Michele Regalla is an Associate Professor of ESOL at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Regalla is a certified French and elementary teacher with ten years of teaching experience at the K-12 level in the Pennsylvania public school system. She has taught French at both the secondary and elementary levels, taught in an intensive English program, and taught English to elementary students in Costa Rica. Dr. Regalla currently directs a pre-kindergarten French program at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Bailes where she is conducting research on the effects of second language learning on first language skills for both typical students as well as those with special needs.

Areas of Expertise

• Foreign Language Education
• English for Speakers of other Languages
• Service-learning

Education

Ph. D., University of Pittsburgh

Research Interests

• Early Language Learning
• Service-Learning
• Teacher Preparation

Current Funded Projects

Regalla, M. Language Learning for All, funded by the Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood PI of a research project investigating the relationship between first and second language learning for students with special needs.