Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Social Emotional Learning (Sel) For Secondary English Language Learners (Ells), Summer E. Wallace

Honors Projects

This literature review and unit plan seeks to understand what Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is and provide resources to educators on its importance in the classroom. The literature review provides an overview of peer-reviewed sources from various educational journals, as well as online publications. It also contains interviews with two educators currently in the field. This project examines the benefits of SEL within the classroom and beyond, and proposes steps and considerations for implementing SEL into the classroom. It also includes specific provisions for SEL instruction to secondary English Language Learners (ELLs). Additionally, it discusses specific strategies to implement in …

Enhancing Emotional Vocabulary In Esl Learners Through Corpus-Based Instruction And Bilingual Scaffolding, Udaya Muthyala, Jyothsna Bethala, Banoth Suresh

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

This study investigates the efficacy of integrating corpus-based tools and bilingual scaffolding to explicitly instruct emotional vocabulary (EV) among secondary school ESL learners. Despite its criticality for interpersonal communication and identity construction, EV remains marginalized in ELT curricula, a research gap driven by the inherent abstractness of affective lexis and a lack of systematic, data-driven frameworks for its instruction. To address this, a quasi-experimental intervention was conducted with 90 Class VIII students at a government high school in Tadepalli, Andhra Pradesh. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach, leveraging Sketch Engine and AntConc to generate contextualized concordance lines, which were further …

Social Emotional For Secondary English Language Learners, Summer E. Wallace

ASPIRE 2026

A presentation about Social Emotional Learning (SEL), it's importance, and how to implement it in the classroom. Specific considerations are included for secondary English Language Learners. Parts of lesson plans created for this population of students on the topic of SEL are included, as well, to show how this type of instruction can be effectively implemented in the classroom.

Investigating The Impact Of Gamification And Humor On Student Engagement In An Esl Classroom, Joshua F. Filipowski

Wellspring: A Practitioner-Oriented Journal of Literacy and Language Education

This study explores the impact of gamification and humor on middle school students' engagement, participation, and learning outcomes. The researcher, an ESL teacher, sought to address students' boredom and disengagement by introducing games and humor into the classroom. The study involved 12 middle school English learners and employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, including journal entries, focus groups, and participation tracking. Findings indicated that students were more engaged and willing to participate during gamified activities, with slight but significant improvements in quiz scores. Students expressed a preference for jokes and games over traditional methods. The research suggests that incorporating humor …

Making Inquiry Accessible: Inquiry-Based Design And Instruction For English Learners In Secondary Social Studies Classrooms, Meghan T. Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This dissertation explores inquiry-based instruction for English Learners (ELs) in secondary social studies classes. The first article explored the existing literature in the field. The second article considered instructional design choices that could increase learning outcomes in an inquiry designed for ELs, implemented in a culturally and linguistically responsive classroom. Finally, the third article is an exploratory case study that examined how a secondary high school social studies teacher and ESL co-teacher designed and implemented inquiry-based instruction in a co-taught ESL class. The research questions included: 1. How do teachers build trust in a culturally and linguistically responsive social studies …

Developing An Instrument To Measure Teacher Attitudes Toward Multilingual Pedagogies, Lauren H. Ramers

Dissertations

In an increasingly globalized world, substantial numbers of multilingual learners occupy K–12 and higher education spaces bringing diverse linguistic resources that, when intentionally and appropriately leveraged, can significantly enhance English language learning outcomes. Multilingual pedagogies, which honor and build upon students' full linguistic repertoires, are essential for fostering equitable and inclusive learning environments. This quantitative exploratory study investigated teachers' attitudes toward multilingual teaching with the goal of developing a reliable survey instrument—the Multilingual Pedagogy Scale (MPS)—to measure how teachers perceive language learning in multilingual classrooms and what they report doing in their classrooms.

First, a review of the research helped …

Learning English On The Border: Identities, Investment, And Imagined Futures In El Paso, Texas, Jennifer Lyn Mansour

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how adult English language learners living along the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas experience language learning, identity formation, and social positioning within a bilingual community. Drawing on Norton's (1995, 2013) theoretical frameworks of identity, investment, and imagined communities, the research investigates three central questions: (1) How does the relationship between English learners and the social world of a bilingual community on the U.S.-Mexico border impact their ideas about their possibilities for the future? (2) How does the use of English construct worlds that are different from those constructed in their first languages, and do learners …

Everything Is Bigger In Texas: English Learners And The Difficulty Within Assessment, Identification, And Program Development, Gloria A. Avila, Kristi L. Santi

Journal of English Learner Education

This report explores the critical components of effective program placement for English learners, emphasizing the need for accurate assessment and identification processes to ensure appropriate placement. It highlights the rapid growth of the EL population, particularly in the state of Texas, and underscores the importance of developing tailored educational programs that meet the unique needs of English learners. By examining current practices and identifying key areas for improvement, this paper aims to enhance the academic and linguistic outcomes for English learners, ultimately fostering an inclusive and supportive educational environment.

