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Translanguaging: The Instructor-Perceived Benefits Of Use In The Adult English Language Learner Classroom, Paul Jonas
Translanguaging: The Instructor-Perceived Benefits Of Use In The Adult English Language Learner Classroom, Paul Jonas
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This thesis, seeks to answer the research questions: what are the instructor-perceived benefits of translanguaging in the adult second language acquisition classroom for students who have not had any prior English language experience when learning English as a second language? Additionally, is there an instructor-perceived increase in output and comprehension with adult learners when translanguaging is actively used, and how is it being used? Topics explored during the literature review process included translanguaging, perceived benefits and challenges of translanguaging in the classroom, age-related factors for language acquisition, and non-age-related factors regarding language learning. Six English language instructors of adult non-degree-seeking …
Implementing Tpr And Tprs In The Adult Esl Classroom With Slife Learners: A Teacher’S Diary Study, Ann Gehrt
Implementing Tpr And Tprs In The Adult Esl Classroom With Slife Learners: A Teacher’S Diary Study, Ann Gehrt
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This study addresses the question: how can TPR and TPRS be used in the adult ESL classroom to teach vocabulary and reading skills? Adult ELLs with limited or interrupted formal education may struggle to learn English in traditional classrooms that rely on pre-existing literacy skills they have not yet developed, such as reading or taking notes. TPR (Total Physical Response) and TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) are methods of teaching language that may make use of body movements, gestures, role-play, drama and oral storytelling to make language understandable before connecting it to its written form. TPR has a …
Adult Immigrant English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Multilingual And Multicultural Identities, Greta Mcelvain
Adult Immigrant English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Multilingual And Multicultural Identities, Greta Mcelvain
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Adult immigrant English learners (ELs) must navigate living in a new country while also learning a new language. These immigrants are becoming both multicultural and multilingual. It has been established in prior literature that as immigrants adjust to living in a new culture with a different language, they experience both a language (Wardhaugh & Fuller, 2015) and cultural (Gibson, 2001, as cited in Schwartz, 2006, p. 2) shift. These shifts can sometimes result in immigrants losing connection to their first languages (Zhang, 2010) or their home cultures Gu and Lai (2019). Self-reflection activities have been shown to allow individuals to …
Factors Of Persistence In Multilingual Abe Secondary Credential Participants, Sherry Smith
Factors Of Persistence In Multilingual Abe Secondary Credential Participants, Sherry Smith
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study is What factors contribute to multilinguals’ persistence in adult secondary credential programs? ABE participants in general have a high rate of stopping out of programs. For those trying to earn a secondary credential in a second language, the goal of earning a secondary credential may be more complex. There was little research focusing on this population of ABE participants with this goal. This mixed methods retrospective case study examines which factors supported the persistence of three multilingual participants in Adult Basic Education (ABE) who earned their GED®. The supports are categorized into individual, …
Scouts Bsa Wood Badge Through The Lens Of Senge’S Disciplines Of A Learning Organization, Wendy Marik
Scouts Bsa Wood Badge Through The Lens Of Senge’S Disciplines Of A Learning Organization, Wendy Marik
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative case study used researcher participation, participant surveys and participant interviews to explore the presence of the five disciplines of Senge’s learning organization in the training of adult volunteer leaders in Scouts BSA’s Wood Badge in 2021. It also examined how the prevalence of Senge’s five disciplines affected Scouters’ perceptions of Wood Badge training.The study included survey results from 30 participants and interviews with four participants at Northern Star Council’s Wood Badge course in 2021. Findings indicated that all five of Senge’s disciplines were present in Scouts BSA’s Wood Badge course. The study confirmed that Scouts BSA is a …
