Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons^™

An Interdisciplinary Experience, Reyna Vergara, Michael Dodson

OUR Assignment Repository

This proposal showcases the success of an interdisciplinary approach. It provides an overview of a project titled: "Cacao and Chocolate: A Powerful Legacy." It took place during Hispanic Heritage Month in 2023. The project aimed to explore the rich and multifaceted legacy of cacao and chocolate in Latin America, incorporating perspectives from various academic disciplines, including public history, chemistry, Spanish language, graphic design, culinary arts, and family science. The interdisciplinary nature of the project highlights the power of collaboration in research and education, serving as a model for integrating diverse fields of study.

The project was divided into two main …

Latina Voice In Dialogue With Literacy, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study follows the literacy experiences of four Latina middle schoolers as they read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and compose home language narratives in their heritage voices. Both their vibrant ethnic cultures and other intersecting rays of identities are analyzed in the vein of their literate identities. Through analysis of their writing and speech, the girls present hybridized identities on the border between cultures and languages. Their position and identities in the social world of middle school are discussed and how transactions with literacy can dialogically influence those identities to enact critically conscious pedagogy.

Hailey's Hearing Aids, Hailey Marie Garcia

Whittier Scholars Program

Individuals from the deaf and hard-of-hearing community are likely to experience more anxiety and depression due to defective cognitive, social, communicational, and emotional skills (Azizi et al., 2019). The word “disability” is embedded with historical negative connotations with phrases such as “deaf and dumb” because if they were deaf or mute then they were automatically labeled as inferior (Horovitz, 2007). Since the 18th century, the DHH community has been seen as incapable, even inhuman, hence the development of emotional deficiencies that bleed into one’s perception of society and their self esteem (Gallaudet, 1886).

How do you navigate a hearing world …

Ideologías Y Políticas De Perpetua Ilegitimidad: El Caso De La Enseñanza De Lenguas En México, David Martínez-Prieto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Based on data collected in central and southern Mexico, this article examines ideologies embedded in the language learning policies of this country. By qualitatively analyzing 72 interviews to 24 participants, field notes, and the author’s reflective journal, this research investigates the impact of language policies amongst teachers from three different states: Puebla (2017, 2019, 2021), Oaxaca (2018), and Tlaxcala (2020-2021). After comparing the situations of participants, I suggest that nativist, (neo)colonial and neoliberal ideologies—which are prevalent in language policies in Mexico—foster the perpetual delegitimization of language teachers.

[Cldv 100] Diversity And Multicultural Studies, Oluremi "Remi" Alapo

Open Educational Resources

CLDV100 (Liberal Arts) Introduction to Multicultural Studies in the 21st Century: 3 hrs. 3 crs.

A study of what culture is; how it influences the choices we make; how to deal positively with conflicts that inevitably arise in working/living situations with people of diverse cultures. It is a course structured to raise multicultural awareness and fortify students' social skills in dealing with cultural differences. It includes an ethnographic study of cultural groups in the U.S.A. Through the study of cultural concepts, this course develops skills in critical thinking, writing, and scholarly documentation. Not open to students with credit in CLDV …

Composing Her Growing Identities As A Mexican American, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article studies the growing and changing cultural identifications of one early adolescent Mexican American girl as represented by her engagements with literacy. Her writing behaviors in particular manifested a changing cultural identity that reacted to and represented her response to a changing world. Her bilingualism and biculturalism manifested a dialogic innervation of distinct voices and truths, particularly set in the Trump-era United States. Through a theoretical framework of cultural hybridity and bordered identity, this study analyzes the complex linguistic, developmental, and cultural identities of a young Mexican American woman in the rural South.

Diversity And Multi-Cultural Education In The 21st Century: An Oer / Coil / Ztc Course Text, Oluremi "Remi" Alapo

Open Educational Resources

CLDV100 (Liberal Arts) Introduction to Multicultural Studies in the 21st Century: 3 hrs. 3 crs.

A study of what culture is; how it influences the choices we make; how to deal positively with conflicts that inevitably arise in working/living situations with people of diverse cultures. It is a course structured to raise multicultural awareness and fortify students' social skills in dealing with cultural differences. It includes an ethnographic study of cultural groups in the U.S.A. Through the study of cultural concepts, this course develops skills in critical thinking, writing, and scholarly documentation. Not open to students with credit in CLDV …

Carlos Bulosan And Filipino Collective Memory: Teaching, Transgression, And Transformation, Jeffrey Cabusao

