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Ellen Knell

Ellen Knell headshot image

Ellen Knell

  • Associate Director of Instruction and Curriculum, Center for Language Studies
  • Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Minor/Endorsement Coordinator

Background

Ellen Knell has worked in language education since 1997. She has taught in San Francisco, Chicago, Hong Kong, China, and Utah. Knell lived in Asia for more than 10 years, and she speaks Mandarin Chinese. She worked with English language immersion programs in Xi’an, China for many years and more recently, with Chinese dual language immersion programs (DLI) in Utah.

Following the completion of her Ph.D., Knell worked for the Utah State Board of Education and BYU Chinese Flagship supervising Chinese language programs. She was hired in 2019 as an Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Center for Language Studies (CLS), where she supervises more than 45 teachers of less commonly taught languages (LCTL). She is also the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Minor/Endorsement Coordinator for BYU.

Knell has recently become interested in the cognitive neuroscience of multilingualism and research with eye-tracking, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and electroencephalography (EEG).

Chinese Language Teaching 7-12

Research Interests

  • Dual language immersion (DLI) pedagogy, curriculum, and policy
  • English immersion in China
  • Chinese immersion in America
  • Second language teacher training
  • Bilingual literacy acquisition
  • Remote language learning
  • Adult literacy learners
  • Cognitive neuroscience of multilingualism

Publications and Scholarly Works

Knell, E., Fame Kao, S. C., (2020). Repeated readings and Chinese immersion students’ reading fluency, comprehension, and character recognition. The Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, 8, 230-256.

Knell, E., (2017). Authors’ Response to Stephen Krashen’s Letter to the Editor. Foreign Language Annals, 50, 831-832.

Knell, E., West, H., (2017). To delay or not to delay: The timing of Chinese character instruction for secondary learners. Foreign Language Annals, 50, 519-532.

Knell, E., (2016) The Role of oral language in the development of L2 literacy skills. The TESOL Encyclopedia on English Language Teaching and Learning. (J. Liotas Editor-in-chief). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley/Blackwell Publishers.

Knell, E., West, H., (2015). Writing practice and Chinese character recognition in early Chinese immersion students. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, 50, 45-62.

Knell, E., Chi, Y.P., (2012). The role of motivation, affective attitudes, and willingness to communicate for Chinese students learning English. International Education, 41, 66-87.

Knell, E., (2010). A longitudinal study of English immersion and literacy in Xi’an, China. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. University of Utah.

Siegel, L., Knell, E., & Pei, M., (2010). Teaching English to Chinese-speaking children. In C. Chan & N. Rao (Eds.) Revisiting the Chinese learner: Changing Contexts, Changing Education. Comparative Education Research Center: The University of Hong Kong.

Chi, Y.P., Trube, B., Siegel, L., & Knell, E., (2010). Stories and Activities for Children:  English Reader Series. Xi’an International Studies University, Xi’an, China.

Knell, E., Siegel, L., Qiang, H.Y., Zhao, L., Pei, M., Zhao, W., & Chi, Y. P. (2007). Early English Immersion and Literacy in Xi’an, China. Modern Language Journal, 91, 395-416.

Fish, B., Knell, E., & Buchanan, H. (2007). Teaching literacy to preliterate adults: The top and the bottom. TESOL, AEIS newsletter, V5.

Scholarly Works in Progress

Zhao, J., Christison, M.A., Knell, E., (in progress). Literature circles instruction in Chinese foreign language immersion.

Wei, Y.W., Knell, E., Eckstein, G., Liu, R.Y., (in progress). Pinyin facilitation or hindrance of character acquisition for beginning Chinese learners.

Conference Presentations

2022 International Dual Language Immersion Conference: Capacitating Preservice DLI Teachers to Become Effective Teacher-Leaders. (Presented with Cherice Montgomery and Blair Bateman.)