The Impact Of Home Language Maintenance And Acculturation Gaps Amongst Somali-American Families, Morgyn Wade
The Impact Of Home Language Maintenance And Acculturation Gaps Amongst Somali-American Families, Morgyn Wade
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this thesis was: What impact does home language maintenance and acculturation gaps have on Somali-American families? The purpose was to understand the impact of language loss and acculturation gaps and to see what teachers and others could do to help encourage home language maintenance amongst Somali-American families. It discusses previous research in the field; such as Brown and Carpenter’s (2018) study of a community of Somali-Americans in Barron, Wisconsin, and Gonzalez and Mendez-Pounds’(2018) study on Mexican-American families and parents’ approaches to home language maintenance. In addition, this thesis explores the various connections between language, culture, …
Critical Race Theory: Measuring Anti-Black Sentiment In South Korean English Education, Kenya Nelson
Critical Race Theory: Measuring Anti-Black Sentiment In South Korean English Education, Kenya Nelson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This research study examines how anti-Black sentiment influences Black teachers’ experiences in South Korea, using the critical race theory (CRT) framework to analyze various forms of anti-Black sentiment (ABS) and explore correlations between major tenets of CRT and types of ABS. Previous research has concluded that Black teachers continue to face overt racism in South Korea. Also, there continues to be a lack of empathy or disinterest in discussing racism in Korea. Unfortunately, the amount of research that focuses on the experiences of Black teachers teaching English in East Asia, primarily South Korea, is scarce. This study will add to …
Barriers To Individuals Of Entering The Field Of Education, Jamie Williford
Barriers To Individuals Of Entering The Field Of Education, Jamie Williford
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Institutional racism is prevalent in our society. It is the researcher’s belief that we must acknowledge the effects of racism in order to address the needs of individuals of color. The schools in our nation are an important place to start. The goal of this research is to create a list of barriers to individuals of color entering the field of education. Mixed methods research data collection and literature review aid in solving the research question: What are the barriers to individuals of color entering the field of education? A significant race gap has been noted by the researcher and …
Aspect Comprehension And Processing In Narratives By Native Spanish Speakers, Hannah Riddle
Aspect Comprehension And Processing In Narratives By Native Spanish Speakers, Hannah Riddle
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Aspect is fundamental to expressing time and sequence of events in narratives. In second language acquisition literature little is known about how English aspect is comprehended. This study manipulates aspect in narratives and compares comprehension of Spanish speakers to English and Arabic speakers. English and Spanish have morphosyntactic aspect, Arabic does not. This study examines aspect comprehension in 18 native Spanish speakers, using 16 narratives to capture moment-to-moment and off-line processing. Results show that Spanish speakers comprehend aspect more like English speakers in the moment-to-moment processing, where Arabic speakers do not. Spanish speakers did not comprehend aspect like English speakers …
Understanding Nontraditional Transfer Student Challenges And Persistence To Degree Completion, Marcia L. Runnberg-Valadez
Understanding Nontraditional Transfer Student Challenges And Persistence To Degree Completion, Marcia L. Runnberg-Valadez
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The study examines nontraditional student phenomenon in the struggle toward degree completion. The research questions addressed in this project were, how do nontraditional students who transfer from a community college into an undergraduate degree social work program describe the challenges they experienced during their journey to baccalaureate degree completion? A secondary question explores, how do these students describe their ability to persist through their challenges toward degree completion? Through qualitative in-depth interviews with students and faculty focus groups, the author provides valuable insights into common explicit struggles and powerful implicit meaning making that supports student success.
