This study created and validated the Early Language Leadership Attitude instrument in order to understand elementary principals' attitudes towards early start language programs in the state of Connecticut. The Early Language Leadership Attitude instrument assesses attitudes towards early start language programming with 8 items. The 5-point Likert…

Within the past few decades, notable contributions have been made in heritage language education research that continued to gain ground in language pedagogy and teaching practices (e.g., Davila, 2017; Valdes, 2000; Fishman, 2001; Kelleher, 2010; Polinsky & Kagan 2007). This dissertation is guided by translanguaging and social identity, two…

This dissertation explores the potential differences in Armenian parental attitudes of those whose children were enrolled in a Dual Language Immersion Program (DLIP) and those whose children who were not enrolled in a DLIP towards four constructs of school perceptions: cultural appreciation (CA), academic progress (AP), importance of learning a…

The desire of higher-ed leadership to internationalize programs to attract foreign students may not align with the perspectives of educators in the classroom. In the elementary and secondary school settings, a teacher's perspective can impact culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student achievement. However, the current literature does not…

A number of studies in mobile learning research have shown that the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and many different types of technology within language learning contexts can potentially influence learning of students, particularly the younger generation. In the current study, two participant groups -- EFL teachers and parents…

This experimental study, and partial replication of Sun and Hu (2020), examined how and to what extent direct (i.e., hands-on corpus use) or indirect (i.e., hands-off corpus use) online data-driven learning (DDL) modules were able to assist Chinese writers from an English as a foreign language (EFL) context in using more appropriate hedging (i.e.,…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of reading strategies being implemented in an urban school district in the Southeast. This study was framed on the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) Model (Echevarria et al., 2017). SIOP is an instructional framework that has been used in K-12 schools since the 1980s. It is a…

This study examined and compared language ideologies and attitudes among dual language program (Spanish-English) graduates regarding their use of Spanish and perceptions of their bilingual education experience through surveys and semi-structured interviews. Drawing from the theory of ideology, data was analyzed using both quantitative and…

This dissertation presents a new framework for the application of Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory (SCT) in the second language (L2) classroom called Collaborative-Dynamic Assessment (C-DA). C-DA is a melding of Collaborative Learning (CL), Dynamic Assessment (DA), and Group Evaluation (GE) in all aspects of L2 instruction and assessment. A study…

A large body of research in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is dedicated to the effects of individual differences among language learners. One commonly studied factor is self-efficacy, and its related subcomponents of foreign language anxiety and second language (L2) motivation. However, specific pedagogical interventions to either enhance or…

This dissertation examines the skills, knowledge, and support needs of novice and experienced Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) teachers in higher education in the United States. Using a critical ecological approach (CEA) framework, it aims to contribute to the global growing body of research on LSP teacher preparation that has thus far…

This research examined how four different animated pedagogical agent implementations, which focus on perceptual and inquiry arousal conditions of attention as defined in Keller's ARCS model of motivational design (Keller, 2009), impact English language learners' situational interest, cognitive load, and reading comprehension in online readings…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine teachers' perceptions of motivational literacy instructional strategies for use with English as a second language learners (ESLs). Self-determination theory's basic psychological needs theory and organismic integration theory acted as the lens through which this topic was explored. A Likert-type…

Oral testing administration plays a significant role in foreign language programs aiming to foster the development of students' speaking abilities. With the development of language teaching software, the use of computer based recording tools are becoming increasingly used in language courses as an alternative to traditional face-to-face oral…

The purpose of this research was to determine what type of correlations existed between student and parent attitudes towards using smartphones in school and the resulting impact on achievement, specifically for low-achieving students. Participants in the study were third-grade students and their parents from a primary school in Singapore. The…