Multilingual Adult English Learning Through Community-Based Pedagogy

Academic Mentor | Anna Mendoza
Community Partner | Champaign-Urbana Refugee Center

Project Description
Adults with limited prior experience in formal schooling often face significant barriers when learning English, particularly when traditional literacy-based approaches do not reflect their linguistic backgrounds or lived experiences. Learners with emergent English proficiency may benefit from instructional models that center multilingual resources, critical reflection, and real-world problem solving rather than isolated language skills.

This project draws on applied linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) research to explore literacy education and second-language learning for adults with limited textual literacy experience. Using a trans- and plurilingual pedagogical framework combined with critical pedagogy, the project employs a problem-posing approach in which learners engage with multimodal texts, such as images, stories, songs, and multimedia, to discuss real-life challenges related to language, immigration, workplace conflict, and social barriers. Instruction will be supported through the development of multilingual materials across Dari, Pashto, and English.

Through classroom-based research conducted over multiple weeks, the project examines how problem-posing pedagogy influences learners’ use of English beyond the classroom and explores the affordances and limitations of multilingual interaction and materials for adults with emergent English proficiency. Findings will contribute to research on equitable, community-responsive language education for adult learners.

Role of the Community-Academic Scholar:
The Community-Academic Scholar will be involved in multiple stages of this teacher-action research project focused on adult language learning. Prior to the summer, the scholar will observe MA TESOL practicum sessions and participate in onboarding activities, including theoretical and methodological readings related to multilingual pedagogy, critical pedagogy, and applied linguistics research.

During the summer, the scholar will work closely with the academic mentor through weekly meetings to develop lesson plans and teaching materials. The scholar will co-teach a 1–1.5 hour English class each week alongside the mentor and graduate assistants, working directly with adult learners through the community partnership. The scholar will also assist with interpretation support and IRB-related consent processes, as appropriate.

In addition to teaching, the scholar will support literature review, assessment design, data collection, and preliminary data analysis. Scholars may also have opportunities to contribute to conference presentations or co-authored publications based on project findings. This role provides hands-on experience in multilingual education, community-engaged research, and applied linguistics scholarship.