Esp For Ecotourism: Discourse Skills, Technology, And Collaboration For Job Contexts, Jill King
Esp For Ecotourism: Discourse Skills, Technology, And Collaboration For Job Contexts, Jill King
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This capstone’s primary aim was to design a companion instructional guide for teachers of English for Specific Purposes for ecotourism professionals in Mexico. It identified gaps left by traditional EFL courses that tend to lack strong connections between language instruction and real-world job requirements for English usage. It looked at curricular reform efforts in other world regions with the intention to innovate ESP instruction in Mexico. Findings include recommendations for student-centered curricula that incorporate multimodal learning activities and authentic contexts for tourism jobs. Multiliteracies pedagogy drove the creation of the instructional guide’s components, which provide support in conducting small-group projects …
Esl International Students’ Perceptions Of Their Academic Readiness For Us Higher Education, Jaclyn Combs
Esl International Students’ Perceptions Of Their Academic Readiness For Us Higher Education, Jaclyn Combs
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine English as a second language (ESL) international students’ perceptions on how prepared they felt they were for academic culture and classroom expectations at their higher education institution in the United States. A mixed-methods approach was employed using an in-depth quantitative survey and qualitative interviews. Findings suggest that even if ESL international students satisfy English language proficiency admissions requirements, they still need ongoing English language support, academic literacy development, and a clearer understanding of workload expectations in order to complete their studies successfully. Implications for future research include inspecting the role of US …
An Investigation Into The Allophonic Split Of /B/ And /P/: Is There A Relationship Between Noticing And Pronunciation For Adult Somali Els?, Amy Christine Carruthers
An Investigation Into The Allophonic Split Of /B/ And /P/: Is There A Relationship Between Noticing And Pronunciation For Adult Somali Els?, Amy Christine Carruthers
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
My study sought explore the relationship between an adult Somali EL’s ability to notice the difference between the allophonic split of /b/ and /p/ in two-letter syllable minimal pairs and each participant’s ability to pronounce the same minimal pairs. I also explored whether the use of color photos in targeted pronunciation instruction was significant in improving noticing and pronunciation ability. I conducted a quasi-experimental study using the framework of Schmidt’s noticing theory, and his definition of focal awareness, in a one-time session with two treatment groups; one group utilized the independent variable, color photos of minimal pairs. I conducted a …
Teaching Listening For Prominence In Combination With Reading To Help Students Determine New Information, Margaret Genereux
Teaching Listening For Prominence In Combination With Reading To Help Students Determine New Information, Margaret Genereux
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to assess whether teaching adult English Language Learners (ELLs) to listen for new information spoken with prominence on the target new information increased their ability to make inferences about meaning. Data collected included: a pre and post-test to assess students’ learning during the intervention; an uptake sheet to solicit students’ self-perception of their learning about pronunciation and placement of new information; and a Likert scale to elicit participants’ self-assessment of their ability to identify and use prominence. While results of the post-test on selecting the correct inference were inconclusive, quantitative and qualitative data indicated …
Cultural Dissonance Of Elder Learners In Beginning Literacy And Language Classrooms, Lisa Vogl
Cultural Dissonance Of Elder Learners In Beginning Literacy And Language Classrooms, Lisa Vogl
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Elder learners face unique barriers in LESLLA classrooms. Using qualitative research and semistructured interviews, this study analyzed data from fourteen low-literate elders and their instructor participated in interviews with a bilingual interpreter and observations in a beginning language and literacy classroom. Elders compared their prior learning experiences, based in Indigenous Knowledge, with their experiences in Western classrooms. Themes identified provide important implications for further LESLLA research.
The Impact Of Informal Education On Formal Education In Science A Symbiotic Relationship, Colin Johnson
The Impact Of Informal Education On Formal Education In Science A Symbiotic Relationship, Colin Johnson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Classroom science teachers face many obstacles, from standardized exams to including real world concepts in their science units. Informal science educators are looking for ways to expand their mission into school curricula in the form of activities and project-based learning. Incorporating real-world experiences from informal science institutions can supplement and enrich the formal science educator’s classroom learning units. The research in question in this Capstone was to address how formal and informal science educators can work together to increase students’ participation in science and the environment. I interviewed science professionals about why they pursued a career in science and I …
How International Graduate Students Whose First Language Is Not English Describe The Impact Of Speaking With An Accent In Their Learning, Guadalupe Bañuls
How International Graduate Students Whose First Language Is Not English Describe The Impact Of Speaking With An Accent In Their Learning, Guadalupe Bañuls
