Listening+to+the+voices+of+culturally+and+linguistically+diverse

**Listening to the voices of culturally and linguistically diverse college students** **in community service-learning** Jeanne Popowits, Adjunct Professor, Dominican University popwits@dom.edu]



**Keywords:** Cultural diversity, linguistic diversity, qualitative methodologies, first-year students

**Track:** Student development and learning

**Format:** Poster presentation

**Date & time: **Thursday 9:00

**Location: **Salon 4 / Salon 9

**Summary:** The experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) university students in service-learning courses have received little attention in the literature (Novick et al., 2011). I will present findings from a qualitative study of the service-learning experiences of these CLD students to better understand how their involvement with service-learning may validate their identities, resonate with precollege experience, and influence their persistence in college.

I collected data on the experiences of first-year English Composition CDL students in the 2009-2010 academic year at a comprehensive, Catholic teaching university near a large American city. The data consisted of written reflections and interviews in which the students discussed their service-learning experiences. Many of the students were both children of immigrants and first-generation college students. Common, emergent themes were identified as follows: appreciation of how bilingual skills can be used to benefit others, feeling inspired by children who worked hard in difficult life circumstances, and comfort moving in and out of neighborhoods of different ethnicities.

As universities increasingly aim to teach all students skills of global citizenship, it is important that we listen to the voices of CLD students as on a daily-basis they cross boundaries of culture and language. I would suggest that by better understanding their experiences in service-learning, we can improve learning for all.

**References:** Conway, J., Amel, E., & Gerwien, D. (2009). Teaching and learning in the social context: A meta-analysis of service learning’s effects on academic, personal, social, and citizenship outcomes. //Teaching of Psychology 36,// 233-245.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Green, A. (2001). But you aren’t white: Racial perceptions and service-learning. //Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 8//(1), 18-26.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Molee, L., Henry, M., Sessa, V., & McKinney-Prupis, E. (2010). Assessing learning in service-learning courses through reflection. //Journal of Experiential Education 33//(3), 239-257.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Novick, S., Seider, S., & Huguley, J. (2011, February). Engaging college students from diverse backgrounds in community service learning. //Journal of College and Character 12//(1), 1-8.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Yeh, T.L. (2010, Spring). Service-learning and persistence of low-income, first-generation college students: An exploratory study. //Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning 16//(2), 50-65//.//

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">**Please click here to access a PDF of this page:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> = = =To download materials from this session please click on the file link(s) below:=

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">**Please join the conversation about this session! To do so, please click on the "Edit" tab at the upper right, scroll back down to here, and lead the comment with your name.**