Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

A Case For An Ecological Approach And Against Language Commodification In Elt, Vinicius O. Souza

MA TESOL Collection

This paper aims to provide an alternative approach to the English language education practiced in many developing countries which can help reverse their current low-proficiency status, as revealed by standard international examinations such as the PISA scores and others. The author argues that this can be best accomplished by adopting an ecological approach to teaching which promotes language learning as emergent and socially situated phenomena, two concepts largely neglected by current teaching methods. In fact, many of these countries have long been dominated by an extremely commodified and cognitivist ELT market, where business interests have taken precedence over pedagogical considerations. …

Vamos Creciendo La Educación Bilingüe E Intercultural En Ecuador: Lecciones De Peguche, Imbabura, Samantha Friedlander

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Aunque Ecuador es un país intercultural según la ley y según la sociedad, el pueblo Kichwa, un grupo indígena, ha sufrido mucha pérdida cultural debido al poder del colonialismo. Un sistema de educación bilingüe e intercultural empezó oficialmente en Ecuador con la DINEIB, Dirección Nacional de Educación Intercultural Bilingüe, bajo la dependencia del Ministerio de Educación, en 1988. Sin embargo, debido a problemas metodológicos, falta de profesores preparados y falta de apoyo del gobierno, este sistema educativo no tiene mucho éxito actualmente. El pueblo indígena no tiene autonomía, y hay una deficiencia de recursos y una falta de apoyo estatal …

Teaching Conflict Transformation Through Stories, Pablo C. Reyes

MA TESOL Collection

This work consists of a didactic compilation of 10 stories, which include fables, folktales, and one true story. These stories have been adapted into lessons and they focus mainly on the themes of conflict transformation and conflict resolution. Through a series of steps, structured by activities, learners will be able to experience working with several diverse scenarios of conflict. Part of these activities will require learners to relate and apply the issues in the stories both to themselves and to pertinent contexts of reality. Thus, this material constitutes a practical and experiential guide to the development and application of skills …

Breathe To Understand, Maxine Swisa

MA TESOL Collection

BREATHE is an acronym for Breathe, Reflect, Empathize, Accept, Thank, Hearten, Engage. The addition of Understand allows for a holistic approach to living a healthy and balanced life both inside and outside the classroom. This paper took form as a result of my personal, spiritual journey, as well as my teaching practice. I noticed that the majority of my students enjoyed experiential activities that included time and space for self-reflection, relaxation and meditation. I began looking for books, seminars, and workshops that explored these areas. Deepak Chopra, Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Dan Siegel, Eckhart Tolle, et al. offer insights into the benefits …

Implementing An Extensive Reading Program In An Intensive University Eap Curriculum, Matthew Peel

MA TESOL Collection

The goal of this project was to integrate an extensive reading (ER) program within an existing 8-week intensive reading curriculum in a university English for academic purposes (EAP) program. The merits of both intensive and extensive reading approaches were examined and used to develop the methodology for the ER program. Additionally, implementation parameters, as agreed upon by the EAP program director and academic coordinator, were used to determine the design and implementation of the ER program that was piloted on a low-intermediate level reading class. A method of anonymous student feedback, via questionnaires and reading logs, were developed and applied …

American History Content-Based Instruction In China, Matthew K. Ingalls

MA TESOL Collection

This project demonstrates materials developed over a three-year period in Chinese international schools for the teaching of U.S. history to ESL learners. It includes an outline for a two-year curriculum with a regular weekly cycle, as well as a close look at strategies and tested activities intended to facilitate understanding of this complex topic and to encourage students to participate beyond passive reception. Specific cultural issues of teaching U.S. history in China are discussed, including issues of ideology and censorship.

Experiential Language Learning: A Short-Term Study Abroad Program To Quetzaltenango, Guatemala For Canton High School, Michelle Traub

Capstone Collection

Canton High School (CHS) is a 485 student, small upper-middle class public school located in Canton, Connecticut. The mission of the school involves preparing productive, tolerant and responsible citizens with the character and independence to embrace and contribute to the global world. However, CHS is limited in its ability to provide students with opportunities to connect with the world outside of Connecticut and the United States, both linguistically and culturally. Although the majority of Canton students take a language class freshman year, the number of students continuing on in learning a language drops every year thereafter. Many students state that …