English and Cultural Studies Journal Articles

Who is Carlos Bulosan? Why is he significant? Why teach Bulosan in our classrooms? These questions function as points of departure for this lecture delivered in Summer 2021 for the UNITAS International Lecture Series cosponsored by CLASS and Kritika Kultura. By reviewing the significance of Carlos Bulosan, this talk provides an opportunity to examine the continued relevance of Bulosan and his works for the twenty-first century. A pioneering Filipino writer of the twentieth century, Bulosan developed a unique transgressive aesthetic that travels across national and literary boundaries and, in the process, reimagines the boundaries of Filipino identity and literary categorization. …

Art As Contextualization: Using Visual Communication As Christian Missions In Native American And Alaskan Cultures, Hali Gehring

Senior Honors Theses

Contextualization is an important aspect of Christian ministries and cross-cultural missions to create sustaining churches around the world. There are many forms of communication that use contextualization for religious purposes, such as theatre, story, art, and dance. These important forms of communication can be used with cultural practices to contextualize the Gospel to different people groups. For Native Americans and Alaskans, artistic works that promote cultural heritage are highly regarded. A beadwork piece that explains the Gospel could be a creative way to contextualize to Native American and Alaskans.

(Re) Actualizing Culturally Sustaining Read Aloud Practices: Enriching Latinx Bilingual Learners’ Literacy Development, Isela Almaguer

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Focusing on culturally sustaining literacy practices, I sought to conceptualize the integration of culturally rich literature as inclusionary practices for the reading and literacy development of Latinx bilingual learners. It is forecasted that by 2036, Latinx students will make up a third of the nation’s 3 to 17 year old learners - our school age population (US Census Bureau, 2010). Recognizing the importance of engaging with culturally sustaining read alouds and the value in learners seeing themselves reflected in the stories allows for increased opportunities for engagement in the literature used in the read alouds. I steadfastly advocate for asset-based …

Flipping A Virtual Efl Public Speaking Class Integrated With Moocs During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Zhuo Li, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This case study explored Chinese undergraduate EFL students’ attitudes to and perceptions of an online English public speaking course, which employs a virtual flipped classroom model and MOOCs during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Since all classes were moved online, a previously flipped public speaking course integrated with MOOCs was converted into a virtual flipped classroom. All 25 participants of the study were undergraduate students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field. Zoom, Blackboard, and QQ instant messenger were platforms utilized in instruction. There were weekly two-hour Zoom meetings with learning activities using MOOCs on Blackboard. The study collected …

Acknowledging And Affirming University Students’ Linguistic And Cultural Capital In An Education Course, J. Joy Esquierdo

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In order to effectively prepare K-12 teachers to serve linguistically and culturally diverse students, it is vital to provide opportunities for them to develop their intra- and intercultural understandings. This paper describes how a faculty member designed and delivered a teacher preparation class centered on culturally relevant approaches. Students enrolled in this course completed assignments that were designed to guide them through an intracultural reflection to then expand their understandings to an intercultural context. Considering the students’ diverse linguistic and cultural experiences, assignments and projects provided opportunities for them to recognize their linguistic and cultural wealth in order to build …

Embedding Anti-Racism In The Community Development And Youth Work Programme (Cdyw) 2020/2021, Mairead Cluskey, Brid Ni Chonaill Dr, Georgina Lawlor, Sheila Coyle, Liam Mcglynn Dr, Garreth Smith

Group Reports

The Community Development and Youth Work (CDYW) programme team received funding from the IMPACT project as part of the Le Chéile award application during the academic year 2020/2021. The overall aim of the CDYW Le Chéile journey was to embed anti-racism in the teaching, learning and assessment of the programme. Changes were introduced to modules in terms of new content, students were exposed to different perspectives and voices, and new workshops were designed for placement preparation around identifying and responding to racism. With regard to assessment, case studies were used to develop responses to the lived experiences of racism in …

Transformando A Sala De Aula Universitária: O Uso Do Photovoice Como Ferrmenta Metodológica, Sandra I. Musanti, Bettina Steren Dos Santos

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Improving teaching practices in higher education requires an understanding of the impact of pedagogical innovations in student learning through the analysis of the theoretical implications and the articulation of creativity, motivation and learning. This article describes a pedagogical experience that integrates the use of Photovoice, a strategy originally designed to combine photography with digital narration and social participation. This experience was implemented in an online master's course for educators at a southern university in the United States. The use of Photovoice allowed students to explore issues of equity, social justice and education through digital images as the mediating element to …

Basics Of Stepping Club, Hana Pham, Yara Madit

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Originating in West Africa in the 1500s, step has since evolved into a form of dancing that places emphasis on rhythmic movements and high energy. It is commonly used amongst greek organizations and within schools. This club introduces stepping to older children through activities such as stamina, focus, teamwork, and problem solving.

