ABINGTON, Pa. — A Penn State Commonwealth Campus Undergraduate Community-Engaged Research Awards (UCERA) to support student career growth and community impact funded a Penn State Abington study on the state of heritage languages in the Philadelphia region, with a focus on how community collaboration might help advance language education. A professor and six students translated the yearlong project into action by hosting a conference on language, identity, and cultural preservation.
Roxanna M. Senyshyn, associate professor of applied linguistics and of communication arts and sciences, and her team of undergraduate students organized the Forum on Community-Based Heritage Language Education in the Philadelphia Area, which took place this past spring.
“Undergraduate researchers played an integral role in this project. Through fieldwork, interviews and resource-building, the students gained valuable experience in linguistically responsive and community-engaged research,” she said.
Students Elli Bell, Laurie Flemming, Vittoria Marongiu, Joscelin Montoya-Rojas, Sofia Pawluk and Annie Wray were referred to Senyshyn by faculty and staff. Studying everything from business to health humanities and psychological and social sciences, the students speak Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Spanish and English. Speaking multiple languages wasn't a prerequisite to be involved in the project.
The students met with Senyshyn weekly, leading them to make significant progress on a tight timeline. Over the year, they:
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Researched academic literature on heritage language acquisition and education, collected and organized resources
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Interviewed administrators at local heritage language schools
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Designed and built a website to “bring Dr. Senyshyn’s vision to life,” according to Montoya-Rojas, a computer science major who led the effort
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Compiled and mapped an exhaustive list of languages spoken in the Philadelphia area
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Organized campus events for students, faculty and staff with experience or interest in language
The team presented their work at the conference, which was hosted at Penn State Abington. The teammates said they quickly recognized how the experience enhanced their communication, critical thinking, event management and public speaking skills — all key to success in college and the workforce.
“It boosted my confidence to speak in public and interact with others, opening the door to future networking opportunities,” said Marongiu, who is an international student.
Two students noted specific benefits for their career fields.
“This project gave me a better understanding of how language and culture affect student learning, which will directly inform my teaching," said Wray, who is majoring in elementary and early childhood education. "It gave me more confidence in professional settings and in presenting my ideas.”
Montoya-Rojas said she learned about website development from her classes, but the project “allowed me to build on that foundation and apply it in a real-world setting. I also learned to balance my part-time job, my other undergraduate research, courses and my personal life.”
For Flemming, their “lovely team” collaboration was a highlight, and Pawluk agreed.
“We felt like a tight-knit family, and we were always there to help and support each other,” she said.
The research efforts and the student experiences align with the University’s and Abington Chancellor Gary Liguori’s priorities.
“Dr. Senyshyn provided these students with undergraduate research experience that will be invaluable to their futures while positively impacting local communities," Liguori said. "Faculty-led undergraduate research is a keystone of the Abington Experience, a roadmap to launch students successfully from campus to career."