Kenneth Kelch

Biography

Ken Kelch is a professor in the School of Education. He received his doctorate in TESOL from Alliant University and his master’s degree from the University of Hawaii. He has worked at Alliant for over 25 years, first as ESL program faculty and director, and then as professor and program director in the TESOL program from 2014 – 2024.

Dr. Kelch has been the program director for the California Teachers of English Learners (CTEL) online program for California K-12 teachers from 2008 to 2024 and 2026 to present. He is responsible for coordinating and overseeing all aspects of program operation. He also led the development Alliant’s Bilingual Authorization program and is now the program director.

Dr. Kelch has published articles and given presentations on many areas of second language teaching and learning. He is the co-editor of a recent textbook on computer assisted language learning. His areas of specialization are curriculum development, research methods, and qualitative research.

Professional Interests

• Curriculum development
• Research methods
• Qualitative research
• Language program administration
• Teacher training

Education and Certifications

• Doctor of Education, TESOL: Alliant International University
• Master of Arts, English as a Second Language: University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Bachelor of Arts, English: Cal Poly University, Pomona

Courses

Among the graduate level courses taught by Dr. Kelch, his specialty are the following:

• Topics in TESOL Theory and Methodology
• Research in Second Language Acquisition and Applied Linguistics
• Language Program Administration
• Sociolinguistics
• Second Language Assessment
• Theory and Method of Second Language Teaching
• Principles of Linguistics
• Teaching Reading and Writing to Second Language Learners
• Teaching Listening and Speaking to Second Language Learners
• English Grammar for ESL and EFL Teaching

Scholarship and Contributions to the Field

Dr. Kelch has published and given presentations on many areas of language teaching and learning. He is the co-editor of two textbooks on computer assisted language learning.  His recent scholarly work includes:

• “Teachers’ Perspectives on the Use of AI in the ESL Classroom,” Hawaii International Conference on Education, January 2026. 
• “Teacher Support Groups as Professional Development,” Hawaii International Conference on Education, January 2025. 
• “Teachers’ Perceptions of Social Justice Issues in the ESL/EFL Classroom,” Hawaii International Conference on Education, January 2024. 
• “Case Studies for Teacher Education and Professional Development,” Hawaii International Conference on Education, January 2022.
• Kelch, K., Byun, J.S., Cervantes, S., & Safavi, S., eds. (2021).  CALL Theory Applications for Online TESOL Education.  IGI Global.
• “Meeting the Needs of English Learners: Shaping the Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes of K-12 Teachers,” Hawaii International Conference on Education, January 2019.
• Perren, J., Kelch, K., Byun, J.S., Cervantes, S., & Safavi, S., eds. (2017).  Applications of CALL Theory in ESL and EFL Environments.  IGI Global.