Translanguaging 101 For Adult Esol Teachers, Shae Green

Master's Projects and Capstones

Although translanguaging has gained recognition in K–12 education and research over the past decade, it remains largely underutilized in adult ESOL classrooms. This presentation introduces the concept of translanguaging and offers practical strategies for its implementation with adult learners, addressing a gap in both research and practice. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Community Cultural Wealth, this conference presentation challenges deficit narratives by affirming students’ linguistic and cultural knowledge as valuable classroom resources. Drawing on research that highlights the benefits of utilizing students' home languages for language acquisition and identity affirmation, this presentation equips educators with tools to foster more …

The Art Of Engagement: Personal Connections, Innovative Practices, And Goal-Driven Language Motivation, Margrit Staiger

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This portfolio includes the author’s personal experiences, practices, and perspectives for teaching languages, all refined and revitalized during her time in the Master of Second Language Teaching program at Utah State University. The author’s teaching perspectives have been informed by her experiences teaching French to primary, secondary, and university students, as well as by courses taken throughout the program. The following consists of three main pieces: the author’s teaching philosophy, an overview of research and practical applications of Game-Based Learning, and finally, research on factors that influence continuation of Arabic, French, and German in a university program.

Secondary Stage Students' Perceptions Regarding (Myschool) Learning Management System's Role In Learning English, Huda Ali Sallam

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study set out to explore students' opinions and self-efficacy level in relation to the use of MySchool learning management system. The study has added focus on its usefulness in facilitating English language learning. The study sample involved 420 female secondary stage students within one educational district in Riyadh. The study instrument is a 24-item closed-ended questionnaire which was distributed using a Microsoft Forms link. The items of the questionnaire were divided into four main elements: perceived practicality, perceived usefulness, general satisfaction, and sense of self-efficacy. The obtained data was subsequently analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) 24 …

How Self-Perceptions Relate To Recorded Proficiency: An Action Research Project Aimed At Implementing A Supplemental Reading Program For Balinese Students, Katherine L. Johnson

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education has had a complex history globally. This is especially true for Bali, Indonesia, where tourism is the main driver of the local economy. Learning English is highly valued, yet many students are left struggling to build the skills needed to rise above the local poverty line. In this action research study, the primary goal was to analyze students’ reading proficiencies to recommend the implementation of a reading program that could be appropriately tailored to individual students. This was done through administering a reading test, tracking both comprehension and reading speed, and a survey …

A Word Is Worth A Thousand Words: Sustained Alphabetic Narratives And The Academic Success Of English Language Learners At The Secondary Level, Ricardo D. King Jr

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, English Language Learner (EL) education, more commonly referred to as English as a Second Language (ESL) or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), has advocated for a multimodal approach to classroom instruction. At the same time, higher level English Language Arts (ELA) classes continue to use sustained alphabetic narratives without explicit references to multimodal practices (i.g., graphic novels, graphic narratives, comics, picture books, etc.). This disconnect in teacher advocacy and in educational practice has positioned EL students outside of the opportunities offered by higher level ELA coursework and the sustained alphabetic narratives that are taught …

Exploring The Educational Gap Of Virginia English Language Learners: Challenges And Opportunities For Academic Success, Amanda Purcell, Sochitl Rodriguez Kauffman

Undergraduate Research Posters

English Language Learners (ELLs) in the state of Virginia have significantly lower scores in the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment exam than those of their English-speaking peers. The SOL measures students’ mastery of knowledge and skills taught in the classroom, and over the last decade, passing rates of the assessment’s core subjects amongst ELLs have continued to decrease and remain relatively low. In the 2023-2024 academic year, the average passing rate for ELLs who took the Writing SOL was only 26%, with Science being not much higher at 29%, and Reading at 33%. For the non-ELL student body, average rates …

Can Vocabulary And Grammar Hold The Doorway For College Reading Success? The Case Of Arabic Learners Of English, Zainab A. Allaith

International Journal for Research in Education

Reading is an important skill for college success. This study investigated cognitive predictors of English reading comprehension success among college students whose first language is Arabic. Knowledge of vocabulary/grammar emerged as the strongest predictor of reading success, followed by silent reading fluency, and then decoding skill. However, metacognitive awareness of reading strategies did not statistically significantly contribute to the model. Findings suggest that Arabic speakers draw on their vocabulary and grammar knowledge when tackling an English reading comprehension task, skills that are language specific to L2. Implications include the recommendation for placing the development of college students’ language reservoir at …

