With her superb ability to translate research into practices easily understood by the general public, and her unique experiences as a director of a federally-funded world language program and a parent of two school-aged multilingual and multiliterate children, Dr. Kuo has been invited to give talks in her community of Bryan/College Station, Texas, and beyond to communicate the importance of multilingual awareness, advocate for early world language education, and address questions and concerns that teachers, parents, and administrators may have about fostering linguistic diversity.

To request a talk from Dr. Kuo with your school or community, please contact us.

To provide second language instruction to young children who otherwise would not have access to this opportunity in early childhood, Dr. Kuo has secured federal funding of over half a million dollars to offer free intensive Chinese and Korean enrichment programs for non-native speakers of these languages since 2015. In collaboration with colleagues and graduate students, Dr. Kuo has developed a rigorous and engaging curriculum that fully integrates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) with world language learning. The curriculum has been recognized by the National Foreign Language Center and appeals to a diverse range of learners in the community and beyond (Kuo et al., 2017, 2022). Since 2015, nearly 400 children in Bryan/College Station and beyond have benefited from Dr. Kuo’s federally-funded program.

A unique aspect of the world language program directed by Dr. Kuo is that it is open to children with learning disabilities, including language-related learning disabilities. In many school districts around the nation that offer world language programs in the elementary grades, children with disabilities typically have been discouraged from participating due to the common belief that these programs would add additional challenges for the children. To challenge this perception, Dr. Kuo has secured internal funding and directed case studies to show that with strategic support, learners with language-related learning disabilities can thrive in world language programs (e.g., Moody, Kuo, Harper & McTigue, 2019; Harper, Kuo, Moody & Moyna, 2018). Through candid conversations, Dr. Kuo has convinced parents of children with learning disabilities in our community to believe in their children’s potential to learn a second language. Over the past few years, more than a dozen children with learning disabilities in our community have successfully completed the world language program directed by Dr. Kuo.

Learn more about the world languages education program directed by Dr. Kuo here: World Languages Academy at Texas A&M University.

References

Harper, K., Kuo, L.-J., Moody, S., Moyna, I. (2018). Adult second language learners with dyslexia: Challenges and opportunities. American Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.

Kuo, L.-J., Lee, S., Kim, H. & Liu, M. (2017, November). Integrating STEM with world language instruction through project-based activities. National Foreign Language Center STARTALK Fall Conference, Portland, OR.

Kuo, L-.J., Kim, H., Guo, W., Yang, Y. J., & Zhou, X. (2022, November 18-20). Planning K-5 virtual learning: A theory-driven and evidence-based approach [Conference presentation]. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages 2022 Convention, Boston, MA.

Moody, S., Kuo, L.-J., Harper, K., & McTigue, E. (2019). Literacy development of at-risk readers in a dual-language program: Challenges and opportunities. Paper presented at the American Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.

While early world language education is emphasized and prioritized in many parts of the world, this is not the case in the US, and support for world languages teachers, especially those who work with students in K-8, is limited. However, these teachers play a pivotal role in promoting the nation’s multilingual awareness and global competitiveness.

With successful planning and implementation of several years of federally-funded world language education programs for young children, Dr. Kuo applied for and was awarded funding during the 2021-2022 academic year to provide a high-quality professional development program for K-8 world languages teachers free of charge.

Learn more about the world languages teacher education program directed by Dr. Kuo here: World Languages Teacher Academy at Texas A&M University.