Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Determining Differences In Bilingualism And Learning Disabilities, Mayreni Villegas

Community Engagement Student Work

In U.S. history, people who have any form of disabilities have been overlooked, hidden at home and other were sent away. Much like minorities who enter the US educational system and are often times placed in remedial classes or special education due to their language barrier. The over-representation of minorities in special education classes has sparked researchers’ interest in determining if being multi-lingual can cause any form of learning disability. After much research, it has been concluded that being multi-lingual does not correlate with having learning disabilities however; which does not explain the over-representation of multi-lingual minorities in special education …

Amjambo Africa! (April 2019), Kathreen Harrison

Amjambo Africa!

In This Issue...

Editorial: Migration ................Page 3

Senegalese Storytelling .......Page 12

Diversity & Inclusion Update - Spring 2019, Office Of Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion Update

The Spring 2019 newsletter discusses ongoing campus initiatives to facilitate diversity and inclusion efforts on campus. Topics discussed include: The First Generation Campaign; the growth of Latinx house; faculty training around diversity and inclusion in teaching; the Trustee-led advisory group on the new campus renaming policy; the development of "Breathe Gettysburg"; the continued development of "Our Voices", which will be replacing the Vagina Monologues; as well as continuing to address concerns from the Campus Climate Study.

Toro Times: Raising Our Voices!, Griffee Albaugh, Tiana Andrade, Mitchell Chen, Eric Cho, Kimberly Contreras, Minerva Ipatzi, Natalie Oporta, Jorge Cortes, Wendy Flores, Victoria Sato, David Hernandez, Kendall Hill, Ryan Guzman, Jose Lopez Huerta, Gerard Villaseñor, Isa Basche, Anthony Castro, Adolfo Bello, Raymond Ferman, Paul Callahan, Olivia Coston, Julie Ornelas, Jane Gore, Jiva Jimmons, Sakura Kato, Jessie Latin, Erin Leung, Diana Miranda, Sydnie Partida, Reuben Regalado, Kimberly Velazquez, Isabelle Arriaga, Ezekiel Banda, Angelynn Benitez De La Cruz, Airiale Hernandez, Alana Caires, Katelyn Carbajal, Karly Eastley, Kiaya Estes, Layla Fulton, Leslie Rosales, Bella Ryan, Marisol Gallardo, Krystal Gonzalez, Ciera Ortiz, Brody Shellenbarger, Jackie Solano, Kyra Gallego, Vanessa Garcia, Nhi Vo, Emily Gutierrez, Sarah Hernandez, Keila Pineda, Valerie Quinones, Luke Kudlinski, Samantha Mbodwam, Alexa Muro, Jasmine Nava, Dayana St. Clair, Lizbeth Teran, Heaven Wong

Yorba-Chapman Writing Partnership Anthology of Journalistic Writing

During the Spring 2019 semester, Dr. Noah Asher Golden's Teaching of Writing K-12 students partnered with the Journalism class at Yorba Academy for the Arts. Through collaboration over a four-month period, Chapman's future teachers and Yorba's junior high journalists engaged a deep writing process to write a series of features, editorials, and news articles related to a number of global issues. Thank you to Principal Preciado-Martin, former principal Tracy Knibb, Mrs. Andrea Lopez, Mrs. Kori Shelton, and the Lloyd E. and Elisabeth H. Klein Family Foundation for supporting this project.

Understanding The Language Experiences And Motivations Of Deaf Adolescent Latino Struggling Readers, Melissa Herzig

JADARA

Current American methods for educating Deaf adolescent Latino struggling readers need to change in order to maximize learning opportunities. This begins with identifying student strengths and building on them to help students gain new and productive skills. It is imperative to understand Deaf students’ socio-cultural backgrounds, interests, needs, and values through ethnographic research in order to identify what motivates these Latino Deaf adolescents to read. This information could guide teachers and specialists in redesigning and tailoring instruction for these students.

Language Matters: What Are The Primary School Teachers' Perspectives And Lived Experiences Of Burundi's Language Policy?, Leah Passauer

Capstone Collection

Burundi is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Burundian language policy dictates that four languages, Kirundi, French, English, and Kiswahili, must be taught starting in the second trimester of grade one. The language policy decision is not an obvious one since the country is linguistically homogenous, meaning that almost the entire population speaks Kirundi as their first language. Primary school teachers in the public education system typically receive training in a vocational setting that may not fully prepare them for the complex multilingual classroom environment they are expected to cultivate. The aim of this small-scale mixed-methods …

