My chapter outlining how language centers can be leaders in access will appear in the imminently forthcoming Language Center Handbook 2025 published by the International Association for Language Learning Technology (IALLT). This summer, I joined the book launch at the FLEAT 8 conference in Honolulu, Hawai’i! It was great to spend some time with the …
Defended
On April 30, 2025, I successfully defended my dissertation: University world language instructors’ readiness for disability inclusion. I also gave a version of the defense presentation at the 7th annual Second Language Learning and Disabilities conference (here’s the slide deck). You know what this means: I learned so much from my instructor participants that I …
Early-service K-12 English Language teachers’ preparedness for multilinguals’ disability inclusion
The 2025 TESOL convention gave me a good sized room to talk about early-service K-12 teachers’ preparedness to address the needs of their disabled multilinguals’ needs. Disability topics usually draw a small but dedicated crowd of language folks. I had an audience of thirty super engaged teachers who asked great questions and nodded along with …
Annotated Bibliography: K-12 multilinguals with disabilities
I’m very proud to share that I, along with four co-authors who were all at one time or another students I mentored, have published a project near and dear to our hearts. We collected articles and resources at the intersection of K-12 language learning for emergent bilinguals with disabilities for the purpose of easing the …
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Series on Accessibility and Inclusion for Language Learning and Teaching
I teamed up with my colleagues from Michigan State University's Romance and Classical Studies department to organize a professional development series on accessibility and inclusion for language teaching and learning. Our inaugural series takes place this spring semester 2025 and will feature 4 different events on various topics related to accessible and inclusive language instruction. …
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What would you do? Adapting listening assessment for hard of hearing students
Here’s another what-would-you-do scenario. I got this question from an in-service K-12 language teacher recently. She explained: I have a student who has a hearing aid and lip reads to make sure he's understanding his teachers. His 504 says to use captions/subtitles with videos during instruction, but nothing about during assessments. My group might also …
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Accessibility tips for presentations and presentation materials
I’ve gotten a fair amount of individual questions recently about accessibility tips for presentations and presentation materials. I thought I should share my responses with a wider audience, especially since it’s conference season for world language educators in the U.S. (and conference season for applied linguists will be here before we know it). I’ve put …
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The Exemption Default
Exemption from language study shouldn't be the default for disabled students. It is certainly an option, and I argue we should take the lead from students who are the ultimate authorities on their disabilities and best understand the point at which challenge becomes prohibitive and demotivating. If a disabled student wants an exemption and they …
SPILL it: developing a K-12 PD module on disability and language learning
I was contracted by the World Languages & International Education department of Washington State's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop and deliver a module on accessibility and disability inclusion for K-12 world language teachers as part of their professional development program: Statewide Proficiency Initiative for Languages and Leadership (SPILL). Informed by the program's …
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Study Alert! Accessibility and inclusion in language education
Attention university language educators! I am asking second / foreign / additional language instructors at universities to participate in a study about accessibility and inclusion in language education. Participants who complete a background questionnaire and are selected for and complete a 1-hour interview will be compensated for their time with a $50 Amazon.com gift card. …
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Caitlin Cornell 