Second Language Instruction Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12520/103

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  • ItemOpen Access
    Student Perceptions of the Impact of Quality English Language Teaching on College Retention: A Basic Qualitative Study
    (2024-08-23) Allen-Abulhassan, Tina
    The problem is English language learners (ELLs) in adult education and college programs in the United States need support in achieving learning goals due to a lack of qualified English as a second language (ESL) teachers in their home countries. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how ELL students in Indiana perceive the impact of non-native ESL teachers in their home countries on achieving their learning goals in U.S. adult learning and college programs. This study focused on ESL learners in Indiana and administered 18 questionnaires to participants. Data collected were analyzed using the inductive thematic analysis approach. The theoretical framework is based on Krashen’s natural order language theory and Vygotsky’s social development theory. The findings revealed that ELLs face different experiences with non-native English language instructors in their home countries, hindering their English language proficiency and success in Western academic institutions. The findings suggested that improving English can enhance ELLs learning experiences, help them achieve high learning goals, and open job opportunities. Recommendations included exploring the effectiveness of language material, developing online practice opportunities, increasing the number of qualified English teachers in non-native English countries, and providing opportunities for ELLs to practice English through social language environments. The research findings can potentially bring positive social change for ELLs at the individual, family, academic, institutional, and societal/policy levels.
  • ItemOpen Access
    What Prevents Massachusetts Schools from Implementing the Seal of Biliteracy? A Basic Qualitative Research Study
    (2024) Loughlin, Emily West
    Bilingual education has been a political topic for years but lacks concrete legislation to promote biliteracy and bilingualism. The Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) is an optional award for public high school seniors demonstrating mastery in English and an additional language. The problem was less than half of the public secondary school districts in Massachusetts offered the SoBL. The purpose of this study was to discover challenges preventing public secondary school districts in Massachusetts from offering the SoBL. Dewey’s theory of education and Ruiz’s language orientations comprised the theoretical framework supporting language learning and communication within pragmatic educational philosophy. The research questions aimed to identify reasons the SoBL was not offered, stakeholders’ perceptions of the SoBL, and the potential impact of earning college credit in high school on SoBL. The target population comprised 222 public secondary school districts in Massachusetts that did not offer the SoBL. Fifteen educators consisting of administrators and world language teachers representing three public secondary school districts participated in the research. Open-ended questionnaires allowed coding responses, determining themes using inductive content analysis (ICA), and sharing ideas to understand why the SoBL was unavailable in many public secondary schools. Four identified themes indicate that the SoBL was not offered because of a lack of knowledge, a lack of support, insufficient programming, and school districts’ low priority for world languages.