Engaging In Social Justice With Toddlers, Susan M. Nasiombe

Capstone Collection

This study was created as a way to highlight and begin filling a large void in academic information regarding the ways caregivers engage in social justice with the toddlers they care for. Through an online survey, participants were asked to explain their role and experience as caregivers, give their definition of social justice, share the social justice resources they use to help inform their engagement with toddlers, and list the limitations and barriers they face in achieving their goals in this area. Participants were also asked to assess their value of various elements commonly used to engage toddlers in social …

Rimanchis Runasimita: La Enseñanza En Quechua Como Una Herramienta Del Mantenimiento De La Identidad Cultural De Los Jóvenes Quechua Hablantes / Rimanchis Runasimita:Teaching In Quechua As A Tool To Maintaincultural Identity Of Young Quechua Speakers, Willow Shram

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the use of teaching in Quechua as a tool to help maintain the cultural identity and strengthen the self-esteem of young Quechua speakers. I went to three rural schools to complete my fieldwork: I.E. Nº 50492 in Ocongate, I.E. Nº 50765 in Sallikancha, and I.E. Nº 501432 in Kumunkancha. All the schools use the method of Bilingual Intercultural Education in Quechua and Spanish, and are part of the project “Fe y Alegría”. The objectives of this investigation are to describe, analyze, and explain the method of teaching in Quechua in bilingual intercultural schools in rural communities to …

“He Venido A Servir A Mi Gente” El Liceo Guacolda Y La Educación Intercultural En Chile / "I Have Come To Serve My People " The Liceo Guacolda And Intercultural Education In Chile, Jake Highleyman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The concept of intercultural education is present in many countries worldwide: it’s the idea of learning through the lenses of more than one culture, not just the Western or dominant one. In Chile, intercultural education is most commonly associated with the mapuche, the largest indigenous group in Chile. Since 1993, Chile has had a federal Bilingual Intercultural Education program (EIB). However, almost all of the implementation is left up to individual schools. The schools that do apply the program at a high school level only do so in an elective-based manner. That is, only students who elect to take a …

Language Diversity In Trainings: Analyzing The Use Of English In A Writeshop Process, Elis Cardoso Motta

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper discusses a learning process called “writeshop,” and the role played by language use in a writeshop I co-facilitated in November 2013 in South Africa. A writeshop is a workshop to collectively create a written product for publication. This paper starts with a description of my experience in co-designing and co-facilitating a writeshop as part of my practicum, followed by a reflection on the process and the different roles I played, from a trainer lens. The third part of this capstone paper presents an analysis, based on a survey and individual interviews conducted with the writeshop participants, of …

A Holistic Approach To Homestay: A Homestay Program Proposal For Cats Academy Boston, Nora Salmon

Capstone Collection

The following is a proposal for an academic yearlong homestay program for international students attending high school in the United States. This proposal examines what research conducted on homestay programs says about the effects of living in a homestay, what the perceived benefits of living in a homestay are and what is the role of homestay hosts in the homestay experience.

The homestay program developed is entitled the CATS Academy Homestay Program. This proposed program design incorporates the homestay experience as part of the students’ overall education at the high school CATS Academy, located in Newton, Massachusetts. It uses a …

The Culture Conundrum: Training Faculty And Staff For Effectively Working With International Students, Mckenna S. Pencak

Capstone Collection

Over the past five years, the number of international students studying at the University of Notre Dame has increased by 30 percent. The increase in the numbers of undergraduate international students, as well as Chinese international students, has been even more significant. This rapid growth in the number of international students has created challenges for University faculty, staff, and administrators, both inside and outside of the classroom. International students typically face different challenges adjusting to an American university from their American peers, stemming from differences between their home country cultures and American culture. When an international student is facing a …

Long-Term Impacts And Outcomes: Sit Study Abroad, Marianne Mcgarrity

Capstone Collection

This capstone reports on the results of the SIT Study Abroad Long-Term Impacts and Outcomes survey, a research project designed to investigate how alumni would self-report impacts of their study abroad experience with regard to academic, personal, and professional outcomes. The principal question the study sought to answer was “How and to what extent do SIT Study Abroad programs impact alumni in the long term?” This paper focuses largely on the career outcomes of the alumni who participated in this research. A large percentage of SIT Study Abroad alumni report that impacts to their career choices were significant and that …

Teaching The Moral Imagination: How Global Education Aids In Peacebuilding, Charlee Bianchini

Capstone Collection

In this paper I present distinctive information from written resources and in-depth interviews with 17 constituents who are in some way involved in the incorporation of Global Education curriculum in the US. I specifically looked at Brookwood School in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, a private school looking to develop programming around this subject. I also looked at World Learning Youth Programs in order to gain insight from an institution solely focused on GE. The aim of the research was to learn why and how Global Education programs are being incorporated into curriculums, what skills schools are aiming to have their students learn …

