Laura Mahalingappa is an associate professor in the Applied Linguistics and Language Education program. Her research focuses broadly on the language and education of marginalized learners, incorporating sociolinguistic and critical linguistic and pedagogical perspectives into issues related to teacher preparation to support linguistically and culturally diverse learners and first and multilingual language acquisition. She recently published Supporting Muslim students: A guide to understanding the diverse issues of today’s classroom and an edited volume on international English teacher education, Preparation of Teachers of English as an Additional Language (EAL) around the World: Research, Policy, Curriculum, and Practice. Her current work pertains to critical language pedagogies and linguistically responsive instruction in both PK-12 and post-secondary educational contexts, examining teachers’ beliefs, ideologies, and practices in diverse classrooms, ways to prepare teachers to meet the needs of marginalized students, and policies and practices in teacher education programs.
Before joining TLPL, she worked in language teacher education programs for 12 years and recently received the 2022 Presidential Distinction Award in Scholarly/Creative Activities at Texas State University, College of Education and previously received the 2015 Creative Teaching Award and the 2014 School of Education Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching at Duquesne University. She previously taught English in the U.S., Turkey, and the Republic of Georgia.
2022 Presidential Distinction Award in Scholarly/Creative Activities, Texas State University, College of Education
2015 Creative Teaching Award, Duquesne University
2014 School of Education Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, Duquesne University
Books
Rodriguez, T.L., Mahalingappa, L., Ghassa-Khalil, O., Meagher, J., Amoud Omar, A., Ergen, L. (2024). Light through a prism: Social justice teaching for refugee and displaced students. Rowman & Littlefield.
Kayi-Aydar, H. & Mahalingappa, L. (Eds.). (In Press, 2024). Contemporary perspectives on English as a Medium of Instruction. Information Age Publishing.
Mahalingappa, L., Rodriguez, T., & Polat, N. (2017). Supporting Muslim Students: A Guide to Understanding the Diverse Issues of Today’s Classrooms. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN: 978-1-4758-3294-5.
Polat, N., Mahalingappa, L., & Kayi-Aydar, H. (Eds.). (2021). Preparation of Teachers of English as an Additional Language (EAL) around the World: Research, Policy, Curriculum, and Practice. Multilingual Matters. ISBN: 9781788926140
Recent Refereed Journal Articles
Mahalingappa, L., Zong, J., & Polat, N. (2024). The Impact of Captioning and Playback Speed on Listening Comprehension of Multilingual English Learners at Varying Proficiency Levels. System.
Mahalingappa, L. (2023). Building teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs about the education of multilingual learners: A linguistically responsive approach. Teaching and Teacher Education, 131, 104190. doi:
Mahalingappa, L., Polat, N, & Meyer, C. K. (2022). Critical language awareness in teacher education: An experiment at the intersection of language, identity, and ideologies. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. doi:
Mahalingappa, L., Polat, N., & Wang, R. (2022). A Cross-Cultural Comparison between EFL and ESL Teacher Beliefs about Oral Corrective Feedback: The Case of China and the U.S.A. Language Awareness, 31, 21-52. DOI:
Mahalingappa, L., Kayi-Aydar, H., & Polat, N. (2021). Institutional and faculty readiness for teaching multilingual international students in university programs in the field of education. TESOL Quarterly, 55, 47-77.
Polat, N., Mahalingappa, L., & Mancilla, R. (2020). Longitudinal Growth Trajectories of Written Syntactic Complexity: The Case of Turkish Learners in an Intensive English Program. Applied Linguistics, 41, 1-25.
Polat, N., Mahalingappa, L., Hughes, E., & Karayigit, C. (2019). Change in Preservice Teacher Beliefs about Inclusion, Responsibility, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for English Learners. International Multilingual Research Journal, 13, 222-238.
Mahalingappa, L., Hughes, E., & Polat, N. (2018). Developing Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Knowledge through Online Experiences with English Language Learners. Language and Education, 32, 127-146.
Rodriguez, T. L., Mahalingappa, L., Evangeliste, M., & Thoma, L. (2018). Educators must be activists: Advocating for Muslim students. The European Educational Researcher, 1(2), 117-135. doi: 10.31757/euer.123.
Hughes, E., & Mahalingappa, L. J. (2018). Experiences and perceived benefits of an electronic pen pal experience on preservice teachers' preparation for working with English learners. Action in Teacher Education, 40(3), 253-271.
Polat, N., & Mahalingappa, L. (2013). Pre- and In-service Teachers’ Beliefs about ELLs in Content Area Classes: A Case for Inclusion, Responsibility, and Instructional Support. Teaching Education, 24, 58-83.
Mahalingappa, L., & Polat, N. (2013). English Language Teacher Education in Turkey: Policy vs. Academic Standards. European Journal of Higher Education, 3, 371-383.
Selected Book Chapters
Mahalingappa, L., & Polat, N. (2021). Preparation of Teachers of EAL in the U.S.A.: Research, Policy, Curriculum, and Practice. In N. Polat, L. Mahalingappa, & Hayriye Kayi-Aydar (Eds.), Preparation of Teachers of English as an Additional Language (EAL) around the World. (pp. 233-241). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Meyer, C. K., Mahalingappa, L. J., & Brugar, K. A. (2018). Thinking inside the box: Using graphic novels to support ELLs in social studies classrooms. In L. C. de Oliveira, K. Obenchain, R. Kenney, A. Oliveira (Eds.), Approaches to Teaching the Content Areas to English Language Learners in Secondary Schools: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Springer, Cham. 311-325.
Mahalingappa, L., Rodriguez, T.L., & Polat, N. (2021). Promoting peace through social justice pedagogies for students from immigrant Muslim communities: Using critical language awareness in second language classrooms. In R.L. Oxford, M.M. Olivero, M. Harrison, & T. Gregersen (eds.), Peacebuilding in language education: Innovations in theory and practice (pp. 162-176). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Mahalingappa, L. (2013). The acquisition of split-ergativity in Kurmanji Kurdish. In E. Bavin & S. Stoll (Eds.), The Acquisition of Ergativity. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 239-270.
TLPL 788I Sociolinguistics
TLPL 697 Embracing ÌÇÐÄÉÙÅ®: Supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Secondary Classrooms
TLPL 662 Second Language Acquisition
TLPL 440 Issues in the Education of English Language Learners