"Service-learning" (SL) is an experiential pedagogy that engages students in working for, with, and in communities in need. While prior research has explored the effects of SL on second language (L2) users' (perceived) language development (e.g., Gaugler & Matheus, 2019), intercultural awareness (e.g., Sa´nchez-Naranjo, 2021), and…

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 dissertation explores community-based learning (CBL) in university Spanish education. Although Spanish education continues to construct Spanish as a foreign language (Leeman, 2014), recent trends such as changing demographics in the US have led to calls for Spanish education to focus more on US Latinx communities (e.g., Torres, Pascual y…

The existing literature has much to offer regarding the adjustment issues of international students. English proficiency and social support appear to be the biggest factors affecting the social, academic, and cultural adjustment of international students. Psychology graduate programs can exacerbate these challenges due to strenuous workload,…

The general purpose of this study was to investigate effective practices of interpreting education programs in the United States as measured by the readiness to credential gap. The increasing demand for interpreters has created an environment with under-credentialed interpreters and this is compounded by the fact that the field of interpreter…

This dissertation examines the effects of service learning experiences on participants' attitudes towards the Spanish language and culture and their language proficiency. It was hypothesized that using the Spanish language outside the confines of the academic environment would affect participants' attitudes and have an impact on their language…