








































From the Editors 
 

Supporting Multilingual Learners 
in the Era of COVID-19 

GATESOL in Action Journal 
2020, Vol. 30(1), pp. 1–2 

ISSN: 2331-6845 

 
 
David L. Chiesa 
University of Georgia 
 
Robert A. Griffin 
University of West Georgia 
 
 
This year, 2020, has been an exceptionally tough year. There have been multiple incursions on our 
social, political, and economic lives—COVID-19, the murder of George Floyd and Ahmaud 
Arbery, and presidential proclamations barring foreigners from entering the U.S. These situations 
have directly impacted the psychology of students, teachers, parents, and administrators 
throughout Georgia and beyond and have forced educators to rethink, reshape, and redesign the 
teaching/learning space. This special issue is a response to the current climate in the U.S. and 
includes articles that focus on the changes, challenges, innovation, and instructional strategies that 
have affected the way we think about language, multilingual identities, second language 
instruction, and language program administration. 
 
Evolution of Educational Ecosystems: Language Programs as Lived Experiences 
The first article, by Bristow, is an illustration of how English Language Support Programs (ELSPs) 
are in themselves educational ecosystems made up of lived experiences. To navigate the new set 
of educational challenges for English language program administrators (ELPAs) in 2020, Bristow 
looks to the semiotic resources of ELPAs and how they mediate the social actions ELSPs take 
through a methodological and theoretical approach called Nexus Analysis. Throughout the article, 
Bristow exemplifies how Nexus Analysis can be used to navigate change in ELSPs by addressing 
problems and identifying pertinent solutions. 

Baxter’s piece is a practical narrative account of how one language program managed 
change effectively during the pandemic. Baxter and her team addressed multidimensional social, 
political, and economic problems head on and provided sustainable solutions. Baxter and her team 
dedicated time to promote diverse and inclusive materials in distance learning contexts to foster 
inclusivity and participation by offering accessibility, varied and relevant content, and 
opportunities for autonomy and self-directed learning. 
 
Reconceptualizing Online Teaching/Learning Spaces for Multilingual Learners 
The literature review on media literacy by Gaston showcases the importance of supporting 
multilingual learners to find truth in a world saturated with information, considering the current 
COVID-19 ‘infodemic’ and the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation on social 
media. He makes the case for why media literacy education is needed for multilingual learners. 
Despite the number of issues teachers, administrators, and institutions have had rolling out a 
sudden transition to distance learning, Gaston shows how the current climate is a perfect 
opportunity to teach media literacy skills to multilingual students. 



2 GATESOL in Action Journal 30(1)  
 

Aberle-Grasse’s article forces readers to take pause and reconceptualize the value and 
impact of using language learning strategies to support multilingual learners’ well-being. She 
argues cogently that language educators need to take into consideration the trauma of COVID-19 
and the physical stress associated with the pandemic. To support learners during this 
unprecedented time, she addresses the emotional and physical needs of these learners by 
exemplifying how teaching language learning strategies increases a sense of self-efficacy. Thus, 
helping learners take control of their learning could have a positive impact on their ability to handle 
the recent trauma. Utilizing language learning strategies, such as goal setting, reflection, and peer-
review, she argues, can support the development of an online community, which is needed in 2020. 
 The teaching technique described by Mbodj exemplifies how the software applications 
YouTube and PowerPoint, which are common (and affordable) to many teachers in Georgia and 
beyond, can help address students’ learning differences. The techniques shared in this paper 
contribute to a more inclusive approach to online teaching by providing multilingual learners with 
the additional support they may need to comprehend course materials. 
 
Disrupting Discriminatory Practices in TESOL for Identity Construction 
Brittain draws our attention to the construct of Whiteness as a centered phenomenon in English 
language teaching (ELT), which contributes to discriminatory practices in TESOL through 
reliance on and privileging of White norms on a global scale. She explores how ideologies that 
reinforce White native-speakerism are demonstrated in open-source English teaching 
methodology training materials designed for global ELT audiences. Through critical discourse 
analysis, Brittain discerns that ELT materials have been designed to honor teacher agency and 
context; however, they also demonstrate contradictory, simultaneous representations of resistance 
to and reinforcement of ideologies of White native-speakerism. 

Wang’s article showcases the relationship between the arts and the world of TESOL and 
asks the following two questions: What role does arts/poetry play in (language) teacher education; 
and what can arts-based approaches offer in TESOL teacher education? She presents a thought-
provoking case study of how a Chinese international graduate student—Meili (pseudonym)—
negotiates and reconstructs her language teacher-poet identity in her emergent bilingual poems. 
Through analysis of three interviews, Wang articulates how Meili is able to challenge the long-
existing norms and judgments surrounding nativeness in the field of TESOL by bringing her 
individual and multilingual voice to her poems. 

Pao presents a form-focused lesson plan intended to help English as a Second Language 
(ESL) learners of East Asian origin communicate in the face of racial discrimination that has 
emerged due to COVID-19. The lesson takes a learner-centered approach to instructional design 
and adopts a pedagogy of particularity, meaning language instruction should be customized to a 
specific group of learners. The article sheds light on a relevant and timely topic that pertains not 
only to the language learning goals of these learners, but also their identities as immigrants of East 
Asian descent. 

This issue of GATESOL in Action Journal (GIAJ) is indeed, GATESOL in action! It 
showcases the strength and power of our language teaching profession to rise up during a time of 
uncertainty and unpredictability to support the lives and well-being of the multilingual populations 
we serve. We hope this issue is also a vehicle for change. There is still a lot of work to be done, 
and as we look ahead, we see a brighter future that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive for all. 
 
 

____________________________________________________________________________ 
 

Published: October 29, 2020 


	GATESOL in Action Journal2020, Vol. 30(1), pp. 1–2
	Supporting Multilingual Learners in the Era of COVID-19
	ISSN: 2331-6845

