Paula J. Mellom

Dr. Mellom holds a Ph.D. in linguistics specializing in second language acquisition and educational linguistics. She has more than 30-years experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse learners in the United States and Central America. She works primarily with pre and inservice teachers to develop their ability to make academic content accessible to linguistically and culturally diverse learners. Her qualitative analysis explores the role of collaborative, conversation-based instruction in identity construction, and cognitive and linguistic development.

Her current projects include qualitative and mixed methods research to explore:

The development of research-based tools to facilitate K-12 teachers’ implementation of culturally responsive, collaborative, conversation-based pedagogies.

The impact of a culturally responsive, collaborative, conversation-based pedagogy on multilingual student writing.

The impact of professional development interventions in culturally responsive pedagogies on change in teacher attitudes about, understanding of, and instructional practice to support the linguistic, academic and social emotional development of multilingual learners.

Multilingual learners’ translanguaging during collaborative, conversation-based small group lessons

How multilingual learners talk about their experience with collaborative, conversation-based small group lessons - examining issues of identity, sense of belonging and competency