Wildcats International Neighbors: Bridging International Students With Local Community At Northern Michigan University, Manato Kaisho

Capstone Collection

In Fall 2013 semester, Wildcats International Neighbors (W.I.N.) was designed and implemented as a pilot program for the International Programs Office (IPO) at Northern Michigan University (NMU). It was a cross-cultural program to connect international students and local community members for mutual cultural exchange. Moreover, this program served as a support program for international students during their transition to American culture. Fall 2013 semester was first time when the IPO implemented this program. At the end of the semester, the IPO conducted a program evaluation, and the office discovered there were several aspects of the program that needed to be …

Intercultural Communication In Brazil: An Approach To Engage Multicultural North Dakota State University Students In Study Abroad, Allison Wright

Capstone Collection

Intercultural Communication in Brazil (IC Brazil) is a course-embedded program aimed at multicultural students by building off of the curriculum in one of the general education requirement courses at North Dakota State University (NDSU). It has been designed to fit within the confines of NDSU’s existing study abroad structure and uses a targeted approach to student recruitment that can be utilized by other faculty-leaders at NDSU, universities, and members of the IE field.

IC Brazil is an experiential learning course-embedded program that contains on-campus learning, fieldwork in Rio de Janeiro, and course reflections upon the students’ return. IC Brazil students …

Mi Cultura, Su Cultura: A Cultural Exchange Program For Central College, Whitney J. Longnecker

Capstone Collection

Central College is a 1,500-student, liberal arts higher education institution located in Pella, Iowa. The College boasts a study abroad participation rate of over 50 percent; however, the institution seeks to internationalize the campus beyond study abroad. At the request of Central College President Dr. Mark Putnam, a global taskforce consisting of faculty, staff and students formed to consider internationalization strategies and the taskforce is keen to welcome international students to the institution. Currently, a very small number of international students attend Central College and international student support services are decentralized and limited.

Mi Cultura, Su Cultura (MCSC) was developed …

Family English Learning: A Workshop On Using English At Home, James Johnston

Sandanona

Mothers play an integral role in language acquisition—we do refer to our native languages as “mother tongues,” after all. In South Korea, mothers play an especially important role, pushing Korea to be the largest education market in the world.

This paper examines how EFL teachers can integrate mothers in their students’ learning process using a family-oriented approach.

Advanced Eal Class, Relative Clauses, Jihyun Sung

Sandanona

Participants will have a chance to think about what are the core(s) of relative clauses for learners along the form, meaning, and use dimensions by exploring some relative clause activities and analyzing students’ grammatical errors.

Intercultural Communication In Florida: The Immigrant Story - A Program For Adult Learners, Stephanie V. Wobensmith

Capstone Collection

Although participation in university study abroad programs has grown steadily within the United States in recent years, many students are still being left without access to the important intercultural learning that it allows. Adult learners, students over the age of 25 who often have family and work responsibilities outside of the academic setting, are frequently included in this underrepresented demographic. In order to create a more accessible program for these students, the Intercultural Communication in Florida: The Immigrant Story (ICC in Florida) program uses the same learning paradigm as short-term study abroad but combines it with lessons learned through newer …

North Dakota State University Study Abroad Strategic Plan: Enhancing Student Mobility For The 21st Century, Krysta Gorder

Capstone Collection

This study analyzes current study abroad efforts at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and aids in the design of a strategic plan to grow student mobility numbers. The NDSU study abroad office (SAO) desires to increase the number of students studying abroad from two percent to five percent of the study body by the year 2019. In order to establish accountability across the entire infrastructure of the institution, NDSU has signed onto a commitment with the Institute of International Education (IIE) and its Generation Study Abroad (GSA) initiative that aims to double the number of U.S. students nationwide that study …

Volunteering And Social Development Across Cultures: A Credit Bearing Course For The Alliance For Global Education's Global And Public Health Program At Manipal University (India), Katie Jo Walter

Capstone Collection

This course-linked capstone presents full details for the creation, facilitation and evaluation of a new field-based course for the Alliance for Global Education’s (Alliance) Global and Public Health program at Manipal University in India. Operating in partnership with Manipal University’s Volunteer Services Organization (VSO), the course will increase opportunities for participant interaction with people both on and off campus, actively respond to participants’ stated interest in volunteer work, and strengthen institutional ties between the Alliance and Manipal University.

