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Teachers’ Perspectives On The Transition Of Dual Language Spanish Immersion Students To Middle School, Myriam Castro-Franco
Teachers’ Perspectives On The Transition Of Dual Language Spanish Immersion Students To Middle School, Myriam Castro-Franco
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
How do Dual Language Immersion (DLI) educators envision a well-implemented program that supports their students’ transition from elementary DLI to middle school? This research is intended to amplify teachers’ voices in shaping elementary students’ transition to middle school. Results are focused on aligning teachers’ perspectives with the Guided Principles for Dual Language Instruction (Howard et al., 2018). Educators’ visions for a well-implemented immersion program can provide insight into the best ways to support students transitioning from elementary to middle school. This study intends to provide perspective into developing the program for a successful transition. This understanding can help inform policy, …
Early Career Language Educators Experience Joy And Purpose In The Creation Of Multilingual Classroom Ecologies, Jonell Pacyga
Early Career Language Educators Experience Joy And Purpose In The Creation Of Multilingual Classroom Ecologies, Jonell Pacyga
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this phenomenological study was to intensely analyze and interpret the experiences of a select sample of early career language teachers as they reflected on their languaging interactions with their learners. To answer the research question: How do early career language teachers experience the creation of multilingual classroom ecologies?, four individuals participated by collectively providing 14 interviews, submitting 13 bi-weekly journals, and sharing 17 self-selected semiotic images over a two month time period. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 1996) was then employed using a double hermeneutic to uncover themes in each case by elucidating descriptions and then cohesively analyzing …
Bridging The Gap Between Language Learning, Technology & Community: The Importance And Viability Of A Language Learning Mobile Application That Will Connect Users To Each Other Based On Location To The English As A Second Language Community, Parinaz Kassemi
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was: what is the importance and viability of a language-learning mobile application that will connect users to each other based on location to the English as a Second Language Community. The topics explored in the review of the literature include what a mobile application is, the current language learning applications that are available, the openness to technology in education, and the future of mobile apps. Six different adults who spoke more than one language took a short survey in which I collected some feedback on the perceived usefulness of having a language learning …
In What Ways Do Language Lessons That Incorporate Student- And Teacher-Generated Gestures Support Language Learning In An 8th Grade Beginning-Level Spanish Classroom?, Simone Johnson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
In this six-week action research study, 18 participants between the ages of 12 and 14 were given four week-long gesture-based vocabulary lessons to determine the role that gestures have on L2 vocabulary acquisition in an eighth-grade beginning-level Spanish classroom. Each week, students were encouraged to learn and practice a list of vocabulary words using gesture-based activities, seeing that gestures, a form of embodied learning, has proven to positively affect L2 vocabulary acquisition and address the needs of diverse learners. The first and third lessons consisted of teacher-generated gestures, while the second and fourth were student-generated gesture-based lessons and the two …
Teaching Grammar Through Music, Katie Monson
Teaching Grammar Through Music, Katie Monson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research questions addressed in this action research project were How can repeatedly singing songs in Spanish containing temporal words and past tense vocabulary impact Spanish immersion second graders’ use of past tense verbs when speaking Spanish?; And how will learners perceive the songs and their effect on their learning? A pre-assessment was given to evaluate students’ abilities to use past tense verbs in speaking. The same assessment was given after a teaching intervention in which the students sang three songs containing the six verbs every day for two weeks. Students were then interviewed about how they felt about the …
The Type Of Homework Assignment And Its Potential To Influence Student Motivation And Language Learning In A High School Spanish Language Classroom, Sarah Spilde
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was, how does the type of homework assignment influence student motivation and Spanish language learning in the classroom? It documents one teacher’s implementation of two lessons in a unit of study to evaluate student in- class Spanish language use, homework scores, test scores and student perceptions on motivation and homework. The teacher records student data and identifies research literature to provide meaning and context to the study in the area of Spanish language learning. She defines the areas of success and areas of limitations in conducting an action research study and concludes that …
The Impact Of The Closure Of Open Enrollment On Language Immersion Program, Katie Moss
The Impact Of The Closure Of Open Enrollment On Language Immersion Program, Katie Moss
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to investigate to what lengths the parents of open enrolled students are willing to go, to gain entrance into the Spanish Immersion program, upon the closure of open enrollment to 1% (one percent). Qualitative study results demonstrate that parents are not willing to go to any lengths to obtain enrollment. This significantly rejects the hypothesis that they would be willing to do “whatever it takes” as they communicated upon the initial closure of open enrollment to 1%. The greatest findings were that personal and family ethics had the greatest impact upon how far a …
