Date of Graduation

Fall 12-15-2023

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

College/School

School of Education

Department/Program

Teaching English as a Second Language

First Advisor

Dr. Yi Guan

Second Advisor

Dr. Sedique Popal

Third Advisor

Dr. Luz Garcia

Abstract

In the United States, late-in-life and aging-in-place immigrants require basic English language skills to support their ability to independently access economic, medical, housing, legal, and social services. Older immigrants typically rely on family members, potentiating the risks of neglect and dependency. There is an opportunity to expand their agency in society by increasing their English proficiency.

Foreign language geragogy supports differentiated educational strategies for older learners. There is no upper age limit on the ability to learn a new language, and there are new methods and practices to teach foreign languages to older students. It is insufficient to mainstream older language learners into generic English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs if these students have learning differences. The scarcity of ESOL programs targeting late-in-life learners may reflect the influence of ageism on the allocation of educational resources to the detriment of these immigrants, their families, and our society.

The Language CLUB field project consolidates critical findings from a literature review into a handbook to facilitate ESOL programming for older immigrant learners. The project's significance is that it can serve as a template for establishing ESOL instruction to meet these diverse learners' needs and motivate them to pursue additional education.

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