Browsing by Author "Nekrasova-Beker, Tatiana, committee member"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Embargo
Decodificando la salud mental: effective Spanish communication and cultural understanding in a therapy session with the Hispanic community
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) García Faúndez, Catalina, author; Miller De Rutté, Alyssia, advisor; Velazquez-Castillo, Maura, committee member; Nekrasova-Beker, Tatiana, committee member
This project addresses the need for linguistic and cultural competence between U.S. mental health providers and Spanish-speaking clients. There is an increasing need for mental health providers to conduct therapy sessions in Spanish, but there is a lack of programs that train these professionals to provide successful sessions. This project presents results from a language needs analysis that was conducted to determine the linguistic and cultural needs required to have therapy sessions in Spanish. Data was triangulated using different methods and sources, including on-site therapy session observations, a survey for Spanish-speaking university students, a survey for graduate students studying psychology, and interviews with both mental health providers and Spanish-speaking community members. The results show the language tasks and functions and the cultural components and considerations necessary to interact successfully in Spanish in the context of mental health. This project illuminates the urgent need for a comprehensive Spanish program for mental health professionals. This research aims to start bridging the language and cultural gap for Spanish-speaking clients in the U.S. when they access mental health services.
Open Access
ESL writing conference: expectations and revisions in the subsequent draft
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Ritthirat, Karanrat, author; Becker, Tony, advisor; Nekrasova-Beker, Tatiana, committee member; Kaiser, Leann, committee member
Although the area of L2 feedback has been widely investigated (eg, Ferris, 2004; Ferris & Roberts, 2001; Goldstein & Conrad, 1990), there has been little research examining students' expectations of writing conferences and their uptake in subsequent drafts. These issues need to be further studied since they could promote better writing conferences and create a better understanding between instructors and students. The purpose of the present study is threefold: 1) to gauge ESL students' expectations towards writing conferences, 2) to determine types of feedback students received during one-on-one writing conferences, and 3) to examine students' uptake in subsequent drafts. Employing a mixed-methods design, data was collected using surveys and interviews to examine students' (n=29) expectations before and after each writing conference that took place between instructors and students. The results showed that students expected their instructor to focus on content and organization the most, followed by the expectation that the conference would make them feel that their instructor cared about them as an individual. In addition, most students successfully took up the feedback they received into their subsequent draft. The findings suggest that prior to a conference, students should be informed of what they are expected to do during a one-on-one discussion since students from different cultural backgrounds can have different perspectives towards personal interaction with their teacher.
Open Access
Perceptions of stakeholders in English language learning: a case study
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Day, Leah K., author; Ginsberg, Ricki, advisor; Nekrasova-Beker, Tatiana, committee member; Basile, Vincent, committee member
This study was conducted as a qualitative narrative inquiry. The purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions of stakeholders on English Language Learners and how this shapes their educational path. By using a qualitative narrative inquiry, we can get a closer look into the life and learning of just one specific student. Data was collected in the form of interviews with the participants. The interviews were guided with a set of questions that were designed to interrogate perceptions and experiences of all stakeholders with regards to language learning in the context of one student. With the exception of WIDA scores that provide information about the language mastery level of the student, all data collected was qualitative. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and the data was coded inductively. This was then compiled in the form of a narrative that described the shaping of the educational pathway of the student. This study does not seek to generalize beyond this context but can provide insight into similar experiences and perceptions of the English Language Learning process. The themes that developed as findings of this study were centered around the disconnects between stakeholders. This presented itself as subthemes like lack of teacher understanding, feelings of isolation, perceptions of English Language Learners, and varying teacher perceptions of their language abilities. There are implications in the teaching of English Language Learners that point to the importance of collaboration between all stakeholders. This includes transparency and clarification of educator roles, parent outreach, and professional development.
Open Access
Second/foreign language writing apprehension and writing identities
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Davis, Leslie A., author; Becker, Anthony, advisor; Grim, Frédérique, advisor; Grim, Frédérique, committee member; Nekrasova-Beker, Tatiana, committee member; Becker, Anthony, committee member; Vogl, Mary, committee member
Formal academic writing tasks can produce high levels of anxiety or apprehension in students regardless of whether that writing is carried out in their native language or in a second or foreign language. The Colorado State University Writing Center sees 50% of its consultations coming from non-native English students (The Writing Center, n.d.), meaning that this population is over-represented compared to the university as a whole. This over-representation is largely self-motivated because students visit the Writing Center on their own. Given this over-representation, it is necessary to understand why this population of students might be more concerned than others with their academic writing. While much research has focused on the types of anxiety that language students may experience, the possible sources of that anxiety have not been widely discussed. Possible causes include fear of negative evaluation and fear of making mistakes, but the role of the academic discourse community and its influence on writing identities have not yet been explored. This thesis examines writing in a foreign or second language and the possible sources of second language writing apprehension, including students' writing identity and the academic discourse community. Through surveys and individual interviews with students, this study looks at the possible influences on student affect which can in turn impede student progress, such as anxiety, self-doubt, or perceived competence. The study determined that while there is not a strong relationship between writing apprehension and a student's willingness to claim a writing identity, there is a difference between how second and foreign language students experience second language writing.