Language Prof Supervises ESL Theses in Mexico

Dr. Jing Luo, along with candidates' family members, friends and 
relatives sitting in the audience in a typical defense session.

During the summer of 2015, Dr. Jing Luo, Department of Languages and Cultures, directed three graduate theses on English as a Second Language at Benemerito Normal University of Puebla, Mexico and served on the Thesis Defense Committee: 

• Mireli Corte Cortes, “Using Audio Blogging to Improve Usage of the Simple Past Tense among Undergraduate Students of English.” 
• Paola Bautista Cruz, “Using Portfolio to Teach the Identification of English Transitive, Intransitive Verbs and Verbal Phrases to Mexican Eleventh Graders.”
• Neri Lopez Reyes, “Using Short Stories and the TPR Method to Guide Spanish-speaking Eighth Graders to Learn Singular and Plural Forms of ‘the Other versus Another’.”

 As a volunteer, Dr. Luo advised the students via email prior to the completion of their research. During his summer visit, he helped them analyze their data quantitatively and write their theses in standard format. 

Candidates defended their theses before an audience of peers, friends, and family members, who also supplied meals. Dr. Luo reports, "Lunches supplied by the families were some of the most delicious Mexican food I have tasted. It was a very enjoyable, eye-opening, and hard working summer." 
 
 The Postgraduate ESL program is sponsored by Benemerito Instituto Normal del Estado, Puebla, Mexico, the Department of Education of Mexico, and Appalachian State University.