Research News

Olaf Berwald Presents at International Symposium on Trauma-Informed Teaching

---

WLLC Hosts 3rd Annual Research Symposium

The Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures hosted its 3rd Annual WLLC Research Symposium on April 10 2026, bringing together students and faculty to share their research and celebrate scholarly work across the department.

The symposium featured a diverse range of presentations reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of WLLC. Topics included translation studies, second language acquisition, literary analysis, linguistics, and innovative pedagogical approaches.

The event opened with student presentations by Ruby Neu, who presented “Bringing Golems Wiederkehr to English: A Translation and Methodological Analysis,” and Olivia O’Shell, who shared her work on “Exploring Second Language Learning Through Storytelling.” Their contributions highlighted the strong research engagement of WLLC students and their commitment to global and linguistic inquiry.

Faculty members presented their ongoing research. Dr. Priya Ananth discussed the use of SCOBAs in teaching Japanese grammar, Dr. Theresa McBreen examined identity construction in Cervantes’ El retablo de las maravillas, Dr. Ric Morris explored morphological change in Portuguese and Galician, and Dr. Luciana Prestes reflected on new approaches to the humanities classroom through literature, film, and cultural memory.

We thank all presenters and attendees for contributing to the success of this year’s symposium.

Photo credit: Dr. Gema Vela

“The Effect of Social Media Use on Language Learning: A Meta-Analysis” by Dr. Ayaka Matsuo

The Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures is pleased to share a new collaborative publication featuring Dr. Ayaka Matsuo.

Title: The Effect of Social Media Use on Language Learning: A Meta-Analysis
Journal: System
Issue: 137 (February 2026)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0346251X25003410

Authors:

• Dr. Mohammad Shams Ud Duha (University of Oklahoma)
• Dr. Xiuxiu Tang (University of Notre Dame)
• Dr. Ayaka Matsuo (WLLC, MTSU)
• Dr. Bo Zhu (American Institutes for Research)
• Dr. Yukiko Maeda (Purdue University)

This collaborative study contributes to ongoing research on the relationship between social media use and language learning, offering a comprehensive meta-analysis of current findings in the field.

“Trauma-Erkundungen im Werk Claire Golls” by Dr. Olaf Berwald

The Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures proudly recognizes Dr. Olaf Berwald for his latest scholarly publication.

Dr. Berwald’s work appears as a chapter titled: “Trauma-Erkundungen im Werk Claire Golls” in the edited volume:
(Dis-)harmonische Grenzüberschreitungen in Literatur, Film, Musik, Übersetzung und Comic, edited by Theresa Heyer and Verena Ott (Stuttgart: Steiner, 2025), pp. 147–158.

This publication contributes to ongoing interdisciplinary discussions on literature, trauma studies, and cultural expression across media.

Dr. Olaf Berwald presentations in Germany

The Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures is proud to highlight the international scholarly contributions of Dr. Olaf Berwald, who represented our department with two major presentations in Germany this December.

Dr. Berwald presented his research at leading academic institutions, contributing to ongoing conversations in literature, theory, and cultural studies:

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Munich

Conference: Hedwig Dohm: Literatur – Theorie – Aktivismus am Fin de Siècle
Presentation: “The Poetics of Human Dignity in Hedwig Dohm’s ‘Der Missbrauch des Todes’ (1917)”
Date: December 2025

Technische Universität Dortmund

Lecture Series: Komplexe Körper in Kultur, Literatur und Wissenschaft
Invited Lecture: “Trauma und Lyrik: Innere Blutungen im Leib der Dichtung”
Date: December 2025

Through these presentations, Dr. Berwald continues to advance research at the intersection of literature, theory, and cultural inquiry while strengthening the international presence of our department.

Thesis Defended: Olivia O’Shell

Thesis Title: Exploring Constructed Languages through Storytelling

Olivia’s interdisciplinary project highlights her creativity, linguistic insight, and passion for language design and narrative world-building. Her work reflects a strong engagement with both linguistic theory and creative practice.

We extend our sincere thanks to her thesis committee—Dr. Aleka Blackwell, Dr. Priya Ananth, and Dr. Joan McRae—for their guidance and support throughout this process.

Dr. Ayaka Matsuo presents at SLRF

Conference: The Second Language Research Forum (SLRF) 2025

Date: September 26-28, 2025

Title: Development of the Conversational Elicited Imitation (CEI) and Examination of its Construct Validity

Authors: Ayaka Matsuo (MTSU), Akari Osumi (Ph.D. student, Purdue U.), Dr. Atsushi Fukada (Purdue U.)

This annual, internationally recognized conference focuses on research in second language acquisition. This presentation focuses on a language testing technique called Elicited Imitation (EI). The EI is a widely used oral proficiency test whose reliability and validity have been well established by numerous studies. In the test, test-takers listen to a sentence and then repeat it verbatim as accurately as possible after a brief pause. Despite its high reliability, validity, and convenience as an oral proficiency test, the EI has long been criticized for its lack of face validity; test-takers do not feel that the test accurately measures their oral proficiency. To address this issue, the authors developed a conversation-style version of the EI. They examined the reliability and validity of the version they developed by comparing the performance of test-takers on both the traditional and conversation-style versions. Authors are currently working on a journal manuscript based on this research.

Dr. Matsuo says:

“Presenting our research at the conference was particularly meaningful for us as part of the writing process because it allowed us to receive feedback from other SLA scholars. Attending the conference was also beneficial for me as a language educator. Through formal presentations and casual socializing with other participants, I learned a lot about innovative teaching techniques and cutting-edge research findings that shape my daily teaching at MTSU. I’m grateful for the knowledge support from my co-authors and the financial support from the university that made this opportunity possible.”

Thesis Defended: Katheryne Greer

The Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures is delighted to celebrate Katheryne Greer on the successful defense of her Honors thesis.

Thesis Title: Colonial Influence and Culinary Fusion: A Franco-Senegalese Cookbook

Katy’s project explores the historical and cultural connections between France and Senegal through the lens of cuisine. Her work examines how French colonization both transformed and enriched Senegalese food practices, while also highlighting the ways in which Senegalese cuisine serves as a space of resistance, creativity, and cultural expression.

Through this interdisciplinary approach, Katy demonstrates how culinary traditions can reflect broader questions of identity, history, and cultural exchange.