Applied Linguistics Department

The 2024 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention, themed “Heart, Hope, & Humanity,” was held from November 21 to 24 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Among the presenters was UMass Boston APLING doctoral student Nasiba Norova, who contributed to a panel presentation titled “Activating Funds of Knowledge via Intercultural Interaction in Introductory Composition.”

The panel was led by Professor Hadi Banat from the UMass Boston English Department and Prof. Phuong Tran from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This collaborative study is part of the ongoing projects conducted by the Transculturation Pedagogical Research Group (http://writeic.org), of which Nasiba is an active member.

Focusing on a curriculum for introductory composition courses, the panel emphasized a genre-based pedagogy combined with intercultural competence as an inclusive framework aimed at fostering social justice in education. Presenters shared compelling, data-driven insights into how diverse domestic and multilingual students enrolled in General and Multilingual ENGL 101 courses draw on their funds of knowledge. These strategies were particularly highlighted in the context of self-reflective writing and intercultural interactions, as students navigated new academic, social, and cultural experiences.

This innovative research, spotlighting the intersections of pedagogy, diversity, and social justice, was generously supported by the CLA Dean Research Grant. The panel’s contributions exemplify UMass Boston’s commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in education through research and teaching excellence.

This week, our Ph.D. director and CREATE co-founder, Dr. Carhill-Poza, was featured in Education Week, where she shared her expert insights on the potential of AI in supporting multilingual learners.

Drawing on over a decade of specialized research focused on multilingual learners in K–12 contexts, Dr. Carhill-Poza offers a profound  perspective on the role and possibilities of AI in the classroom.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
“It’s really about taking a step back and being open to processes that might support language learning and content learning in what you might consider unorthodox ways.”

Don’t miss this thought-provoking discussion on the future of AI in education. Read the full interview here: https://www.edweek.org/technology/want-to-try-ai-with-english-learners-heres-where-to-start/2024/12

We are thrilled to congratulate one of our doctoral students, Michael Jacob, on a remarkable accomplishment—the publication of his chapter in the book Youth Horror Television and the Question of Fear (2024). Publishing in an edited collection is a significant achievement, and we couldn’t be prouder of their success.

Congratulations and we look forward to seeing your continued contributions in the academic world!

 About the chapter:

Michael Jacob’s chapter entitled “Developing in the Dark: Confronting Fears through Supportive Storytelling in Nickelodeon’s Are you Afraid of the Dark?” explores how the collective-storytelling format within the Nickelodeon television show assists in forming group solidarity among peers. Using Vygotskyian socio-cultural theory, the chapter examines how group-narrative activity allows for storytellers and viewers alike to collectively process, understand, and ultimately transcend trauma in their own lives. 

As we continue to celebrate our department’s contributions to the 60th anniversary of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA), we are excited to highlight the symposium titled “Critical Approaches to Language Teacher Education: Developing Critical Praxis” under the Language Teaching, Learning, and Acquisition track. This symposium showcases the innovative work of our dedicated APLING faculty and students at UMB, who are actively  contributing to the field.

Dr. Carhill-Poza and our recent doctoral graduate Jesse Rubio presented their project, “Multilingual Family Mentors in a Teacher Education Space,” while Dr. Carhill-Poza and doctoral candidate Vannessa Quintana Sarria shared their study titled “Embedded Coaching for Language Educators: A Praxis Approach.”

Furthermore, our dear faculty members Dr. Gounari and Dr. Sclafani enriched the symposium with their projects: “Not Just Language: Critical Praxis in Language Teacher Education” by Dr. Gounari, and “The Justice Language Action Project (JLAP): A Theory-to-Practice Approach” by Dr. Sclafani.

Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to all of our faculty and students for their hard work and for proudly representing our department on this international stage!

This summer, our department participated in the 60th anniversary of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA). The main conference was held in vibrant Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and centered around the theme “Linguistic Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainability.” We are proud to have our professors and doctoral students actively contribute to this global event, sharing their research, insights and engaging in discussions about the future of our field.  

