This case study investigated why high schoolers in a Midwestern school district chose to continue or discontinue studying Spanish after level II. Data was obtained from an analysis of the district's Spanish curriculum for levels I through III, a preliminary questionnaire administered to interested participants, and semi-structured interviews with…

One of the most complex student populations are those whose first language is not English. As such, multilingual learners (MLLs) are often disproportionately referred to special education. Educators cultivating equitable practices for MLLs is imperative, given many educators do not have adequate training or knowledge. Drawing on social learning…

This dissertation presents findings from a qualitative interview based study that examines the language ideological stances of former bilingual educators who now serve as school counselors. Data was collected through interviews, artifact analysis, member checks, and analytical memos with a total of ten participants. The study revealed the majority…

The moment preservice teachers with an English as a Second Language endorsement complete an accredited teacher certification program, they are expected to be able to provide inclusive instruction to multilingual and multicultural students addressing both subject knowledge and English-language proficiency. Preservice teachers are expected to be…

A key goal in World Language Education (WLE) is challenging learners' preconceived notions about other cultures, aligning with the leading intercultural competence models, national language teaching standards, and the emerging Transformative Language Learning and Teaching (TLLT) paradigm. However, challenging stereotypes remains a concern to…

Bilingual therapists are expected to provide competent, culturally sensitive services in two languages, while often only being trained to perform those services in one language. Their training and supervision should be supportive through the processes of becoming a therapist as well as through mutual processes of sense-making with and about…

In 1964, Deaf and hearing stakeholders convened at Ball State Teachers College in Muncie, Indiana, to discuss the state of signed language interpreting in the United States. One topic of discussion was the competencies these interpreters should exhibit. Four decades later, Witter-Merithew and Johnson (2005) described American Sign Language…

Perspectives from educators and students elucidate how systemic language discrimination and oppression (i.e., linguicism) are perpetuated in the New York education system, even though it has one of the most comprehensive approaches to supporting multilingual students in the nation (Sugarman, 2016). The legacy of teaching English as a colonizing…

This multiple case study explored the professional identities of teachers at the intersection of mathematics and language learning. Situated within a neoliberal schooling context, teachers were required to adapt standardized instructional goals and practices to support the cultural, linguistic, and academic backgrounds of new-arrival refugee and…

The number of Multilingual Learners (MLs) enrolled in U.S. schools increased from 8.1% of the total student population to more than 10% between the 2000-2001 school year and the 2016-2017 school year (NCELA, 2016; U.S. Dept. of Education, NCES, 2020). Like all learners, MLs need support to ensure their engagement in mathematics classrooms (Kena et…

A qualitative study was conducted to understand how building-level and world language department leaders characterize and respond to underperforming world language teachers, and how such leaders work together as a team to address this problem. Ten such leaders from Long Island, New York were interviewed as matched pairs and their responses were…

The use of literary criticism has served to provide different lenses to analyze, evaluate, and interpret the content and context of the written text in all its forms and varieties, especially in children's and young adult (YA) literature. This study was aimed at analyzing the way in which "Feminist Criticism" may be applied to young…

This dissertation sheds light on how learners of German, NSs of German, and Americans unfamiliar with German reach decisions about the nature of speech acts that they witness NSs of German perform in three authentic video clips. It also aims to gain a better understanding of what sources members of the three groups bring to bear when they attempt…

The teaching of English as a second language (ESL) to adult learners in the 21st century focuses on a combination of oral and written skills geared toward success in a variety of settings, including the workplace and post-secondary institutions. The study was intended to determine if specific curricular components recommended for syllabus design,…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to find out the ways in which web enhanced language learning (WELL) technologies are learned that make them more likely to be effectively integrated into the K-12 classroom. Specifically, the study investigated characteristics of WELL teacher training that translate to effective classroom implementation.…