelis

Dissertation Collection

This mixed-methods study explored how much English-as-a-foreign-language teacher educators used English, Spanish, or a combination of those languages in teaching content courses (e.g., pedagogy, linguistics) and how their language use practices related to the teacher capabilities they most valued. Quantitative data was collected with a survey of 115 teacher educators from 21 Ecuadorian universities. Most participants reported teaching in English while incorporating some Spanish, usually in minimal amounts; most believed in minimizing Spanish. Ordinary least squares regression analysis indicated the amount of Spanish included related to teacher educators’ prioritization of teacher empowerment over accountability to standards and to teacher educators’ …

Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Dialogical Demands Of Florida's 10th Grade B.E.S.T. English Language Arts Standards, Amanda Nb Kaplowitz

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study investigates the extent to which the Florida B.E.S.T (Benchmark for Excellent Student Thinking) English Language Arts (ELA) standards demand that students participate in dialogic interactions within the 10th grade ELA classroom. Dialogic demands, characterized by active discourse and collaborative sense-making, are the opportunities students interact with one another or with a text. The dialogic elements of classroom pedagogy are an increasingly recognized critical component of effective literacy instruction in contrast with the monologic classroom where teachers are the primary source of information. A Critical Discourse Analysis through the lens of Fairclough is used as this research aims to …

The Critical Need For Early Language Access For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children, Kinya D. Embry-Wright

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are referred to as the experts of communication (ASHA, n.d.) utilizing their specialized training, extensive education, and clinical expertise to work with individuals across the lifespan with a variety of different speech and language delays, disorders, and deficits. However, when working with deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children, there is often precedent given to speech and listening (M. L. Hall et al., 2019). For example, ASHA only recently updated their DHH portal to include American Sign Language (ASL), though they still list it on some webpages as an Augmentative …

Four Lessons To Build Upon: A Study Of Postsecondary Composition Classroom Curriculum, Tucker D. Nielsen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Soft skills in technical professions may be valued by employers, but post-secondary students engage with a dichotomy arguing against the blend of soft and hard skills. This study utilized activities with LEGO® bricks to determine how plausible kinesthetic learning methods are within university composition classes. Four in-class activities based on the class’s four core assignments were spread across the Spring 2024 semester at Michigan Technological university. Through written reflections, lists, posters, and photos of students’ builds, students practiced and demonstrated engagement with identified composition and critical thinking skills.

Two criteria (Audience Expectations and Genre Expectations, were not demonstrated as clearly …

Feminist Pedagogy In The Esl Classroom: A Retrospective Qualitative Case Study, Lindsei Pereira Da Silva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Even though feminist pedagogy in the context of higher education has been widely researched, there is a dearth of scholarship available when it comes to feminist pedagogy in the context of English as a Second Language. The present retrospective qualitative case study investigated the ways in which feminist pedagogy is represented in the teaching philosophies and intended teaching practices of ESL instructors in the Summer 2023 Fulbright Pre-Academic Program. The research findings indicate that feminist pedagogy was represented in the teaching philosophies and intended teaching practices of the ESL instructors in several ways, despite the fact that they had not …

Overturning Race-Conscious Admissions: Analyzing The History Of Higher Education Affirmative Acton Legal Discourse And Preserving Whiteness, Hiba A. Qari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although researchers have investigated Affirmative Action, few have attempted to understand and explain the language mechanisms shaping public opinion and policy. The purpose of this study was to explore the historical context of higher education Affirmative Action legal discourse. This study employed Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Race Theory to analyze how language and race, as social constructs, maintain White dominance in law and higher education. The thematic concepts included power, White normativity, and diversity rhetoric. This project explored the historical evolution of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions on Affirmative Action policy in higher education. The study also investigated the …

Global Communities: The Potential Of Street Art And The Public Space, Elena Picech

The Coastal Review

This paper highlights the significance of physical proximity and the potentiality of socio-spatial situations as tools to enrich study abroad programs. Particular attention is given to street art and the public space. While, studying on-site can be somewhat uncomfortable, it can potentially prompt unique reflections, enhance student’s learning and encourage introspection. Being on-site provides the opportunity to come into contact and to connect with the physical objects and their environment. It enables a multisensory and immersive embodied experience. Leveraging art for communicative educational activities can facilitate a participatory experience, promote critical thinking and enhance cultural understanding.

Research Bibliography For Philippine English (2008–2023), Kingsley Bolton, Priscilla T. Cruz, Isabel P. Martin

English Faculty Publications

The research bibliography presented here is intended to complement the earlier research bibliographies from Bautista on Philippine English (Bautista, 2004; Bautista & Bolton, 2008a). It includes 11 sections dealing with book-length studies of Philippine English, as well as book chapters and journal articles on such topics as code-switching, code-mixing and linguistic hybridization; critical linguistics; discourse analysis; language attitudes and intelligibility; sociolinguistic description; language policies; multilingualism and multilingual education; Philippine literature in English; Philippine English features; and summative perspectives. While the bibliography is essentially contemporary in orientation, this article also emphasizes the foundational contributions of earlier scholars in the field.

Back Matter

The Writing Center Journal

Back Matter for Writing Center Journal 42.3.

Discursive Practices In Recurring Asynchronous Writing Center Consultations, Olalekan T. Adepoju

The Writing Center Journal

This study explores the discursive practices the researcher utilizes during recurring asynchronous writing consultations to engender mutually adjusted and context-driven interactions meaningful to writers’ development during virtual tutoring. While earlier studies have critiqued asynchronous tutoring for its inability to efficiently promote the writing center philosophy, the inevitability of writing centers’ transition to online modes due to the global COVID-19 pandemic warrants that writing center scholarship rethink the effectiveness of these online spaces. This study utilizes a discourse-analytic approach to analyze textual data collected from both WCONLINE and drafts I, the tutor, worked on. Individual interviews are also collected to ascertain …

Identifying Quality Hispanic Children’S Literature For Use In Kindergarten Through Second Grade, (2000-2024), Alexandra Isabel Serrato

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study focuses on identifying quality Hispanic children's literature suitable for use in kindergarten through second grade from 2000 to 2024. It aims to explore key characteristics that define high-quality literature in this genre, considering cultural relevance, educational value, linguistic accuracy, and representation of diverse Hispanic experiences. By reviewing books published during this period, the research evaluates how these works support language development, multicultural understanding, and early literacy skills among young readers. The study also highlights the importance of selecting books that reflect authentic Hispanic voices and experiences, promoting inclusivity and diversity in early childhood education.

Home Of The Brave Book Study Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual learning a second language and living in a new country. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience …

Fish In A Tree Book Study Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual living and learning with dyslexia. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience the dilemmas faced and …