AMANDA BENT

Finding Ways In: Re-imagining community engagement among adult ESL learners

Amanda Bent is a Graduate Teaching Associate in the Composition for Multilingual Students Program at San Francisco State University where she is working on her M.A. in TESOL. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology and English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Her experiences as an administrator and classroom practitioner have shaped her professional interests in ESL program administration and re-imagining community engagement, the latter of which is the focus on her MA capstone. 

MIKA BLAGG
Using Conceptual Metaphor Theory to Explore What it Means to be a Teacher

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Michaela Blagg is a faculty member at the American Language Institute at San Francisco State University as a pre-academic reading and writing instructor for advanced-level international students. The primary focus of her research is on the metaphors of teacher identity, an exploration that spans a wide array of teaching contexts -- from the performing arts to language teaching. A proud alum of SF State, she has a BA in Linguistics, with Minors in Music and Theatre Arts, and will soon graduate with an MA in TESOL.

XIUWEN CHEN

Exploring Students' Understanding of ESL Writing Prompts

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Xiuwen Chen teaches a multi-level ESL class in Foster City, California, and is a teaching assistant in the ESL department at City College of San Francisco. She is an M.A. TESOL candidate at San Francisco State University, where she is completing a capstone on students' understanding of their academic writing prompts. Xiuwen holds a B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning from SF State and is interested in linking urban development to language teaching.

DAVID COOPER
Investigating Chinese EFL students’ Extensive Reading habits in today’s digital reading landscape

David Cooper will graduate with his M.A. in TESOL at San Francisco State University in December 2018. He earned his B.A. from Boston University in psychology with minors in history and art history. He has previously taught EFL in South Korea and China. For his capstone project, he is exploring new perspectives on L2 extensive reading, particularly the way learners' reading habits are shaped by the modern digital reading landscape. 

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MICHAEL COYNE
California AB 705 Co-requisite Courses: What Does Theory and Research Tell Us?

Michael Coyne is currently teaching first year writing at San Francisco State University where he is completing a master’s degree in English Composition.  He has received an M.A. in education administration at SFSU along with a B.A. in English. He has taught high school English and has served as a high school principal.  His forth coming M.A. thesis will focus on California Assembly Bill 705 and the effects it may have on basic college writers and students identified as Generation 1.5. 

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RACHEL HAISLET

Dancing Across Pages: What Words Suggest about First-Year Composition Students and their Audiences

Rachel Haislet instructs First-Year Composition at San Francisco State University where she is finishing the English Composition MA and Post-Secondary Reading Certificate.  Having earned a BA in economics from Pomona College, she substitute teaches across the curriculum in two high school districts and is working toward a secondary teaching credential.  She is interested in rhetoric, information design, and audience, the focus of her capstone. 

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TAYLOR HARMAN
Perspectives on an Intercultural Conversation Exchange Program: Motivations, Benefits, and Opportunities

Taylor Harman teaches oral communication skills and coordinates the Conversation Partner Program at the American Language Institute at San Francisco State University, where she is finishing her MA in TESOL. She is interested in the relationships between culture, identity, and language use. She spent four years teaching English in Chile and holds a BA in Sociology from Roosevelt University.

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MINJAE JEONG
How to Implement Peer Feedback in an Adult ESL Non-credit Class

Minjae Jeong taught EFL in both middle and high schools in Korea for 10 years before coming to San Francisco in 2016 to pursue her Master’s degree in TESOL at San Francisco State University. She has been challenging herself professionally in the program, in preparation for a career teaching academic English to adult learners. 

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TANEESH KHERA
Metaphors and Immigration: How Media Imagery Shapes Discourse

Taneesh Khera is a writer/editor based in Oakland, CA. She is also a linguist trained in the US, Mexico, and Chile. She is finishing her thesis papers for an MA in Linguistics at San Francisco State University, with research areas in conceptual metaphor and discourse. See more of her work here: www.kheraphrase.ink.

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KAYLA PATRICK
Social and affective dimensions of L2 peer pedagogy

Kayla Patrick is completing her master's degree in TESOL at San Francisco State University. She received her bachelor’s in anthropology from California State University, Northridge. Her research interests are rooted in social constructivist and cultural-competence theories, with a focus on interactional pedagogy, the latter of which is the focus of her forthcoming capstone.

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VERA RAPCSAK
Weaving Together: A Narrative-based ESP Curriculum for Female Zapotec Artisans

Vera Rapcsak is an ESL and literacy instructor with teaching experience in many different contexts. She will graduate this December, 2018 from the M.A. TESOL program at San Francisco State University. Her scholarly interests include second language acquisition and literacy development for adult learners in the community. For her Capstone she has designed a curriculum for a female indigenous Zapotec weaving cooperative in Oaxaca, Mexico. 

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CYNTHIA ROBERTSON
Adolescent Identity Construction and L2 Acquisition: What’s art got to do with it?

Cynthia Robertson earned her B.A. in French at UC Irvine and is completing her degree in MATESOL at San Francisco State University. She is a high school French teacher and has taught ESL to adolescents and adults in the U.S., France, Sri Lanka, and China. Her language teaching experience during the past three decades, combined with a life-long passion for the arts, informs her research interests in identity, Second Language Acquisition, and the use of art to explore learner voice.

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PITCHAPHA SAEKOW
Today's Learners, Tomorrow's Leaders: Language Camp in the U.S. for Young Thai Students

Pitchapha Saekow is a teaching assistant at City College of San Francisco. She earned her B.A. in English from Bangkok University and is currently working on her master’s degree in TESOL at San Francisco State University. All of her language experiences fuel her passion and motivate her to pursue her pedagogical interests in curriculum development for Thai students and open a language school in Thailand. 

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