Teaching English To Refugees Through Storytelling, Emily Camplejohn

Senior Honors Theses

Many refugees are trying to learn English while assimilating to a new culture. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has identified several needs and goals of refugees including competence in the language of the receiving culture and participation in a new, welcoming community. Storytelling, expressing or receiving a narrative through oral or written communication, can be implemented for teaching English to refugees with these goals and can link academic learning with real life experiences. In addition to using storytelling as a meaningful way to interact with language, storytelling also fosters a community within the classroom. The teacher is …

Bishop Healy Committee E-Newsletter (V. 1, No. 4), Bishop Healy Committee, College Of The Holy Cross

Bishop Healy Committee Newsletter

This e-publication is the newsletter for Holy Cross ALANA alumni created by the Bishop Healy Committee of the Holy Cross Alumni Association (HCAA). Read student testimonials and alumni highlights, learn how to get involved through volunteering and mentorship, and stay up to date on campus news and events.

Featured articles include testimonials from attendees at the inaugural Alumni & Student of Color Retreat and an alumni highlight.

Accent Modification Program: A Program For Foreign-Born Employees At St. Jude Children’S Research Hospital, Lisa Gaddy

Capstone Collection

Some foreign national employees lack English proficiency, have poor pronunciation skills, and find it difficult to be understood due to their strong native accent when speaking English. The Accent Modification Program (AMP) is designed to provide an opportunity for non-native English-speaking employees at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, primarily postdoctoral research associates, to advance their English-speaking skills especially as it relates to oral presentation proficiency. The program design is informed by the needs assessment based on data collection via personal interviews, professional observations and experience of the author. AMP will provide regularly scheduled group sessions with a native-English speaking facilitator. …

The Short-Term Youth Exchange Program, Kristia Grandison

Capstone Collection

The study abroad world is constantly changing and adapting to the diverse needs of the global market. One current trend in France is the demand for students to begin studying abroad at a younger age, when many people believe it is easier to learn new languages and develop intercultural skills. Informed by needs assessment with members of the community at Saint-Denis International School, located in Loches France, I designed the short-term French youth exchange program. This three-week program will take place during the academic year and was designed for preadolescent students in 6^th and 7^th grade (ages 10 …

The River Is Flooded By Tributaries: Incorporating Ways Of Knowing In Online Pedagogy, Julie Debenedictis

Capstone Collection

In the age of global education where online classes, trainings, and degree programs are drawing international and multicultural student cohorts, understanding how culture impacts a student’s online learning experience deserves attention. Tasked with co-creating the plan for pedagogy of SIT’s re-imagined Master of Arts in Sustainable Development online degree program, research into Indigenous epistemologies and experiential education inspired this inquiry’s guiding question: How can we, as online educators, incorporate multiple ways of knowing, pedagogically, into the facilitation of online courses? Foundational theories and principles were drawn from the aforementioned body of literature while studies on the impact of culture in …

Bilingual Student's Perceptions Of English-Only Education: A Study Of Hispanic Students In Central Florida, Lilliam Roman

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

In higher education, the number of Hispanic immigrant students has steadily increased, particularly in central Florida. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the perceptions of higher education Hispanic students whose home language is Spanish and who are enrolled in English-only and bilingual degree programs in two central Florida universities. A quantitative, non-experimental survey research approach was utilized. A variety of descriptive, associative, and inferential statistical techniques were used to answer the research questions. A response rate of 12.7% (n = 71) was achieved. There was no difference in the overall perception of course efficacy between participants enrolled …

Bring In The Culture To The Science Classroom ; Bring In The Science Classroom To The Culture, Ying-Chen Lin

Senior Theses

Middle school science has a stigma of being a boring subject area from the student’s perspectives due to the spoon-fed characteristics and the lack of real-world connections in the curriculum design. The low-level student engagement and motivation in the science classroom often contribute to students’ low academic achievement, especially those who have been underserved in the educational system. In addition, with a view to addressing the increasing diversity in the classroom, teachers are encouraged to practice culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in the lessons so they can reach every student and make the class learning experience more meaningful and relevant to …

The Pedagogy Of Design And Technology At Xavier University Of Louisiana, New Orleans, Shayna Tova Blum

Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract. Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a Historically Black University (HBCU), the university serves a diverse community of students in which many are first-generation, college graduates. Students enrolled in Design courses at XULA are studying in Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Art programs and majoring in subjects such as Computer Science, Physics, Mass Communication, Art, Business, and Science. The interdisciplinary student environment offers a unique opportunity for collaboration and peer learning, whereby students are able to share diverse perspectives on a topic by relating …

Basque Nationalism And Education: The Influence Of Euskara On Student Achievement In The Basque Country, Amanda Flores

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Between 2012 and 2015, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test scores in the Basque Country have dropped significantly. In reading, the average score dropped 7 points and in math, scores fell by 13 points. Most notably however, science proficiency plummeted 23 points between 2012 and 2015. With 2018 PISA data yet to be published, this downturn in the educational success of the Basque Country is drawing significant concern from educators, parents, and policymakers alike.

