ELena is an innovative digital learning tool designed to help emergent bilingual adults improve their English conversational skills through practice with real-world scenarios. Our approach is grounded in two key principles. First, language learning requires opportunities for conversational practice to develop fluency. Second, learning contexts that address “urgent needs” build practical skills and confidence by connecting language to meaningful applications.
To this end, I have created a curriculum centered on practical life situations commonly faced by adult language learners. The initial topic focuses on parent-teacher conferences, a scenario many immigrant parents must navigate but may lack the language skills to fully participate. Learners first watch a short video presentation about parent-teacher conferences offered in both Spanish and English. They then have the chance to practice their speaking ability by recording responses to sample questions and situations.
The goal of ELena is to equip learners with the communication skills needed to actively engage in discussions like parent-teacher meetings. By gaining proficiency in these types of relevant scenarios, our students can more fully integrate into their communities and access new opportunities that benefit their entire families. An emphasis on conversation-based learning through urgent, need-driven content empowers adult language learners to develop the linguistic confidence and cultural competency required to navigate important life events.
This idea emerged from both my personal life experience and years of academic research into how emergent bilingual learners best acquire a new language. As a child, I migrated to the United States with my parents and had to learn English as a second language. Through that process, I gained first-hand insight into the challenges and opportunities that come with learning in a new linguistic and cultural environment. Additionally, for many years I have conducted education research, studying how emergent bilingual learners can be best supported both in school and at home to help them thrive academically and develop high levels of proficiency in multiple languages. By combining my lived experience navigating language learning as an immigrant child with my in-depth research into bilingual education models and practices, I have developed a nuanced understanding of what truly effective language instruction looks like. As both a member of the bilingual community in the U.S. and a scholar in this field, I am uniquely positioned to design learning tools and experiences that are grounded in the realities and needs of emergent bilingual learners. My dual perspective of personal experience and academic expertise allows me to create outstanding resources that empower students and families in their bilingual journeys.