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Every year thousands of international students come to the United States to study. Many who pursue advanced degrees are adults whose first language is not English, and they most likely speak English with an accent. Since social interactions are fundamental for learning, speaking English with an accent can be a barrier in communicating with others and impact their learning. This study had two foci: How speaking with an accent impacts the learning of international graduate students whose first language is not English and the impact of speaking English with an accent in their professional and academic environments. The study was …
Teaching English Rhythm: The Importance Of Rhythm And Strategies To Effectively Incorporate Rhythm Practice Within Content Lessons, Angela L. Reinard Haasch
Teaching English Rhythm: The Importance Of Rhythm And Strategies To Effectively Incorporate Rhythm Practice Within Content Lessons, Angela L. Reinard Haasch
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was how can professional development (PD) materials be developed to educate adult education (AE) English as a second language (ESL) teachers about English rhythm and to provide effective strategies to incorporate rhythm throughout content lessons? The motivating factor for this capstone was an observation of teachers’ insecurities regarding pronunciation pedagogy of suprasegmental features, specifically rhythm, a lack of focus on rhythm in ESL classrooms, and a need for PD surrounding teaching pronunciation. The research defines English rhythm, the way it differs from the rhythm of other languages, and its affect on intelligibility. Furthermore, …
What Makes A Veteran-Friendly College Or University Campus?, Donald W-R Allen
What Makes A Veteran-Friendly College Or University Campus?, Donald W-R Allen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The United States Armed Services has produced some of the finest men and women soldiers in history. After their service, some pursue institutions of higher learning to meet the needs of their continued excellence. Some colleges and universities have failed to meet the slightest requirements of the veteran student: understanding, compassion, respect and college credits for military training and experiential learning. The chapters inside this capstone confirms that veterans must be accepted as a very important part of the campus population. When veteran’s complete college and graduate, they have strategically and successfully completed another important undertaking. To look at a …
Exploring Career Development Curricula And Experience Of Secondary Transition Students With Intellectual Disabilities: Interviews With Students And Teachers, Anthony Oliver Dosen
Exploring Career Development Curricula And Experience Of Secondary Transition Students With Intellectual Disabilities: Interviews With Students And Teachers, Anthony Oliver Dosen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was: what kind of job-searching and vocational development skills are being taught to secondary transition students with intellectual disabilities in major American transition programs? The purpose was to determine possible reasons why the employment gap for students with intellectual disabilities remains high following graduation from secondary programs. This qualitative study synthesized past and current research in the fields of job development, customized employment, disability services, and transition education along with detailed, semistructured interviews with current transition students with intellectual disabilities and transition teachers. The author identifies three main themes that emerged from the …
The Intersection Of Collaboration, Critical Thinking And Technology: Implications For Adult Esl Learners Using An Inquiry Approach, Mary Elizabeth Zamacona
The Intersection Of Collaboration, Critical Thinking And Technology: Implications For Adult Esl Learners Using An Inquiry Approach, Mary Elizabeth Zamacona
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The primary purpose of this study was to determine the types and critical thinking skills used by adult ESL students as they learned technology skills through an inquiry approach. The results are based on the types of critical thinking skills that were utilized by adult students working collaboratively on an Excel computer project. Critical thinking was measured by coding audio recordings using the Transitions Integration Framework’s critical thinking skills category. Data were quantified by frequency of occurrence for each sub skill of critical thinking. Results show the most prominent critical thinking skills used by students in this study are problem-solving …
How Can Obstacles To Adult English Language Learners With Low Levels Of English Proficiency Participating In Distance Learning Be Reduced?, Anne Elizabeth Fern Ryan
How Can Obstacles To Adult English Language Learners With Low Levels Of English Proficiency Participating In Distance Learning Be Reduced?, Anne Elizabeth Fern Ryan
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was: How can obstacles to adult ELLs with low levels of English language proficiency participating in distance learning be reduced? Focus groups were conducted with Vietnamese and Somali students to examine their experiences with distance learning. Students spoke of issues of access, difficulty of navigation, and literacy level of online learning content as major frustrations. Translation of computer instruction and increased opportunities to receive computer instruction were among the suggestions students offered for improving distance learning. The student suggestions would be costly for ABE programs to fully implement. Possible avenues for future study …
Increased Connection To Nature And Development Of Ecological Identity In The Illinois Master Naturalist Program, Laura Sjoquist
Increased Connection To Nature And Development Of Ecological Identity In The Illinois Master Naturalist Program, Laura Sjoquist
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine the ways in which the Illinois Master Naturalist program affected adult learners’ connection to local natural areas and the development of an ecological identity. Participants in the Illinois Master Naturalist Program were interviewed to determine their experience in the program. During the interview they were asked to describe their connections to nature and their ecological identity prior to and after participation in the program. While more research is needed, it was concluded from the data that the Master Naturalist program did enable adult learners to develop a greater connection to …
