UMass Boston

Research & Impact

Student Research

Full text for theses is available through the institutional repository.

Selected Applied Linguistics Theses (2000-2021)

2021
Meaning-Making Dynamics of Job Interview Performances  - by Jacquelyn K. Bertman (Advisor: Dr. Christian W. Chun)

2020
Computerized Dynamic Assessment of Grammar in Second Language Development - by Tina S. Randall (Advisor: Dr. Kimberly Urbanski)

Limited Viewpoints: The Implementation of Multimodal Constructs in an ELL Model Curriculum Unit - by Debora A. Smith (Advisor: Dr. Jaran Shin)

2019
Adult Educators at the Crossroads of Language Learning and Workforce Development: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Agency - by Liz Ging (Advisor: Dr. Kimberly Urbanski)

Language Learning and ADA: An Observation of d/Deaf Adults and Their Interpreters in ESL Classrooms - by Katherine M. Ward (Advisor: Dr. Avary Carhill-Poza)

2017 
Languaging at Work: The Language Socialization of Support Staff in the Healthcare Workforce - by Kristen E. Schlapp (Advisor: Dr. Panayota Gounari)

2016 
Performing Language and Identities: Adult Immigrant Students and the Creation of a Play  - by Kathleen R. McGovern (Advisor: Dr. Avary Carhill-Poza)

2015
Discourses and Capital in Court Trials: Representation of Witness Accounts and Identity - by Misty Crooks (Advisor: Dr. Avary Carhill-Poza)

2014
What's in a Game? Identity Negotiations and Pedagogical Implications of Gameplay Discourse - by Caleb Reed (Advisor: Dr. Avary Carhill-Poza)

Their Decision to Wear Al Hijab: The Stories of U.S. Northeastern Muslim Women - by Hadeel Salman (Advisor: Dr. Lilia Bartolome)

2012
Meanings and Typologies of Duboisian Double Consciousness within 20th Century United States Racial Dynamics - by Marc E. Black (Advisor: Dr. Lilia Bartolome)

2009
Effective teaching of culturally diverse students - by Orlando L. Carreón. (Advisor: Dr. Lilia Bartolome)

2008
The parallel architecture for first language literacy development and second language acquisition studies: Prospective theories and applications - by Darrell J. Penta. (Advisor: Dr. Charles Meyer)

2006
Categorical Desires: The sexual ideology of personal ads - by Michael Ryall. (Advisor Dr. Pepi Leistyna)

Discourse Analysis of Intelligent Design -  by David A. Tedone. (Advisor: Dr. Candace Mitchell)

Deixis and Dementia: Theatricality, speech act, and the Alzheimer’s subject - by Anne F. Fleche. (Advisor: Dr. Charles Meyer)

2004
Bringing Gender to the Table: Language, Gender and Power in seven lesbian families - by Sarah N. Wagner. (Advisor: Dr. Lilia Bartolome)

Dialect change in a southern hemisphere variety of English: The Anglo-Argentine case - by Julian Jefferies. (Advisor: Dr. Charles Meyer)

Colombia and the politics of representation - by Libardo Rueda. (Advisor Dr. Pepi Leistyna)

Linguistic and Pedagogical Implication of Learners’ L1 Influence in their SLA: A comparative study of L2 Learners of English with articled European and unarticled Asian Language backgrounds based on the analysis of their article errors  - by Hungyul Thomas Han - (Advisor: Dr. George W. Smith)

2000
First Language Instruction: A vehicle of educational excellence or a mechanism for separate and unequal education A case of South Africa, 1822-1936 - by Catherine Ann Folley (Advisor Dr. Pepi Leistyna)

Faculty Research 

Review associated faculty research.

Avary Carhill Poza, PhD

Christian W. Chun, PhD

Panagiota Gounari, PhD

Kimberly Urbanski, PhD

Jennifer Sclafani, PhD

Centers & Institutes

Center for World Languages and Cultures

The Applied Linguistics Department's Center for World Languages and Cultures is designed to provide technical support to local, national, and international organizations, and organize and co-sponsor lecture series and conferences and other such projects relevant to language and cultural studies, research, and activism. For inquiries about the center please contact applied.linguistics@umb.edu.