Experiences Of Dyslexic Students Learning A Second Language: A Review Of The Literature, Lauren Ricci

Senior Honors Theses

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to explore the experiences that college students with dyslexia face learning a second language in the classroom setting while studying at a private institution in Central Virginia. This literature review offers an analysis of the scholarly research related to this topic. The processability theory is discussed in the first section, followed by a review of recent literature on how dyslexia affects the brain’s processing, specific experiences of students, and how to best support these students in second language acquisition (SLA). Lastly, the literature surrounds phonological processing, working memory, specific struggles in the …

Evaluating The Intersection Of Continuous Growth And Assessment In The Field Of English As A Second Language, Madison Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This teaching portfolio contains a compilation of the author’s personal teaching experiences and research interests while in the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah State University (USU). The sections of this portfolio highlight collaboration with current USU professors in the field of teaching English as a second language and the author’s personal experiences working in a second-grade elementary school classroom as well as teaching English in a community education setting. Much of the mentioned research focuses on the subfield of second language assessment. This is an area of interest to the author as an area for personal …

Meeting The Needs Of Diverse Esl Classrooms: A Team Approach To The Professional Development Of Educators, Alla Zareva, Silvana Watson

English Faculty Publications

The focus of this chapter is threefold: 1) To report on the effectiveness of a professional development program offered to elementary school educators to work effectively with diverse ELs; 2) to present the results from a pre-professional development survey which helped identify specific aspects of working with diverse ELs in immediate need of professional development; and 3) to discuss the wider implications of our findings and recommendations for teacher preparation programs. The chapter reports on three main areas of a year-long professional development training provided to teams of in-service elementary school teachers, school administrators, and other specialists (N=60) in the …

Decolonization Of The Writing Classroom: Creating Space For Decolonial Theory, Tools, Anti-Racist Pedagogy, And Methods To Improve The Emerging Bilingual Student Experience, Desiree L. Brown

Masters Theses (Archived)

In this thesis, the author addresses the colonial roots of the secondary writing classroom and the origin of standard academic English which enables strict standardized testing and writing assessment requirements that in-turn incite linguistic violence towards emerging bilingual students. The author frames her study within the framework of April Baker-Bell and Asao B. Inoue through a reflective/reflexive study of her teaching in a ninth grade writing classroom in a primarily Hispanic school district in South Texas, which is assessed by the state of Texas through STAAR. This study seeks to identify instances of linguistic violence being perpetuated in the writing …

Word Choice: A Neglected But Key Skill For Ell Writers, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

With all of the urgent, critical issues confronting education in general, and literacy practices in particular, why write a column on something as obscure as word choice? Word choice (sometimes called vocabulary choice or diction) often drops to the bottom of the “To Do” list for English as a Second Language (ESL), English, bilingual, and language arts teachers. Even when teachers are able to focus on writing to begin with (writing development is often the first thing cut when lessons run over), teachers of English language learners (ELLs) are too preoccupied with teaching grammar, spelling, organization, syntax, genres, and building …

Examining Esl Preservice Teachers’ Personal Factors That Best Predict Their Confidence To Integrate Technology In Future Classrooms, Mohamed Ibrahim, MevlüT AydoğMus

Faculty Publications - Teaching and Educational Leadership

This study was designed to examine preservice teachers' personal characteristics that can predict their confidence to integrate technology in their teaching practices. The investigators used a questionnaire designed based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory to ask 168 ESL preservice teachers enrolled in the English Department in a public university located in central Anatolia. The results of this study found that the use of technology during ESL preservice teachers' training was the most significant predictor of their self-efficacy to integrate technology in their teaching practices, then followed by the number of years they are attending the education training and finally their …

Improving Second Language Learning Through Performance-Based Assessment Practices, Maria Granados

Dissertations

From the time of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) to the present day, standardized testing has become the benchmark measure for student assessment and school accountability in the United States. Multilingual learners are a vulnerable population with more testing and accountability requirements than mainstream students. Not only are they required to learn a second language, but they are also assessed within the same standardized testing paradigms as their peers - native speakers of the English language. This study aimed to examine and evaluate the benefits of instructional practices and assessments that provide multilingual students and teachers prompt and …

Uncorking The Speaking Skill: Wine And Prosody In Conversation, Efren Antonio Serra

Master's Projects and Capstones

Although the skill of speaking is necessary for attaining basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS), most traditional second language acquisition programs base their pedagogy and curriculums on lexis and grammar of the written form and phonology/phonetics. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how to effectively adapt content-specific material for developing the speaking skill at community colleges with adult students who are interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry as a sommelier. Courses for becoming a sommelier or a server in the wine industry are traditionally offered at community colleges under the culinary arts and hospitality management programs, …

The Reality Of Teaching English Virtually: Esl Teachers' Perspectives And Experiences During The Covid-19 National Pandemic, Natalia Guerrero

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the dilemma ESL teachers experienced as the educational system shifted from the usual modus operandi of in-person lessons to the uncharted virtual learning environment (VLE). ESL teachers, in one of the largest urban districts in Louisiana, accumulated additional roles and responsibilities that were unique to the teachers of the English learner (EL) population enrolled at their schools.

