Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Sheltered Math Curriculum For Middle School English Learners, Jasmine Ercink

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Language barriers have shown a need for differentiation and sheltered instruction in the classroom for English Learners (ELs) to be successful in the United States public school system. This project proposes a mathematics curriculum using SIOP so that both groups of students in the middle school level can increase their proficiency in the mathematics content area as well as experience opportunities for academic and social language development. The purpose of this report is to describe the processes, methods, data, and intent of the mathematics curriculum for these learners. The curriculum acts as an effective intervention to fill gaps in both …

Self-Reported Multicultural Teaching Knowledge And Skills Of School Professionals, Julia Kedzior

Masters Theses

Diverse learners face a variety of challenges, such as achievement gaps, behavior problems, and absenteeism. Therefore, it is important for their educators to have both multicultural teaching knowledge and skills to address these challenges and work towards a successful school experience for all students. Although research has sought to measure the cultural competence of teachers, not many studies have examined cultural competence in other school professionals (administrators, school psychologists, social workers, interventionists, instructional assistants, and other individuals who directly work with students in the school environment). In the current study, 185 teachers and other school professionals completed an adapted version …

Developing Cultural Competency In Anesthesia Through Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Emma To

Doctoral Projects

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are the main anesthesia providers in over 70% of rural hospitals providing anesthesia. Each year, over 2,000 student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) graduate and continue as licensed CRNAs. This Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP) project emphasizes the importance of developing culturally competent providers in anesthesia by promoting early outreach in cultural competence education of SRNAs. Cultural competence is described as possessing characteristics of congruent attitudes, awareness, and conduct that provides and enables effective skills in cross-cultural encounters. Encompassing cultural competency education early in the SRNAs profession may provide valuable lifelong cultural skills that will benefit …

Resisting Essentialism In Cultural Research: A Participatory Action Research Study Of Parent Involvement In Education Among Spanish-Speaking Students And Families, Michael J. Frank

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed to investigate a locally-driven action research project to improve connections between Spanish-speaking Latinx parents and the high school that their children attend. Using Participatory Action Research (PAR), the study sought to create a collaborative research agenda that would empower the participants to study their own culture and practices at the school, and how the two combined to create a home-school partnership. Six parents and two members of the school’s bilingual staff comprised the PAR team, with a total of nine members including the principal investigator. The project began with the creation of a public sphere in …

The Application Of The Specific Learning Disability Exclusionary Clause As Practiced By Virginia School Psychologists, Kaitlynn Carter

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

When special education eligibility is being determined under Specific Learning Disability, the exclusionary clause needs to be carefully considered. The current study was concerned with the exclusions of cultural factors, environmental or economic disadvantage, and limited English proficiency. The study used a semi-structured interview to explore when and how the exclusionary clause is considered by school psychologists in Virginia and what type of impact it has on eligibility decisions. Ten school psychologists were contacted via the email database of the Virginia Department of Education and completed a phone interview. Grounded theory was used to investigate the themes and ideas regarding …

The Effects Of College Diversity Education On Ethnocultural Empathy, Addison Dean Monroe

Online Theses and Dissertations

Gains in ethnocultural empathy are one way to establish positive changes in social attitudes. The goal of the present study was to assess changes in ethnocultural empathy among students in a wide range of diversity courses. Preliminary data was collected from two groups of undergraduate students at a large, public university located in the Southeast (n = 47). Pre and post-test measures of ethnocultural empathy (EMC/RSEE) were completed by both the control group (i.e., undergraduate psychology students) and the experimental group (i.e., students enrolled in a diversity course). Post-test, qualitative data related to student perceptions and empathy was also collected …

Ann Arbor And The Ann Arbor Public Schools: A Cultural Geography, Lisa R. Anglin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the persisting disparity in academic achievement between Caucasian and African American students within the Ann Arbor Public School District. This research analyzed the historical and geographical evolution of the city of Ann Arbor, specific to the organization of its public schools. This study sought to define the dominant cultural groups of Ann Arbor, how they evolved, as well as how they migrated to the region. In addition, a critical component of this study was to explain the relationship between the cultural geography of Ann Arbor and structure of the school organization, which …

Cross-Cultural Bridges : Closing The Gaps In Direct Services With Immigrant And Diverse Populations, Lucy Chen

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The shifting cultural, racial, ethnic, and linguistic makeup of the United States is expected to become more diverse in the coming decades. This has important implications for direct service professionals, including social workers and educators. An overview of culturally sensitive, responsive, and competent practices is provided for work with immigrant and diverse populations to assist professionals in the process of crossing cultural bridges, overcoming privilege, and building bridges.

