Alain Bengochea

Associate Professor of English Language Learning
Expertise: Bilingual Education, Second Language Learning, Language & Literacy

Biography

Alain Bengochea is an expert in emergent bilingualism, early and middle childhood literacy, and translanguaging. His research explores the ways in which young, emergent bilingual learners' (i.e., ELLs) language and literacy development are supported across home, community, and school contexts. 

Bengochea's research integrates diverse epistemologies, paradigms, and methodologies, in order to empower minority learners facing ideological barriers and contradictions around bilingualism that may exist at the community and school levels. As an assistant professor of English language learning at UNLV, Bengochea helps pre-K through 12th grade teacher educators create culturally and linguistically responsive learning contexts for emergent bilingual learners.

His research has appeared in numerous publications including, the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism and Linguistics and Education.

Education

  • B.A., French & Political Science, University of Florida
  • M.S.Ed. in Childhood Bilingual Education, Fordham University
  • Ph.D. in Language & Literacy Learning in Multilingual Settings, University of Miami

Search For Other Experts On

child development, education (preK-12), social issues

Alain Bengochea In The News

Las Vegas Review Journal
If Lake Elementary School had looked only at the student’s math assessment in English, teachers would have worried about him. But when he took the same exam in Spanish, Principal Paola Elena Zepher said, he “blew it out of the water.”
Nevada Current
And they aren’t the only Southern Nevada municipality taking a more hands-on approach to education.
Patch
The City of Las Vegas wants to open a charter school. And with it may come with an ask for $900,000 in federal covid relief funding.
El Tiempo
José Iván Cervantes came to Las Vegas as a freshman in high school, amazed to be in “one of the most important cities in the United States,” and he hardly speaks English. Now ready to graduate, he also advocates for his school, which has faced uncertainty as the Clark County School District considers changes to the way English Learners are taught.

Articles Featuring Alain Bengochea

7-year-old boy in blue shirt, 1st grader William Hawkins, 9-year-old 3rd grader Georgia Hawkins, and PhD student in microbiology Erin Cassin, all working/learning from home on the dining room table.
Business and Community | April 6, 2020

UNLV College of Education experts share tips, resources, and activities for parents thrust into the added role of schoolteacher, guidance counselor, and playground monitor.