Language And Literacy Practices Of Bilingual Education Preservice Teachers At A Hispanic-Serving College Of Education, Elena M. Venegas, Veronica L. Estrada, Janine M. Schall, Leticia De Leon

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This chapter focuses on an exploratory study of the language and literacy practices of undergraduate students within our Hispanic-Serving College of Education (HSCOE). HSCOEs must first understand and approach the language and literacy practices of bilingual education preservice teachers from an asset-based perspective. Language and literacy practices shape people’s identities and how they exist in the world. Language and literacy development also have an essential role in adult success since reading allows people to access, analyze, synthesize, and use knowledge to understand the world and learn new things. Much of the literature related to language and literacy practices at the …

Bilingual Teacher Educators At An Hsi: A Border Pedagogy For Latinx Teacher Development, Alcione N. Ostorga, Christian E. Zuniga, Kip Austin Hinton

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

As a borderlands’ institution, we are developing a mission and vision for our HSI identity in the college of education, as well as in our university. We envision pedagogical practices embedded in our teacher preparation that are context specific to our bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural community; one that not only prepares PTs to effectively teach all students, but also promotes strong values for equity and social justice. For our Latinx PTs, this aim has two purposes: 1) to tailor our educational practices capitalizing on their unique strengths and addressing possible challenges in their professional development, and 2) preparing them to …

Attending To Conditions That Facilitate Intercultural Competence: A Reciprocal Service-Learning Approach, Rachel M. B. Collopy, Sharon Tjaden-Glass, Novea A. Mcintosh

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Although service-learning can support the development of intercultural competence, it has also maintained power differentials, reinforced privileged perspectives, and strengthened deficit thinking. Recent research has investigated the conditions within service-learning associated with positive change in diversity-related attitudes. We extend that work, conceptualizing a reciprocal service-learning (RSL) approach that integrates conditions posited by contact theory and the process model of intercultural competence into service-learning’s core features of reflection and reciprocity. In an RSL approach, transformational reciprocity at the participant level supports cultural awareness, interdependence, and parity between participant groups. We created an RSL experience and measured change in three attitudes fundamental …

Preparing Bilingual Teachers On The U.S./Mexico Border: Including The Voices Of Emergent Bilinguals, Alcione N. Ostorga, Peter Farruggio

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Language policies in the U.S., including matters relating to bilingual education, are tangled up with political tensions and ideology. All too often, the dialogue among educators and policymakers about what constitutes best practices for people learning English – for whom we will use the term emergent bilinguals (EBs) (Garcia, Kleifgen and Falchi 2008) – fails to include the voices of those they serve. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas provides a uniquely valuable laboratory in which to study bilingual education because of its location, demographic makeup, and migration patterns. In this study, a pedagogical intervention was made …

Using Inquiry In Teacher Professional Learning To Build Efficacy For Writing Instruction, Jacqueline B. Koonce, Melissa Brooks-Yip, Kathleen Gibson

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Whitacre (2019) and Curtis (2017) found that participants’ efficacy impacted their writing instruction and ability to engage students. We share our experiences with a professional development program aimed to improve teacher efficacy and literacy of elementary teachers. In this professional learning network, the Study of Early Literacy (SOEL), a higher percentage of teachers reported to a Hanover Research survey that they felt less confident in teaching writing than other areas of literacy. To address this need, one of the authors developed a subgroup to specifically address the teaching of writing with an inquiry-based action research component. Most of the teachers …

Chinese Culture Club, Ashley Thyes

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Afterschool club that teaches students about Chinese culture and teaches them how to speak and white various words and phrases.

Writing Instruction In China: Challenges And Efforts, Rongrong Dong, Danling Fu, Xiaodi Zhou, Buyi Wang

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This qualitative study examined the current writing instruction in 1-12 level education with the data collected in three Chinese cities. The data from the Interviews of teachers and teacher-educators at different levels and from classroom observations at upper elementary to high schools in three metropolitan cities across China provide insights into 1-12 writing instruction in contemporary China. To further reveal the efforts taken by writing teacher under China’s high-stakes testing culture, this paper also presented a case study of an exemplary 10th grade writing teacher, who took tremendous efforts in nurturing true readers and writers in his classroom under the …

“We Listened To Each Other:” Social-Emotional Growth In Literature Circles, Elena M. Venegas

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Literature circles undoubtedly foster literacy. Yet successful participation in literature circles requires social and emotional competence of students. This article presents findings from a study of a fifth-grade student who demonstrated social-emotional growth while participating in literature circles. Specifically, growth in intrapersonal and interpersonal skills such as self-management, social awareness, social metacognition, and empathy were evident. These findings suggest that literature circles not only foster literacy but also social-emotional learning.

