Emotions in second language acquisition (SLA) have garnered the attention of scholars for some decades now, with particular attention to anxiety and motivation in the foreign language (FL) classroom (e.g., Dewaele, 2017; Thompson, 2017). Since the introduction of positive psychology to SLA (MacIntyre et al., 2016), researchers and educators, alike, have taken to exploring a wider range of affective variables, such as positive constructs like love (e.g., Barcelos & Coelho, 2016) and peace (e.g., Oxford, 2017), as well as negative emotions including burnout (e.g., Wang et al., 2024) and boredom (e.g., Li et al., 2023). While the scope of emotions has expanded over time, research within this realm still largely focuses on (1) foreign language (FL) classrooms, (2) of English, (3) often within more privileged spaces. With growing attention to critical theories, transformative pedagogies, and accessibility in (language) education, the research on emotions in SLA has slowly started to take an interest in traditionally understudied and minoritized contexts. In this talk, I explore emotions in language learning from the perspective of minoritized language spaces. In particular, I offer an overview of my own research in emotions in heritage language education, as well as pedagogical innovations that consider emotions within multilingual language learning contexts. I also examine theories and pedagogies in emotion within Indigenous studies, Deaf studies, Black studies, and other minoritized fields, in order to draw parallels between disciplines and highlight opportunities for collaboration that can push forward various forms of research and practice to serve a growing diversity of learners, educators, and researchers in language education.

Her scholarship in applied linguistics focuses on heritage language education and second language acquisition, with specific attention to emotions and positive psychology variables from mixed- and participatory-centered approaches. She is also a strong proponent of community-centered work and co-hosts the podcast Heritage By Design that highlights stories and experiences of heritage speakers and signers for a general audience. 

En la actualidad, muchos estudiantes de lenguas jóvenes amplían su conocimiento de la lengua adicional por medio de publicaciones en redes sociales (Aslan & Sirojitdinovna, 2025; Gómez-Ortiz et al., 2023). En este tipo de contenido, las ideologías lingüísticas, es decir las valoraciones que hace una comunidad acerca de un individuo y su forma de hablar, no necesariamente son reconocidas de manera explícita por quienes las sostienen. Muchas veces, la naturaleza multimodal de este tipo de plataformas permite que las ideologías lingüísticas de los creadores de contenido se comuniquen de manera no verbal a través de recursos como música, efectos visuales y de sonido, gestos, emojis, o la selección de la tipografía. Esta investigación documenta los tipos de ideologías lingüísticas sobre el bilingüismo inglés-español que circulan en TikTok por medio de un análisis multimodal. Para ello, se seleccionaros 45 videos de TikTok publicados por tres influencers (una estadounidense, una mexicana y una méxico-americana) que publican sobre lengua, cultura e identidad. El análisis de las ideologías lingüísticas presentes en estos videos y los recursos multimodales empleados para transmitirlas muestran que la mayor parte de las ideologías lingüísticas se comunican mediante recursos verbales; no obstante, aquellas ideologías comunicadas de manera no verbal corresponden a juicios negativos, centran el discurso ideológico en el hablante o presentan ideologías que van en contra de las dominantes. A partir de estos resultados, se ofrecen recomendaciones para incorporar una perspectiva multimodal crítica en el diseño de materiales didácticos para la enseñanza de lenguas adicionales.

Anteriormente, ha sido profesora de español como segunda lengua y lengua de herencia. Su investigación se centra en las ideologías lingüísticas y el discurso multimodal en las redes sociales.

Ortega (2005) challenged the field of instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) with the question “for what and for whom is our research?”. As a field, where are we, two decades later? In this talk, I will take stock of disciplinary progress since Ortega (2005), drawing on a variety of initiatives and emergent empirical scholarship of the research-practice relationship. Despite evidence of progress, however, I will present the case that both collectively and individually, ISLA research(ers) have additional room for improvement if our subfield is to live up to applied linguistics’ disciplinary mission. To this end, I will present the case that relevance must also be considered a criterion for research rigor in ISLA research, and present a framework (Hwang & Coss, 2025) by which relevance can be maximally ensured in empirical work moving forward.

He is Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Assessment Coordinatorin the Department of Modern Languages and Classics at the University of Alabama (USA). He has been a Spanish and Mandarin Chinese teacher for over 14 years. His research focuses on the relationship between additional language learning research and practice, with particular focus on (task-based) language leaching and assessment, language program design and evaluation, and language teacher education. Matt earned his PhD in Second Language Studies from Michigan State University, his MA in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Maryland, and a dual BA in Hispanic Linguistics and Asian Studies from UNC Chapel Hill. His work has appeared in a variety of venues, including edited volumes and journals like Language Teaching, Foreign Language Annals, Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Language Learning & Technology, and TESOL Quarterly. Matt is also the founding co-convener of Collective Wisdom in ACTFL’s The Language Educator and founding co-editor of Focus on Practice, the special section of Language Awareness.

This presentation examines the limitations of using monolingual Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) Curriculum Based Measures (CBM R) to assess reading development in dual language programs that aim to build biliteracy in English and Spanish. Although ORF measures can provide information about reading comprehension in each language, they do not capture how bilingual learners use their languages interactively, nor do they reflect linguistic differences that shape reading performance across languages. Research shows English ORF may overestimate emergent bilinguals’ abilities and fail to account for cross linguistic transfer, while Spanish ORF correlate to Spanish reading skills but are still based on monolingual constructs. We argue that biliteracy assessment should recognize bilingual cognition and the intertwined nature of bilinguals’ linguistic resources. Current measures underrepresent this construct. Emerging tools and revisions to existing screeners show promise, but substantial work remains to develop valid assessments aligned with biliteracy goals.

...in close partnership with local school districts. He brings extensive experience working in and with world language education and dual language bilingual education settings across the United States. A former bilingual elementary teacher and instructional coach, Dr. Pérez Belda now mentors teacher candidates and teaches courses focused on the knowledge, skills, and principles needed to design instruction and develop, implement, and interpret assessment tasks and instruments in multilingual education. He holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from Universidad de Jaén, as well as an MA in Hispanic Linguistics and Ph.D. in Multilingual Education from the University of Iowa. His current research examines teachers’ language assessment literacy, AI integration in teacher preparation, and approaches to strengthening partnerships with local communities.