2021 American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): Training Teachers of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL). (Presented with Dave Nielsen)

2021 Southwest Conference on Language Teaching (SWCOLT): Chinese Reading Fluency Practice Can Improve Comprehension and Motivation. (Presented with Shin Chi Fame Kao)

2018 National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC): Collaborative Flagship Online Chinese Curriculum for Secondary Students. (Presented with Dori Huang, Shin Chi Fame Kao, Nancy West)

2018 National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC): What We’ve Learned: Best Teaching Literacy Practices for Secondary Chinese Learners. (Presented with Nancy West)

2017 Utah Foreign Language Association (UFLA): Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for Chinese. (Presented with Shin Chi Fame Kao.)

2016 Center of Advanced Research in Language Acquisition (CARLA): Best Teaching Literacy Practices for Chinese DLI Students. (Presented with Nancy West)

2016 Center of Advanced Research in Language Acquisition CARLA): Connecting Secondary Chinese Students with Target Language Speakers. (Presented with Bob Tsai)

2016 Utah Foreign Language Association (UFLA): Skyping and Blogging with Sister School Students in China. (Presented with Rocky Chen, Bob Tsai)

2016 American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): To Delay or Not to Delay: The Timing of Character Instruction for Secondary Students.

2016 American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): Collaborative Flagship Online Chinese Curriculum for Secondary Students. (Presented with Fanny Tam, Grace Xie)

2015 American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): AAPPL Testing results for Chinese Language Students in 8 States, presented at Chinese Flagship consortium.

2014 Dual Language Immersion Conference: Learned Versus Acquired Morpho-Syntax Structures in Early English Immersion Students. (Presented with Mary Ann Christison)

2014 Dual Language Immersion Conference: Factors that Predict Successful English Word Recognition and Comprehension Across Grades 1-6 for English Immersion Students in China. (Presented with MaryAnn Christison)

2014 American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): Is Writing Practice Important in Chinese Reading Acquisition? (Presented with Nancy West)

2013 Annual Conference of Chinese English Bilingual Education in China: Keynote address, Contexts of English and Chinese Immersion Education.

2013 Chinese Educational Conference (CEC): Successful Literacy Instructional Practices for Beginning Chinese Readers.

2013 Chinese Educational Conference (CEC): Getting Students to Talk: Incorporating Oral Activities in the Classroom.

2012 Center of Advanced Research in Language Acquisition (CARLA): Affective Attitudes and Motivational Factors in Early English Immersion Students. (Presented with Yanping Chi, Haiyang Qiang)

2012 Center of Advanced Research in Language Acquisition (CARLA): Early Immersion and Literacy in Xi’an, China. (Presented with Yanping Chi, Haiyang Qiang)

Curricula

2020 Gospel Literacy Series (Sunday School), Level 1 (Know My Words), Level 2 (Live My Words), Level 3 (Remember Me). Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (Member of curriculum team).

2017 Chinese Culture, History, and Media project-based Chinese immersion course for secondary students, includes units on Chinese performance and visual arts, inventions, educational system, celebrities, popular movies, festivals, idiom stories. (Supervised teacher curriculum team)

2017 Chinese Literature: Honors Chinese language arts curriculum for middle school dual immersion students. (Supervised teacher curriculum team)

2017 Chinese Flagship Secondary Curriculum: National online curriculum for Chinese secondary students, levels 1-4 (Novice Mid – Intermediate Mid/High); posted online at clt7-12.org; includes reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities, vocabulary, grammar exercises, Power Points, and curriculum maps. (Supervised teacher curriculum team)

2010 The Hartland Education Language Program. A Language and Literacy Program for Pre/Low-Literate Adults. (Member of curriculum team)

University Teaching Experience

  • Foreign Language Teaching Methods (FLANG 377- BYU)
  • Foundations of Immersion Education (FLANG 300 - BYU)
  • Content-Based-Instruction for Immersion Education (FLANG 301 - BYU)
  • Seminar for Chinese DLI Student Teachers (FLANG 477- BYU)
  • Second Language Acquisition (TELL 430- BYU)
  • Second Language Literacy (TELL 410 - BYU)
  • Pre-service Teaching Practicum (5813 - U of U)
  • L2 Methodology (5810 - U of U)
  • University Academic Writing – for international students (1040 - U of U)
  • Advanced Pronunciation – for international students (3600 - U of U)
  • English Instruction and Curriculum for Preliterate Students (3950 - U of U)