Data collected to answer the research questions were the product of single and focus group’s interviews with five ESL elementary and middle school teachers in Freedom District. State and district emergency response to COVID-19 guidelines, along with instructional artifacts, were …

Considering The Social-Emotional Well-Being Of Multilingual Learners: A Comparative Case Study Across Program Models, Amy J. Heineke, Elizabeth M. Vera, Wenjin Guo, Joseph Kaye, Joseph Elliott

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

This multiple-case study probes the social-emotional well-being of elementary and middle-grade students labeled as English learners who were enrolled in different bilingual program models in the midwestern United States. Using ecological systems theory, this qualitative study probes students’ social-emotional well-being across schools and within different bilingual program models, seeking to determine the structures and practices that nurture positive facets or perpetuate negative facets of student well-being. Findings indicate that interactions with peers and adults in schools influence students’ social-emotional well-being, with program-model variations, community demographics, and societal discourse shaping these in-school experiences, relationships, and sentiments. Implications center on critical consideration …

Navigating Acculturative Stress: A Guide For Supporting Newcomer Students In California Esl Classrooms, Daniela Lopera Ruiz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Acculturation has been widely studied as a post-migration phenomenon that individuals face when coming in contact with their new recipient culture and environment. The different experiences, tasks, and requirements that newcomers must endure upon arrival may lead to their suffering prolonged periods of discomfort. This moderate, intermediate, or acute feeling of uneasiness is defined as acculturative stress. In it, the continued exposure to stressors such as adjusting to a new culture, rules, behavioral patterns, a second language, finding housing, and obtaining an education and employment can lead to trauma. This field project has been designed to provide educators and allies …

Esl To Composition Transitions: Investigating The Differences In Disciplinary Values Among Two-Year College Faculty, Amy M. Flessert

English Theses & Dissertations

In this qualitative methods study, I draw on Paul Kei Matsuda’s 1999 article “Composition Studies and ESL Writing: A Disciplinary Division of Labor” to examine if, more than 20 years after its publication, there is still a significant disciplinary division between ESL writing and first-year college composition. I surveyed writing instructors from both ESL and ENG at Mid-Atlantic Community College (MACC) regarding what they value as “good” writing. I also worked with three faculty members – one in ENG, one in ESL, and a third who teaches in both departments, serving, in this study and the department, as a “bridge” …

Advocating For English Language Learners: The Role Of The Literacy Educator, Briana Asmus, Austyn Sabin

Michigan Reading Journal

The authors explore how place-based advocacy effects and pedagogies have provided a way to address the needs of students. Insights on the ways authors have confronted challenges in their elementary and secondary settings reveal strategies that can be carefully integrated by literacy educators into other “places” of learning.

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Pax Populi: Empowering Afghans Through Virtual Tutoring, Lara Chuppe

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

I began tutoring two Afghan high school students through Pax Populi as a service-learning component of HONR 39900: Virtual Abroad Central Asia. This semester, I will be assisting Purdue students with developing successful tutoring partnerships with Afghan refugees through Pax Populi. The non-profit Pax Populi seeks to empower Afghans through virtual, one-on-one English tutoring. Originally, the program matched young people living in cities across Afghanistan with volunteer tutors, but in light of the Taliban’s rise to power, the organization is now working to provide virtual English lessons to newly arriving Afghan refugees. Many of the refugees speak little English. They …

Esl Teachers And School Leaders Perspectives: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In Elementary And Middle Grades Social Studies, Matthew John Wynne, Landon Hadley

Journal of Research Initiatives

The American public education system is undergoing significant changes. This is in regard to what students should be learning and how teachers should deliver quality instruction. English language learners (ELLs) are a group that demands time, attention, and special consideration. This is due to their increasing population in public schools and their low academic performance when compared to their native English-speaking students (Samson & Collins, 2012). English language learners are one of the fastest-growing student populations in the United States, with over 4.6 million students as of 2015 (McFarland et al., 2017). This qualitative study with a narrative inquiry approach …