Date of Graduation
Winter 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
International and Multicultural Education (IME)
First Advisor
Luz Navarrette García, EdD
Abstract
Adult immigrant and refugee speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL) including California community college students may suffer trauma and stressors that can lead to negative mental health outcomes during the stages of migration, yet underutilize mental health services owing to cultural stigma, structural barriers, and a lack of English language proficiency. In addition, ESL speakers may also suffer from language anxiety evoked by speaking the less-developed language in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom during interactions with the majority language community. Both forms of anxiety share symptoms including tense muscles, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, and an inability to focus. While ESL teachers may not feel equipped with mental health resources to support their students, stress reduction techniques including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and progressive muscle relaxation have been taught to health studies undergraduate and graduate students with self-reported positive impacts. The project is a website for ESL teachers and students that presents these stress reduction techniques with the aim of teaching self-care while de-stigmatizing mental health issues, and it is informed by the Affective Filter hypothesis and the Input hypothesis of Stephen Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition. The website is designed with scripts and recordings geared to adult ESL students, vocabulary, and a self-care plan with activities that support multiple intelligences as well as learning styles in order for adult immigrant and refugee students to attend to the psychological health of themselves and their families.
Recommended Citation
Coronado, Sara C., "Cultivating Well-Being in English as a Second Language: Teaching Stress Reduction Techniques in the Adult ESL Classroom" (2023). Master's Projects and Capstones. 1702.
https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/1702