These concerns are bolstered by the fact that Basque public schools spend €3,712 more per pupil than average expenditure of Spain, yet perform slightly lower …

Intersections At A Multiethnic High School: C3wp Meets Culturally Relevant And Sustaining Pedagogy, Amy Carpenter Ford, Maria G. Kioussis

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

In this article we describe how an English teacher at a multiethnic, suburban high school adapted the National Writing Project’s innovative argument writing program, the College, Career, and Community Writing Program, to be culturally relevant and sustaining for students in her 10^th grade English Language Arts classroom. Building on the C3WP’s roots in critical pedagogy and emphasis on engaging multiple perspectives, we explore the program’s potential in multiethnic classrooms as part of a culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy. Specifically, we recount how the teacher employed tools from three mini-units (“Coming to Terms with Evidence,” ”Coming to Terms with Opposing …

Stress Among Public School Teachers, Jollie Alson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study measured different stressors experienced by teachers in a public national high school and their coping mechanisms. The study is anchored on the Person-Environment Fit or Mis-fit Model (PEFM) (Astroff & Yunjie, 2011; Caplan, 1987) and the Conceptualization of Emotions in coping with stress (Lazarus, 2005). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the work-related, emotional, and personal stressors and coping mechanisms of teachers. The teachers experienced stress that was brought on by hazardous working conditions, a lack of materials, and resources to do their tasks effectively. There was a feeling of excessive monitoring and demands for …

Expanding The Conversation: The Value Proposition Of For-Profit Institutions For African-American Post-Secondary Students, Thomasina O. Lawson, Mario Jackson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article presents a different discourse to promote access to and equity in higher education by re-examining the value of for-profit education and its attractiveness to African-American students underserved by traditional institutions. The authors suggest that for-profit institutions face similar challenges to traditional schools in the matriculation of African-American students but to a larger degree. Guided by the spirit of researchers Asa G. Hilliard and Barbara Sizemore, the article offers a progressive view of improving African-American students’ access to higher education. Additionally, the article suggests ways to engage in meaningful conversations on how to improve higher education by replacing traditional …

Grice Cooperative Principles In Kabul Times, Sayedrahman Sial Sr.Sial

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract:

Since in the current day most of the data is transported through written communication and media play an important part in the transportation of hot issues of the day, news language has concerned the courtesy of both media experts and linguists for periods of times. This analytical- descriptive research planned to link the destruction and acceptance of Grice’s (1975) cooperative principles (CPs) in news reports which published in Kabul Times and classify which of these four CPs (quality, quantity, manner and relation) has been desecrated most and which of them has been desecrated less. For this purpose, 100 news …

Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction, Kimberly M. Jones-Goods

Journal of Research Initiatives

This qualitative study examined the incorporation of culturally responsive literacy instruction. The purpose was to explore teachers’ perception of effective culturally responsive literacy and instruction and ways in which the participants implemented culturally responsive literacy instruction. This study identified and explored three themes affecting three ways in which the participants incorporated culturally responsive literacy into their classrooms. The findings of this qualitative study align with literature on culturally responsive literacy instruction.

White Plight: A Review Of White Kids: Growing Up With Privilege In A Racially Divided America, Angela S. Farmer

Journal of Research Initiatives

The United States of America offers the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, even as fellow Americans find themselves firmly ensconced in the 21st century, it is clear that equality of opportunity is not available for all.

In newly published, "White Kids" (Hagerman, 2018), unveils the reality witnessed daily in schools across the nation. Some children are afforded enhanced benefits based on the school they attend and the settings in which they are raised. Rather than allowing this evidence to stand alone; however, the author spends years with a group of students who attend a variety …

Translanguaging Through Story: Empowering Children To Use Their Full Language Repertoire, Erin E. Flynn, Selena L. Hoy, Jessica L. Lea, Monica A. Garcia

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Translanguaging through story documents the progression of an emerging bilingual preschooler who draws on his full linguistic repertoire to story his experiences with others. Over the course of the school year, Diego progresses in his ability to tell a complete story in both English and Spanish. Repeated engagement in storytelling provides the support needed for Diego to continue and extend ideas in his stories and in his drawing and play. The case shows how opening the space for children to use their full language repertoire enables a child to reciprocally develop named languages like English and Spanish as he improves …

Evolving Narratives About College: Immigrant Community College Students’ Perceptions Of The Four-Year Degree In The Great Plains, Moises Padilla, Justin Chase Brown, Elvira Abrica