What Effect Does A Spanish Vocabulary-Through-Music Instructional Intervention Have On The Development Of Early Literacy Skills Of Preschool Students In A Bilingual Setting?, Natalie Ehalt-Bove
What Effect Does A Spanish Vocabulary-Through-Music Instructional Intervention Have On The Development Of Early Literacy Skills Of Preschool Students In A Bilingual Setting?, Natalie Ehalt-Bove
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This study measured the effects of a music-based Spanish instructional intervention on the Spanish vocabulary acquisition of four- and five-year-old students of varying language backgrounds who were enrolled together in a dual immersion preschool program. Research by Christ & Wang (2010), Schwartz (2014) and others concludes that young, pre-reading children with underdeveloped vocabulary can encounter difficulties achieving literacy. Thus, this project set out to determine the effectiveness of one specific vocabulary teaching strategy, in an effort to aid teachers in choosing effective instructional methods. Twenty participants were divided into two groups, including a control group receiving a nonmusical instructional intervention …
Improving Language Proficiency Through Effective Use Of Authentic Assessments In High School Spanish Courses, Jeffrey Wheeler
Improving Language Proficiency Through Effective Use Of Authentic Assessments In High School Spanish Courses, Jeffrey Wheeler
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed is: How can high school Spanish students improve language proficiency through the use of authentic assessments? This capstone documents the research and design of a high school Spanish language curriculum. The capstone explores methods and strategies used to teach world languages throughout the twentieth century to American students and provides analysis of the popular trends in foreign language instruction over the years. The author illustrates the curriculum model and identifies the performance-based assessments used to evaluate student’s proficiency in Spanish. The capstone goes on to highlight the limitations and challenges of creating a performance-based, proficiencycentered curriculum …
Valuing Multilingualism: Differences In Perceptions Of Students In World Language Classes Versus Students In Esl, Kazusa Yamashita
Valuing Multilingualism: Differences In Perceptions Of Students In World Language Classes Versus Students In Esl, Kazusa Yamashita
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
With globalization, the need and benefits of multilingualism become increasingly clear (Diamond, 2010). This study aims to identify how multilingualism is valued in a school by comparing the teachers’ perceptions of students taking world language classes versus those taking ESL classes. By understanding the perceptions of teachers towards students engaged in becoming multilingual, the study provides information on how multilingualism is perceived by the school community. Students taking world language classes are praised for their language acquisition but ELs are viewed with a deficit perspective, their potentials overshadowed. Even though the school overtly promotes multilingualism, ELs may be marginalized due …
The Impact Of Independent Investigations On The Engagement Of Elementary Spanish Immersion Students Who Are Gifted, Carolyn Suarez
The Impact Of Independent Investigations On The Engagement Of Elementary Spanish Immersion Students Who Are Gifted, Carolyn Suarez
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, What is the impact of independent investigations on the engagement of students labeled as gifted in the elementary immersion setting? It documents the implementation of a Renzulli Type III intervention, independent investigations, and students’ levels of engagement before, during and after implementation. Data was gathered from student questionnaires, translated style inventories, translated interest surveys, individual student reflections and group exit interviews. Results indicated that during the study, students demonstrated levels of engagement similar to or higher than other gifted education strategies already in place. Students who utilized engagement and research tools provided …
Teaching Math Academic Language In Chinese Immersion Middle Schools, Xu Zhu
Teaching Math Academic Language In Chinese Immersion Middle Schools, Xu Zhu
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The guiding question of this capstone is: How should teachers teach math academic language and support students using math academic language in Chinese immersion middle schools? Academic language is the language that students need in acquiring new knowledge, while teachers in language immersion schools need help with teaching academic language. This capstone presents a curriculum project to guide teachers in Chinese immersion middle schools to teach math academic language with a concentration on students’ communication and collaboration. Integrating the ideas in the studies of academic language, language immersion education, teaching middle school math, and student-centered learning, the project plays a …
Environmental Education In A Dual Immersion Classroom, Annaka Marie Larson
Environmental Education In A Dual Immersion Classroom, Annaka Marie Larson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, how can environmental education curricula be implemented in dual immersion classrooms? It describes how the author used a unit planning framework designed for dual immersion to adapt lessons from the environmental education curriculum Project WILD for her first grade Spanish immersion class. Both curriculum design and action research were incorporated into the project. She details the process of modifying the lessons, what happened when she implemented the lessons in her classroom, and how the lessons improved students’ content knowledge, language abilities, and appreciation for the environment. She concludes that environmental education can …
Rendaku: The Sociolinguistics Of Its Use In Japanese, Matthew Sofus Joseph
Rendaku: The Sociolinguistics Of Its Use In Japanese, Matthew Sofus Joseph