Doctoral candidate Tina Randal and Professor Kimberly Urbanski presented their project, Inclusivity in the SFL Classroom: Community Affordances and SHL Learner Subjectivities, which was featured in the “Language Diversity, Inclusivity, and Sustainability” track of the event.

Furthermore, doctoral candidate Minh Nghia-Nguyen and Dr. Urbanski shared their study, The Dialectic between Pedagogy and Gesture: An Analysis of Teacher Gesture in a Multilingual Literacy Class, as part of the “Gesture, Multimodality, and Second Language Acquisition” track. Both presentations highlighted the department’s commitment to advancing research in our field.

Congratulations and thank you for representing our department!

The Department of Applied Linguistics is pleased to announce the first talk of the semester. This talk will be held on October 17 at 4 pm in the APLING conference room. This event will be a great opportunity to meet, interact, and learn from the work of Dr. Alshammari, who is our visiting scholar this year. Check the abstract of the talk below.

Abstract:

While there has been an increasing number of second language programs taught by both native and non-native speaker teachers, the NS fallacy that native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) are inherently better teachers is still dominant, hindering the construction of the professional identities of non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs). Several studies have explored the (re)construction of the NNESTs’ professional identity in their own country; however, little attention has been given to the professional identity of expatriate NESTs and NNESTs. Giving the fact that English has become the world’s language and multilingualism has become the norm in the global society, the NEST/NNEST dichotomy needs to be reconceptualized by taking into account the multiple identities of the English teachers within and beyond the NEST and NNEST categories. This qualitative study explores the discursive negotiation of the professional identity of three groups of English teachers: NESTs, Saudi NNESTs and NNESTs from overseas. I used semi-structured interviews with 18 participants in the Preparatory Year Programs in two Saudi universities. The study indicates that the three groups of teachers experienced ongoing negotiation of different and multiple discourses in their job based on their individual experiences and their linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The findings suggest that they constructed “Self” and “Other” using different labels and categories to place themselves in a powerful position in the program.

Recently, doctoral candidate of Applied Linguistics Vannessa Quintana Sarria had the privilege of attending a conference ISCAR held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from 27 – 30 August 2024 centered around the theme of “Inclusiveness as a Future Challenge.” The event brought together researchers and practitioners from various fields to discuss the importance of diversity and cultural-historical perspectives in addressing contemporary issues. Vannessa reflects about the event: “As a multilingual English teacher, I was particularly interested in the potential of CHAT to inform my practice.”

Also, Vannessa shared her key takeaways for those who are thinking about attending this conference and being part of CHAT theory.

One of the highlights of the conference was the opportunity to explore the intersection of CHAT and developmental education. The Netherlands has a long history of research in this area, and the conference provided valuable insights into the ways in which theory and practice can be aligned to create meaningful learning experiences for diverse student populations.

My own presentation, titled “Multilingual English Language Teaching: Challenges and Possibilities in the Secondary Classroom,” focused on the results of my dissertation research. I discussed the tensions that multilingual English teachers face in SEI secondary programs and the contradictions that emerge in different discursive moments. The presentation was well-attended, and I had the opportunity to engage in stimulating discussions with colleagues from around the world.

Overall, the conference was a valuable experience that has deepened my understanding of the role of diversity and cultural-historical perspectives in education. As a multilingual English teacher, I am committed to using CHAT to inform my practice and create inclusive learning environments for all students.

The Office of Graduate Studies, McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Education and Human Development, and the College of Science and Mathematics are pleased to announce the 2024 cohort of the UMass Boston Transdisciplinary Dissertation Proposal Development Program (TDPD) Summer Institute. Doctoral students of the Applied Linguistics Department Jacqueline Campo and Wonguk Cho have been selected to participate in the program among a large and highly competitive pool of candidates from across the University.

Jacqueline Campo (Applied Linguistics, College of Liberal Arts). Topic: the experiences, identities, language practices, and educational trajectories of Quechua people.

Wonguk Cho (Applied Linguistics, College of Liberal Arts). Topic: relationship between language policies and language practices nationally and within families related to a recent growth in immigration of temporary workers to South Korea.

