The following UNCG faculty were awarded $3,000-$4,000 research fellowships from the UNCG Coalition for Diverse Language Communities (with support from School of Education’s Dean Wixson and Vice Provost Shelton) for their collaborative work with members of diverse language communities:
Jeannette Alarcon, School of Education, for “Exploring School Culture within the Context of Heritage Schools and Mother Tongue Learning Spaces in Romania.”
This project is in collaboration with a faculty colleague at Purdue University and a teacher of English as a Foreign Language at the Universitatea Babes-Bolyai in Romania. It will focus on understanding the role of heritage language learning environments in order to be in a better position to translate that knowledge to educational initiatives in the U.S., and to sustain an international collaboration. The PI will prepare for this international data gathering in spring 2015 with the assistance of a UNCG graduate research assistant, and will travel to Romania at the end of the spring semester.
Jewell Cooper, Craig Peck, and Revital Zilonka, School of Education, with Kattya Castellon, UNCG Admissions, for “We Want to Learn With You: Engaging Parents from Immigrant and Refugee Communities in Learning English.”
This project is in response to direct requests for support in learning English from parents at a Guilford County middle school. The university faculty will conduct a needs assessment regarding content of the planned curriculum and parent preferences for receiving the content. The 10-12 week pilot program will be delivered by an ESL teacher at the middle school (supported by a stipend) in spring 2015, with additional support provided by two UNCG graduate research assistants.
Maha Elobeid, Center for New North Carolinians, with Jamie Schissel, School of Education, for “The Interpreter ACCESS program.”
Given that 124 languages are represented in Guilford County Schools and that Greensboro receives approximately 2,000 newcomers each year, there is a need for competent interpreters to provide services related to health career, legal matters and education. CNNC currently provides a two-day Foundations training for interpreters twice a year, so the grant will allow for revision of the current curriculum, expansion of this program, and for a more rigorous evaluation of its effectiveness.
Reposted from UNCG Campus Weekly