Featured Works

Abstract

When the COVID-19 Pandemic turned the education world online overnight, many aspects of in-person learning became underutilized as instructors coped with this new challenge. One of the aspects that could have suffered is the effective use of translanguaging. This poster presentation will 1) explain the many benefits to using translanguaging in our language classrooms and 2) give examples of tangible ways instructors can use it in their online classrooms through the use of icebreakers, breakout rooms, and chat functions.

Abstract

The pandemic turned Portland State University into an online campus overnight. What did we learn? We hoped our best practices would adapt to care for our students holistically by supporting our peer mentors with a) timely and relevant training; b) relationship building through cohorts; and c) community events. Let’s share!

Abstract

Language has always been the core of how I saw myself helping people. However, it wasn’t until working with youth at a Portland non-profit in 2017 that I encountered a phenomenon that changed the course of my focus: language brokering. Language brokering is an experience when a bilingual child translates for their monolingual caregivers in situations such as doctor appointments, school meetings, bank visits, and so much more. Witnessing children language broker first-hand sparked a passion in me that I knew needed more dedicated time. I am deeply interested in how this experience affects a broker’s executive function, language acquisition, and mental health. I believe the study of language brokering has the potential to change the way we research bilingualism in general.