Date of Award

9-15-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Mindfulness Studies

First Advisor

Yasemin Isler

Second Advisor

Cacky Mellor

Abstract

This paper examines how adults in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes could benefit from the integration of mindfulness principles and/or the teaching of mindfulness in the classroom and culminates in a step-by-step guide. The guidebook outlines key principles for introducing mindfulness in the adult ESOL context and includes example practices, pedagogical considerations, and suggestions for further reading, designed to support teachers with varying levels of experience in mindfulness. The adult ESOL classroom in the United States is a space where migrants, immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers (here referred to collectively as immigrants and refugees) can seek out resources and learn the dominant language of their new country, a skill that helps them advance their economic situation, social well-being, mental health, and physical health. Immigrants and refugees face many challenges that can impede their well-being and their capacity to learn, and migration is unlikely to decrease considering the extent of ongoing global crises including climate change, armed conflict, and political instability. Thus, environments where immigrants and refugees are learning a new language should include offerings to support their well-being and capacity for learning. This project aims to guide teachers in using the tool of mindfulness responsibly in the face of challenges including a lack of research on mindfulness and ESOL students as well as ongoing funding cuts for scientific research, social services, and adult education.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

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