Can A Speaker Of Syllable-Timed L1 (Spanish) Recognize The Stress-Timed Pattern Of The English Language?, Masooma Naqvi
Can A Speaker Of Syllable-Timed L1 (Spanish) Recognize The Stress-Timed Pattern Of The English Language?, Masooma Naqvi
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This is an action-based case study focusing on the ability of a Spanish speaking adult female learner (Lucy) to recognize her incorrect sentence stress in English and recognize what the target stress pattern should be. Following a pre and post-test procedure to collect data over the course of four consecutive once-a-week sessions the participant of the study is interviewed and recorded on the first and the last session while the sessions in between are interventional. The results of the study revealed that adult learners of English are able to recognize and be aware of the English sentence stress pattern but …
An Analysis Of English Language Learning Needs For Latino Adults Associated With A Church Outreach Program, Ellen Elizabeth Keesling
An Analysis Of English Language Learning Needs For Latino Adults Associated With A Church Outreach Program, Ellen Elizabeth Keesling
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to examine the English language learning needs of Latino adults in a rural suburb of a large metropolitan area in the Midwest United States. Participants in the research are primarily of Mexican heritage, ranging in age from 20 to 62. The target population for this study is Latino adults associated with a local church outreach program who are not currently attending ESL classes. Barriers to attending existing ESL classes are identified and hypothetical scenarios for community-based, family-oriented programs are investigated. Data were collected primarily from personal interviews with seven Latino adults who act as …
Factors Influencing The Persistence Of Ged Students, David Foster Wilson
Factors Influencing The Persistence Of Ged Students, David Foster Wilson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was, What factors influence the persistence of GED students? The motivation for this project was the author’s involvement as a teacher in an Adult Education Program. Eighteen students were briefly surveyed and 3 students were interviewed at length to find out more about positive and negative factors that influenced their academic path. The results, particularly from the interviews, provided the key findings that students benefit from a strong team of support, a positive, determined attitude and mindset, and the motivation of working toward a better future.
The Perceived Impact Of A Short-Term Monolingual Karen Language Learning Experience On The Teaching Practices Of Low-Literacy Adult English Language Instructors, Loretta Dakin
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
A limited amount of research on low-educated low-literate adult English language learners exists. An even smaller body of literature addresses innovation and teacher change of the instructors of this demographic. Adult refugees need basic language competency to participate with dignity in a new culture. This study explores the impact of increasing teacher empathy for the monolingual language learning environment that most first-wave refugees encounter upon arrival in the United States and identifies the instructional innovations and modifications that result. Nine participants, all low-level adult ELL instructors from a number of community-based adult language schools, took part in a Karen language …
Somali Stories: A Development Of A Story-Based Esl Literacy Tool For Use With Older Adult Somali Women, Susan Renee Marshall
Somali Stories: A Development Of A Story-Based Esl Literacy Tool For Use With Older Adult Somali Women, Susan Renee Marshall
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The focus of this study is on incorporating what was learned through research to develop a curriculum resource. The primary research question addressed in this project is how educators can incorporate stories from older adult Somali women into English language instruction to improve these students’ English language writing skills. Key influences include my experience as an ESL educator and my strong interest in stories, including their use in education. The study has a curriculum development design. A curriculum resource, in the form of a story-based literacy tool designed to teach English language literacy skills to older Somali women, was developed. …
Young Adult Saudi Learners With Low-Level Literacy, Randy Allen Heuring
Young Adult Saudi Learners With Low-Level Literacy, Randy Allen Heuring
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The guiding question addressed in this curriculum project was, how should phonics be used to improve the English acquisition success rate of Saudi military students? It documents the design and creation of a specialized unit that takes into account all aspects of student learning based on prior knowledge, educational background, cultural values, interest, and motivation. The author integrates newly developed, modified, and existing curriculum, based on relevant research into the methods. The author documents the details of the unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the curriculum. He describes both success and struggles in implementing the …
What Teaching Approach In An Online English Class Is Effective In Improving Guatemalan Business Professionals’ Oral Use Of The Language, Erin Raxon
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The motivation behind this capstone was to create a curriculum unit plan specifically for Guatemalan business professionals wanting to learn oral English in an effective way. This capstone looks at the online learning setting, curriculum models, class size, adult learning, and Guatemalan culture. Based on this research and a questionnaire answered by business professionals in Guatemala City, a curriculum plan is designed. The limitations (and implications) of this curriculum plan are assessed. The curriculum plan is pending implementation.