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed is, do sociolinguistic variables influence the use of rendaku among native speakers of Japanese? The motivating factor for this capstone was that rendaku use seems to be inconsistent. This capstone records the rendaku use of twelve native Japanese speakers in semistructured interviews to examine if aspects of their sociolinguistic backgrounds correlate with rendaku use. Key influences for this capstone were the writer’s own experience with rendaku as a Japanese learner in Japan and his professor who recognized the potential for rendaku to be studied through the prism of sociolinguistics. The research was done using semi-structured interviews …
The Influence Of Parent Language Use On The Dual Language Development Of Simultaneous Bilinguals, Berit Erin Gelvez
The Influence Of Parent Language Use On The Dual Language Development Of Simultaneous Bilinguals, Berit Erin Gelvez
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This study included bilingual families who have the goal of raising their child to be 5 bilingual. The purpose was to examine how parents use both English and Spanish with 6 their child and whether that resulted in their child being bilingual. This research used a 7 mixed methods approach, which included an interview with parents to learn how they use 8 each language with their child. The second part included a vocabulary assessment with 9 the child in both English and Spanish. Results of the vocabulary assessment and 10 information from parent interviews were analyzed to see if there …
A Study Of Effective Teaching Strategies In A Kindergarten Chinese Immersion Class, Shengjia Ni
A Study Of Effective Teaching Strategies In A Kindergarten Chinese Immersion Class, Shengjia Ni
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone is, what teaching methods or strategies are effective in terms of teaching the target language, Chinese, as well as teaching other content areas through the target language for kindergarten students in a Chinese immersion program. The motivating factor for this capstone is the scarcity of existing research about specific teaching methods in this type of schools in the United States. The author looks for the effectiveness of Units of Inquiry learning model by documenting students’ response and reaction for multiple activities or projects. She tries to find out whether such learning model generates …
Pushing Past The Plateau: A Diary Study Of A Not Quite Intermediate Korean Language Learner, Jonathan D. Wilson
Pushing Past The Plateau: A Diary Study Of A Not Quite Intermediate Korean Language Learner, Jonathan D. Wilson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
In this study the author explores the internal and personal aspects of his own learning of the Korean language through the qualitative perspective of a language learning diary. Language fossilization is brought into focus as the author resumes learning the language after a three year break and attempts to push past his perceived plateau. Fossilization is a foundational concept in the field of adult Second Language Acquisition (SLA), yet seemingly none have covered this issue using the diary study design and the unique, inside perspective that this design offers. The author developed his own study plan and recorded regular introspective …
When And Why Do Native English Speaking Students In A Spanish Immersion Setting Switch Into English During Math Instruction?, Samantha Marie Judith Holland
When And Why Do Native English Speaking Students In A Spanish Immersion Setting Switch Into English During Math Instruction?, Samantha Marie Judith Holland
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This study addressed when and why do native English speakers in a Spanish immersion switch into English during math instruction? This capstone studied 30 students in a Spanish immersion school in an affluent suburban area in the Upper Midwest. The author used literature from other types of immersion schools to highlight the lack of research on native English speakers in immersion settings. This capstone used audio- recordings, questionnaires and open-ended interviews to research the question. The researcher concludes that teaching Spanish vernacular in the immersion model would decrease the amount of English in the math classroom and that language objectives …
Je Me Suis Couché De Bonne Heure: The Explicit Teaching Of Collocations To High School French 2 Students, Callie Anne Kunz
Je Me Suis Couché De Bonne Heure: The Explicit Teaching Of Collocations To High School French 2 Students, Callie Anne Kunz
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Two research questions guided this project: With explicit instruction, to what degree will students be able to acquire and use collocations in a descriptive writing task? And, to what degree will knowledge of collocations affect student confidence in their ability to communicate in French? Watching her students struggle with acquiring and using new vocabulary motivated the author’s interest in trying a novel approach to teaching vocabulary. This capstone discusses the results of explicit collocation instruction to nineteen high school French 2 students. The author uses research to support the teaching of collocations and documents the details of teaching a vocabulary …
Mandarin Immersion School: A Case Study, Susan Jean Koehn
Mandarin Immersion School: A Case Study, Susan Jean Koehn
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research questions addressed in this project were designed to explore the literacy development of a nine-year-old boy in an elementary Mandarin immersion program. The motivating factor for this research was to investigate his learning experience from his perspective, that of his teachers and that of his mother, the researcher. The approach chosen was a case study using ethnographic methodology consisting of classroom and home observations, teacher and student interviews, a survey, and formative and summative assessments. During the course of the study, it emerged that he has dyslexia. The issues in dealing with a dyslexic student were therefore also …