The plan for the course, titled, “Volunteering across cultures: India and the United States”, incorporates best practices and theories from international service …

Exploring Service Learning In Study Abroad: An Evaluation Of The Umbra Institute’S Urban Spaces Course, Lisa M. George

Capstone Collection

Over the proceeding decades, service learning programs combining academic study with community service have been growing in popularity at U.S. institutions of higher education. This growth has been equated to service learning’s ability to assist students with achieving personal and academic goals, as well as broader goals of civic engagement for communities. With these programs occurring in an increasingly interconnected world, that is also seeing growth in study abroad participation, it is only natural that students would seek out similar service learning opportunities in their international destinations.

Today more than 80% of students enrolled at The Umbra Institute in Perugia, …

Preparing Teen Girls To Enter The Workforce Through A Job-Readiness Training Program In The Dominican Republic, Genevieve F. Corrin

Capstone Collection

A recent shift has concentrated international community development efforts on women, many specifically aiming to work with adolescent women. This capstone explores the design, facilitation and potential developmental impact of work-readiness training for teen girls in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. Such training comes with many challenges and possibilities for positive outcome. Methodologies and frameworks introduced through SIT courses aid in the examination of these challenges, the solutions used to transform them and possible preventative approaches. Tools gleaned from the spring SIT TDEL course, to which this capstone is linked, inspire the creation of the training. These tools are also used to …

The Vicious Circle Of Data Gaps, Lack Of Prioritization And Low Capacity: A Study On Post-Conflict Education In Sierra Leone, Meixi Guo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is meant to present the findings and analysis of a one-month independent study project on the topic of post-conflict education in Sierra Leone. By using databases and institutional reports, the study examines the issue of data availability of Sierra Leone’s education sector and the data collection process. Through analysis of documents and interviews with experts, the study identified the importance of education reconstruction and the role of ministry of education. In the case of Sierra Leone, low capacity of ministry of education was shown as well the lack of prioritization from the government and international community. By analyzing …

An Expanded Field Guide On Cross-Cultural Learning For Faculty Leaders Of University Of Missouri Study Abroad Programs, William Palmieri

Capstone Collection

As the term global citizen becomes ubiquitous in our world, it is imperative that faculty-led programs abroad challenge students’ understanding, as such. Therefore, by accompanying students abroad, educators must adopt methods that guide and challenge students to have a command of the impact of the experience. This paper will present the rationale for maximizing the impact abroad for faculty-led programs and ways students can gain an informed global perspective in their respective fields. Participant partners were University of Missouri and The School for International Training in creating an Internet –based resource manual, An Expanded Field Guide on Cross-Cultural Learning for …

Internationalizing The Study Abroad Classroom: An Intensive English Program At The American Graduate School In Paris, Jordan A. Caley

Capstone Collection

The American Graduate School in Paris (AGS) is a not-for-profit institution founded in 1994 to provide U.S. higher education in France to students from around the world pursuing graduate degrees in International Relations, Diplomacy, and Business. Since 2008, AGS has partnered with Arcadia University located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA, to provide summer, semester, and academic year undergraduate study abroad programs in these fields. While current study abroad participants are undergraduate students pursuing degrees at U.S. institutions, AGS has recently received permission to internationalize the study abroad classroom by recruiting students from around the world. Because AGS courses are delivered exclusively …

Examining Student Motivation In Saudi Arabia, Sarah Marie Springsteen

MA TESOL Collection

Every year, thousands of people from all over the world travel to Saudi Arabia to teach English. As well, yearly, thousands of Saudi students receive a large portion of their English education from these expatriate teachers. Despite the millions of dollars spent on this educational process, the linguistic impact suffers greatly from a lack of understanding between teacher and student, often caused by undiscussed misconceptions. This paper is written in an effort to open a dialogue about the problems of motivation in the Saudi college and university prep-year programs. It analyzes student motivation using three different research techniques, and posits …

Amended Incoming International Student Orientation For The College Of The Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, Monica Hamm

Capstone Collection

This proposal was created in order to design and implement a theory-based Incoming International Student Orientation program for the College of the Atlantic (COA) Office of International Student Services in Bar Harbor, Maine. This is a Course-Linked Capstone Proposal (CLC) for the two-day orientation that prepares incoming international students for life at a small American college and touches on aspects of immigration regulations, culture, transitions, and student development.

After reviewing the program Needs Assessment and past orientation programs for incoming international students at COA, it was clear that there was an active need for an orientation that touched on more …