Sex, Gender, And Culture: The Emergence Of Structural Violence While Seeking A Sexual Health Transformation In Uganda, Leah Pauline

MA IDS Thesis Projects

With the 2nd highest fertility rate in the world and the 5th highest population growth rate, Uganda’s ever increasing number of inhabitants is becoming a hindrance to the nation’s ability to develop socially and economically. Despite the push for increased family planning services and sexual health services by the international community and national government, translating words into effective action has been met with cultural beliefs and behaviors blocking the road to changing sex practices within Uganda. Through conversations with the employees of Musana Community Development Organization in Iganga, Uganda, this research explores the complexity of the barriers standing in the …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

Analysis Of 45 Nahua/Mexica/Aztec Children's Books, Yaocihuatzin

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Given the legacy of 500 years of colonization and miseducation of Indigenous peoples, how can Nahua/Mexica/Aztec children's books be decolonized and made appropriate to the twenty first century?

A Comparative Study Of International And American Study Abroad Students' Expectations And Experiences With Host Countries., Evelyn Domville-Roach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This was a comparative study of international and American study abroad students' experiences and expectations with the host countries. The rationale for this study was to acquire a deeper understanding of different experiences of students who study abroad and to understand whether their expectations of the host country have an impact on their experiences. An opportunity sample of American study abroad and international students was selected from the United States student population and their expectations and experiences of the host country compared. The study addressed 6 research questions, using a mixed-method approach. The principal instrument for the investigation was the …

Designing And Teaching A Culture Course In Korea: Developing Cultural Awareness In The Korean University Classroom, Melanie Van Den Hoven

MA TESOL Collection

This Independent Professional Project outlines my process of becoming aware of the interrelationship of language and culture in the Korean University language classroom and the issues surrounding teaching culture in Korea at the turn of the millenium. My decisions, reflections and realizations made as an expatriate EFL teacher based in Seoul, Korea, which helped to address these concerns, are fully presented. This paper reflects on the “culture bumps” inherent in my living and teaching context, and the cultural adjustments made both in the classroom and out. It also explores the major theoretical influences that have been helpful in designing a …

Tenant Partners For Community Education: A Family Literacy Project, Pamela J. Anderson

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this paper is to discuss, describe, and evaluate a family literacy program I developed as a pilot project for Southeast Asian immigrant families with elementary school-aged children living in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.

I will give an overview of this project and review recent research on the different approaches to family literacy. Using a working definition of family literacy based upon current research and implementation in the field, the Indochinese Housing Family Literacy Project-a description of its structure and expected outcomes, lesson plans, and useful findings from current working programs-will be explored and described. Finally, …

A Supplementary Reference Guide For Non-Native English Speakers On The Communicative And Cultural Aspects In The Esl Miscellany, Joanne Ching Chao

MA TESOL Collection

This is a supplementary guide designed especially for non-native ESL users to be used in conjunction with The ESL Miscellany. It covers two parts of the book, the Communicative Aspect and the Cultural Aspect. In the Communicative Aspect this guide includes the definitions of all the idioms under the different categories, such as food, music, colors, and religion which appear in The ESL Miscellany. In the Cultural Aspect, six areas have been explained and defined. These are “Famous Americans”, “heroes”, “Historical Sites”, “Dates and Holidays”, “Famous Quotations”, and “Proverbs”.

Language And Culture In Two Worlds: Teaching English To Hmong Refugees, Sherry Lieberman Preiss, Cammille Smith

MA TESOL Collection

This project is a presentation of two curricula, one for teaching Hmong children and the other for teaching Hmong adults. The curricula provide the necessary guidelines to implement bicultural ESL instruction in a monolingual setting. Included are theoretical discussions that explain the rationale behind the format and content of each of the curricula. The curricula themselves are divided into situational units containing various linguistic and cultural components. The project stemmed from a student teaching internship in Rutland, Vermont, where the authors instructed several families (adults and children) of Hmong refugees. Although the project was primarily aimed towards teaching Hmong refugees, …

Live...From The Language Lab., Ursula H. Raeth

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

A Hodge-Podge Of Written Realia, Suzanne Petrick

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

College Life: U.S.A. A Teaching Resource Packet To Prepare Foreign Students For The Social Side Of Attending A College In The United States., Mark Koncewicz