Using inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, the Summer Institute helps students develop competitive proposals for external funding, increases their support networks, and provides career development guidance. Following the Summer Institute, students receive $3000 in summer research funds to support their dissertation proposal development. The first part of the Summer Institute will take place June 11 – 15; the second part will take place September 13 – 15. During the summer, students will conduct preliminary research to support their proposal development. Professor Rosalyn Negrón (Anthropology) and Professor Elizabeth Sweet (Anthropology) will be this year’s faculty facilitators.

The Department of Applied Linguistics has been having doctoral students in TDPD for many years and continues this tradition. Among alumni of TDPD are Aram Ahmed, Tianxuan Wang, Nasiba Norova, Vannessa Quintana Sarria, and Iuliia Fakhrutdinova.

Dr. Carhill-Poza, recent alumna Jesse Rubio, and doctoral students Vannessa Quintana Sarria and Aram Ahmed of the Department of Applied Linguistics presented their one-hour-colloquium Symbolic Multilingualism and Linguistic Justice: Teacher Perspectives on Language Policy at the American Association of Applied Linguistics 2024 in Houston, Texas on March 18. This colloquium presented three perspectives on language policy and classroom practice for multilingual students (classified in public schools as English learners) and their teachers in contexts of rapid change. The projects address the possibilities and obstacles teachers of multilingual students encounter as they interpret and implement evolving language policy while at the same time responding to the unprecedented challenges of longstanding educational inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, teacher shortage, and social unrest in the United States.  

Their conversation began by deconstructing official policies governing the education of students classified as English learners in Massachusetts, where recent policy change has supported the expansion of multilingual programs. The paper identified how official language and education policies operate across the state, district, school, and classroom level to shape teachers’ understanding of multilingual students’ experiences and possible futures.   

Second, they explored classroom practices that support linguistic justice and equitable educational access for multilingual students and how such practices connect to teachers’ identities, beliefs and educational journeys. The paper also addressed the obstacles that in-service multilingual English teachers face in mainstream education and their recommendations for overcoming them.  

In the third paper, they concluded with a paper focused on teacher talk in two ESL classes at the college level. The paper employs stimulated recall to investigate student perceptions and attitudes towards teacher talk; it reveals how students make sense of teacher talk, their teacher’s pedagogical choices, and their participation in class discussions and activities.  

Finally, the discussion followed the papers presented in thinking about teachers as language policy makers and bringing together the perspectives from each project.  

The Department of Applied Linguistics is proud to announce that Ghadah Noorelahi successfully defended her dissertation “Promoting Saudi Learners’ Coherence and Cohesion Writing Development Using Dynamic Assessment – An Approach for IELTS Preparation” on March 20th.

Dissertation Committee: Kimberly Urbanski (Chair), Panayota Gounari, and Rebekha Abbuhl

Abstract: A well-documented gap exists in pedagogical approaches for teaching L2 coherence and cohesion writing skills, particularly in high-stakes testing contexts. Prior research on coherence and cohesion has been non-developmental as it has not tracked learners’ progress over time. In order to fill this gap, this study employed a robust instructional approach to promote the development of learners’ coherence and cohesion writing skills. Underpinned by Sociocultural Theory (SCT), this study bridges the gap between test preparation and actual language development through implementing a Dynamic Assessment (DA) approach into the context of IELTS. This dissertation investigated how four Saudi L2 English learners developed their coherence and cohesion writing skills, specifically for the IELTS Academic Writing Task 2, through seven online DA sessions over Google Docs. The DA procedure incorporated a genre process approach to writing which helped learners identify the genres of the IELTS Academic Writing Task 2, recognize their rhetorical purposes and incorporate textual organizational stages to develop their coherence writing skills. Additionally, it emphasized accurately integrating cohesion concepts into learners’ texts to develop their cohesion writing skills. Development was promoted through the use of specific mediational moves that were attuned to each participant’s needs. The written interactions between the researcher-mediator and participants were saved on Google Docs and analyzed using microgenetic analysis to track learners’ developmental trajectories. The findings suggest that the DA sessions not only promoted the participants’ coherence and cohesion development but also their independent application of the developed writing skills in delayed and more challenging transfer tasks.