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

A significant percentage of the enrollment growth in higher education can be attributed to the recruitment of more diverse students, including those from immigrant households. Although research on immigrant students is growing in light of changing U.S. demographic shifts, this literature is inchoate. This paper examines evolving perspectives of the value of a four-year degree among immigrants and children of immigrants. Thus, in this paper article we synthesize current dominant narratives of immigrant students about the utility and viability of a four-year degree (and the changing impact on community college enrollment) and how they have shifted over time. We observe …

The Use Of Discursive Features As A Representation Of Voice And Identity In L2 Writing: A Case Study Of Multilingual Graduate Students, Demet Yigitbilek

Theses and Dissertations

Considering the constant increase in the number of international students studying in the US universities, it is important to address the issue of self-representation in writing as there are classrooms where students are still assumed to be native English speakers by default (Matsuda, 2006). Therefore, academic writing practices of multilingual writers can easily be seen as divergences from the ‘standard’ rather than conscious acts. However, since languages are at the core of who we are (Anzaldúa, 2001), how we use our linguistic repertoires in writing should be seen as representation of our multilingual and diverse identities. This thesis, then, presents …

What Can We Learn From Adult Esl Students’ Responses To Children’S Literature?, Monique C. Stone

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Some teachers face frequently changing populations of students, making it difficult to gain cultural knowledge that is important to support student learning. The aim of this study was to explore how adult language-learner students in intensive English programs (IEPs) respond to children’s picture books portraying their home countries or cultures. Reader response theory (Rosenblatt, 1995) and cultural scaffolding (Gay, 2002; i.e., the use of student culture to support student learning) are the initial frameworks upon which the study was developed. The study was qualitative in nature and driven by a desire for the researcher to gain more cultural knowledge about …

An Evaluation Of A Title One Elementary School's English For Speakers Of Other Languages Program, Kim L.P. Rigby

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Enrolled at many public schools in the United States are students who primarily speak languages other than English and lack proficiency in the English language. These students are required to show language proficiency on end-of-year English-only state assessments. One public elementary school utilizes a support program to assist second language learners in acquiring a level of language skills necessary for proficiency on state assessments. My evaluation of this school’s program utilized mixed methods to determine the viability of support services provided to second language learners. The findings of my evaluation revealed some weaknesses within the provided services and indicated …

Encouraging Languages Other Than English In First-Year Writing Courses: Experiences From Linguistically Diverse Writers, Alyssa G. Cavazos

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

First-Year Writing (fyw) courses are ideal writing spaces where students' diverse identities and language resources can flourish for specific rhetorical purposes. While research has focused on multilingual students' language and writing practices, little attention has focused on self-identified multilingual students' perceptions of language difference in fyw. Because fyw courses are an integral space in students' writing experiences and an ideal place to counter English-only ideologies, this article focuses on self-identified multilingual students' perceptions of how they negotiate language practices in academic contexts in higher education and how they perceive the role of languages other than English in fyw. Self-identified multilingual …

2nd Place Contest Entry: International Adoption: Its Rise In The United States And Downfall In The Education System, Nicole Williams

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Nicole Williams' submission for the 2019 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won second place. It contains her essay on using library resources, a three-page sample of her research project on developmental challenges and its implication on education for international adoptees, and her works cited list.

Nicole is a junior at Chapman University, majoring in Psychology and Integrated Educational Studies. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Anne Steketee.

Bilingual Latinas Experiences Graduating With 4-Year Degrees, Patricia S. Costa

Andrews University Teaching and Learning Conference

This session presents the results of a qualitative research study about the achievement gap between bilingual Latinas and other ethnicities. Statistics show that merely about 18% of Latinos in the United States have a bachelor’s degree. Researchers claim the main hurdles for bilingual Latinas to graduate from universities are being undocumented citizens, lacking English proficiency, having economic hardship, having familial accountability, and experiences with discriminatory practices. The primary purpose of the research project is to describe the university experiences of six self-identified bilingual Latinas who earned 4-year degrees in universities in Michigan. The participants’ stories shine light into what seemingly …

How Do Teachers, Counselors, And Administrators Describe Their Roles In Working With English Language Learners?, Myrtelina Martinez Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine, through a social justice lens, how teachers, counselors and administrators describe their roles when working with English Language learners (ELLs). The study was conducted with four (N = 4) general education teachers ranging from grades 9-12, one ESL teacher (N = 1), one counselor (N = 1), and three administrators (N = 3) in one suburban school with a culturally and linguistically diverse student population. Qualitative data was collected through interviews. Results indicated that teachers lacked the necessary pedological skills and training to effectively instruct ELLs. Furthermore, the study revealed …