Tour The World Club, Joy Karges

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

This Tour the World club gives students the opportunity to interact with the world, other cultures, and people groups. Through six or seven different countries and many hands-on activities, students will learn what it means to keep an open mind, they will develop a curiosity for the world, and they will be encouraged to prioritize learning and asking questions over giving judgments when faced with something new.

Select Proceedings Of The 2nd Annual Graduate Student Conference: Games, Sins & Mafia, Samuel Gilpin, Carly Hunter, Jenessa Kenway, Alexander Valle, Jarret Keene

Graduate Student Conference

The four papers collected here were originally presented at the Second Annual Graduate Student Conference: "Games, Sins & Mafia." Hosted by the UNLV World Languages & Cultures department and the Organization of Vistas of Hispanic Studies, the conference took place on the UNLV campus on March 16, 2019. These proceedings feature three (at the time) graduate students and one undergraduate student from the UNLV English department. Taken as a whole, the proceedings explore the aesthetic, sociological, and philosophical concerns of a range of authors—William Faulkner, Juan Rulfo (Mexico), Roberto Harrison, and Clarice Lispector (Brazil).

Understanding Diverse Bilingual Learners: The Need For A Transdisciplinary Lens, Amy Weimer, Mario Gil, J. Joy Esquierdo

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The chapter synthesizes findings from diverse disciplinary perspectives to make the case that we need a new lens to better serve the diversity of bilingual learners. Drawing upon theories and findings from studies by educators, child developmentalists, and neuroscientists, but moving beyond any one disciplinary perspective, the authors aim to create a unity of new knowledge developed of theories from across disciplines. This approach is exactly what is needed to address the complexity of factors surrounding bilingual learners. Taking a transdisciplinary approach will allow us to move closer toward an understanding of the many factors affecting bilingual children and families, …

Magnifying English Language Learners' Success Through Culturally Relevant Teaching And Learning Frameworks: Acknowledging The Multidimensional Implications On Language, Literacy, And Learning, Isela Almaguer

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

There is a need to amplify the voices of English language learners through authentic language and literacy learning using a multifaceted culturally relevant and responsive teaching and learning framework that encompasses social justice. Specifically, framing the chapter through the lens of the sociocultural theory to better recognize, acknowledge, and understand the influence of culturally relevant learning. Culture plays a crucial role in forming identity and agency, so we must rethink the effect of culturally relevant pedagogy by linking principles of learning to the cultural realities of children, families, and communities on literacy. English language learners require more empowering and engaging …

Exploring Diversity With A "Culture Box" In First-Year Legal Writing, Ann N. Sinsheimer

Articles

Studying law is in many ways like studying another culture. Students often feel as though they are learning a new language with unfamiliar vocabulary and different styles of communication. Throughout their legal education, students are also exposed to a profession comprised of unique traditions and expectations. As a result, learning law takes time and energy. It can be both engaging and frustrating and may even challenge some of students’ values and belief systems. To ease her students’ transition to law school, the author starts her course each year with a “culture box” exercise, which encourages students to examine who they …

“It’S Making Me A Better Teacher.” Transforming Latinx Teacher Candidates Clinical Field Experiences In A Hispanic Serving Institution, Sandra I. Musanti, Alma D. Rodriguez, Patricia Alvarez Mchatton

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This manuscript explores the outcomes of a university-district partnership that provides Latinx teacher candidates with a yearlong clinical experience as the culmination of their teacher preparation. Qualitative data collected as part of a mixed methods study were analyzed to determine how Latinx teacher candidates and cooperating teachers understand learning to teach, and perceptions of the partnership. Results show an emphasis on mastering routines, learning to teach through observation, and reciprocal growth derived from their mentoring relationship. Salient is the tendency to homogenize Latinx students and a reductionist vision of diversity. The authors explore the positionality of culture and language in …

“Siento Que Siempre Tengo Que Regresar Al Inglés”: Embracing A Translanguaging Stance In A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Sandra I. Musanti, Alyssa G. Cavazos

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This chapter centers on our reflections and pedagogical moves as two bilingual educators at a Hispanic-Serving Institution on the borderland region of South Texas, a predominantly bilingual and bicultural community. Specifically, the chapter documents how we embrace a translanguaging pedagogical stance. Translanguaging practices are identity markers and represent the complex ways bilinguals use their linguistic repertoire to communicate across contexts and to negotiate social identities (García & Li Wei, 2014; Martinez-Roldán, 2015). Drawing on García, Johnson, and Seltzer’s (2017) conceptualization of a translanguaging “corriente,” we describe our translanguaging stance and moves as we, respectively, design and teach two undergraduate courses: …