MA TESOL Collection

This project is a teaching resource packet for ESL/EFL teachers who are interested in showing their students what American college life is like. The project is based on twelve situations which were selected because they seem to be the most typical situations that a foreign student would probably interact in while studying and living at an American college. There are two parts to this project: a set of slides with 5-7 consists of units for each of the situations and a text which consists of units for each of the situations. Each of these units is composed of three sections: …

A Voyage To A Culture: A Special Collection Of Teaching Techniques ( Imaginary Trip Becomes Real In A Classroom), Silvana Hage

MA TESOL Collection

My project uses an imaginary voyage in a classroom as an introduction to second language culture. It consists of a special collection of teaching techniques for post-elementary language teachers of an advanced second language course. The purpose of this project is to help students get a glimpse of a culture in a situational, functional, and performing way. The students plan an imaginary trip to the second language culture of the country where the second language is spoken.

A description of my own experience with the project is given in order to give an overview of how long, when, where, and …

A Practical Guide For Teaching Cultural Awareness Using The Community As A Resource, Elaine R. Ford, Steven Cass

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Planning A Vacation In The U.S.: A Multipurpose Theme In The Esl Classroom, Janet Lynne Entersz

MA TESOL Collection

By means of an in-depth presentation of twenty four activities based on the theme of planning a vacation in the U.S., the author attempts to demonstrate the advantages, for both teachers of English as a second language and students, of using a thematic approach in the classroom to achieve not only language proficiency but such goals as healthy student-teacher relationships, communicative competence and cultural awareness as well. Preceding the twenty four activities is a discussion of the author's assumptions about and personal insights into language learning and language teaching, upon which the activities and advocacy of using a thematic approach …

Teaching Culture - A Texas Model: Materials Development For Teaching American Culture, Focusing On Regional Variations, Melanie Anne Dando

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

A Cultural Observation Project For Outbound Students To France, Fiona Stewart Cook

MA TESOL Collection

This project contains guided question sheets and topics for discussions on cultural values which I developed while leading a summer Outbound group to France. They are designed to help students who are in an immersion or homestay siatuation to focus their attention on the various aspects of everyday life in France, to make careful observations, to share and compare their findings with other group members with the goal of gaining greater understanding of and appreciation for the French culture

Space, Time And Movement: The Context For Spoken Language, Nancy Leach

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Suggested Activities For Using The Newspaper In The Esl Classroom, Carol Gordenstein

MA TESOL Collection

The following project is designed to help teachers introduce the newspaper into the ESL classroom by means of specific activities which have relevance in language teaching. These activities contain both linguistic and cultural content, and can be implemented for various levels. The collection of ideas is grouped according to particular news articles, with a brief description of each type of feature, an example of the feature, and a list of specific and sometimes more general activities related to the feature. This project can be used as a supplement to regular language teaching procedures, and it is hoped that it will …

Tres Cuentos, Beatriz Cespedes De Fantini

MA TESOL Collection

Teachers of Spanish are often concerned primarily with the mechanical aspects of language. A student's knowledge of the language is principally determined by his mastery of vocabulary, correct verb forms, etc. By devoting so much concern to the purely linguistic aspects of communication, other important dimensions have often been ignored; for example, the "appropriateness" of language use in a given social context. Once this dimension is considered, it becomes clear that besides knowledge of the mechanical construct of language, the student must also acquire knowledge of what language choices are appropriate for each social situation.

In this work, three original …

Tooning Into English ( A Rationale For The Use Of Cartoons In The English Language Classroom Plus Cartoons And Lesson Plans ), Timothy James Maciel

MA TESOL Collection

Teachers of English are constantly seeking new and better materials to aid their students in learning the English language. Sometimes these materials are in the form of newspaper or magazine articles and advertisements to show how a grammatical pattern studied in the textbook is actually applied in the culture. Sometimes these materials are in the form of cultural artifacts such as clothing items or eating utensils. And very often these materials are in the form of pictures and photographs to give the student a visual representation of new words or grammatical patterns. Whatever the material, the teacher is constantly looking …

English Language In The Akamba Classroom: Competition And Culture, Nancy E. Horn

MA TESOL Collection

No abstract provided.

Teaching English To Japanese, Kayoko Hisano

MA TESOL Collection

This paper aims at offering some information on the background of Japanese students to native teachers of English. Japanese students have a unique background in English education, which it is advisable for teachers of English to know about if they are to be as effective as possible when teaching them.

CHAPTER I touches on why the Japanese learn English, and CHAPTER II examines the kind of English education that is taught at Japanese high schools. CHAPTER II covers linguistic differences between Japanese and English, and CHAPTER IV deals with the psychology of Japanese students.