Headshot of Dr.Leslie Bohon

Dr. Leslie Bohon

Director, English Language Learning | Weinstein Learning Center
Curriculum Vitae

  • Profile

    Leslie Bohon, Ph.D, has broad experience of over 30 years in international education at the university and secondary levels as an ESL/EFL professional, cross-cultural researcher, administrator, teacher and professor, program start-up and developer, curriculum developer, and professional development trainer. Dr. Bohon’s passion is working and learning cross-culturally and has lived, traveled, and worked in 25 countries. She is active in professional TESOL and international organizations and presents her work at numerous state, national, and international conferences. She serves as on TESOL’s Intercultural Communication Interest Section (ICIS) (Incoming Co-Chair). Her research interests are intercultural learning; international student development; language, cultural, and academic needs of international students; and intercultural competence. Dr. Bohon’s Ph.D. is in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership with a focus on international education from the College of William & Mary. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Virginia in French language and Second Language Curriculum and Instruction.

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    • Awards

      Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Dissertation Award Finalist (top 4), November 2015.

      Best Paper in Conference Award; International Conference on Education. Paper title: Teacher training for aspiring teachers of English language learners: Using experiential learning to improve instruction, May 2014.

      Armand J. and Mary Faust Galfo Education Research Award; Top School of Education award for graduate students demonstrating outstanding promise in educational research design through excellence in coursework in research design and data analysis. College of William & Mary, April 2014.

      Presentation Sponsorship NASPA by Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Community; Presentation title: Integration of Learning: Strategies to promote and assess intercontextual learning, March 2014.

      Christopher Wren Association Scholarship. Awarded to a graduate student who is academically distinguished and exhibits an understanding of life-long learning. College of William & Mary, Dec 2013.

    • Presentations

      Bohon, L. (2025, June). Understanding cultural dimensions to foster effective cross-cultural interaction. Invited talk at the International Conference on English Language for Undergraduate Students at Universitas Islam Kadiri (UNISKA), Kediri, East Java, Indonesia (online).

      Bohon, L., Edmonds, L., Lapornik, B., Prado, J. (2025, March). Supporting intercultural communicative competence growth through experiential learning. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Long Beach, CA.

      Bohon, L. (2024, June). Strengthening intercultural competence and communication skills via storytelling. Invited talk at the International Conference on English Language for Undergraduate Students at Universitas Islam Kadiri (UNISKA), Kediri, East Java, Indonesia (online).

      Bohon, L., Al-Muttaqin, M. F., & Istighfaroh, F., (2024, March). Launching an EFL student teaching internship in Indonesia: Lessons learned from teacher prep and host perspectives. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Tampa, FL.

      Ennis, M., Bohon, L., Gonçalves, A., Roberts, J., & Vandenhoven, M. (2024, March). Interculturality for effective communication in English for specific purposes. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Tampa, FL.

      Bohon, L., (Moderator) Lee, B., Jeffery, D., Nabukeera, O., McVeigh, N., Sahranavard, N. (2024, March). Detangling DEI within the Local and Worldwide TESOL Profession. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Tampa, FL.

      Bohon, L. (2023, March). Intercultural and inquiry-based learning via student-made video projects. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Portland, OR.

      Bohon, L. et al. (2023, March). Interculturality and storytelling. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Portland, OR.

      Bohon, L., Xue, X., Cajkář, J., Hojdarová, B., Liu, J., Barrena Garay, D. (2022, November). Students’ perceptions of intercultural learning in the ESL classroom. Peer reviewed presentation and student panel at the annual meeting of the Southeast (SE) Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Richmond, VA.

      Bohon, L. L., Sun, Y., & Du, J. (2021, September). Online experiences of university English language learners. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Virginia TESOL, Virtual.

      Bohon, L., Du, J., & Sun, Y. (2021, April). Effects of online learning on international students’ English language concerns. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the World Future Forum. Chicago, IL - Virtual.

      Bohon, L. L. (2020, March). Addressing differing perceptions of international students’ academic and language needs. Peer reviewed poster session accepted at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). [Covid].

      Bohon, L. L. (2019, October). Inquiry-based learning through student-made videos. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Virginia TESOL, Charlottesville, VA.

      Bohon, L. L. (2019, July). Supporting psychological development for international student success. Invited talk at the student success retreat of NAVITAS, Inc. at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. 

      Rhodes, J., Bohon, L., Dudley, S. (2018, November).: Internationalizing teacher education through a comparative study of literacy pedagogy. Peer reviewed roundtable at the annual meeting of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) in Louisville, KY.

      Bohon, L. L. (2018, October). Aligning differing perceptions of international students’ academic and language needs.Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Virginia TESOL, Charlottesville, VA.

      Cho, S. & Bohon, L. L. (2018, October). Training for Ukrainian English teachers or school principals: 1) Communicative language teaching methods, 2) Differentiation 3) Providing feedback to teachers 4) Developing school culture and mission. New Ukrainian School, Zalischchyky, Ukraine.

      Bohon, L. L., Goulde, N., Moore, M., Currie, L. (2017, October). College-ready writing. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Virginia TESOL, New Kent, VA.

      Bohon, L. L. (2017, April). Chinese undergraduate student self-authorship development: implications for faculty.  Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the Conference on Language, Learning, & Culture (CLLC), Fairfax, VA.

      Bohon, L. L. (2017, March). The impact of collectivism on self-authorship development of Chinese undergraduate students. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), Atlanta, GA.

      Bohon, L. L. (2017, February). International student challenges in U.S. secondary & higher education. Education USA, U.S. Consulate, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

      Bohon, L. L. (2017, February). International student experiences in U.S. education: Engaging in the positive and overcoming the challenges. Education USA, U.S. Embassy, Hanoi, Vietnam.

      Bohon, L. L. (2017, February). Values in U.S. culture and their application in everyday life. American Center, U.S. Embassy, Hanoi, Vietnam.

      Bohon, L. L. (2016, April). Pre-collegiate international freshmen program: Successes and challenges. Peer reviewed poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Baltimore, MD.

      Bohon, L. L. (2016, April). The impact of filial piety on self-authorship development of Chinese undergraduate students. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Washington, DC.

      Eddy, P. L., Barber, J. P., Bohon, L. L., Tarantino, K. (2016, April). Internationalization efforts on campus: Progress toward aligning individual experiences and institutional aspirations. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Washington, DC.

      Bohon, L. L. (2015, November). Patterns of self-authorship development of Chinese undergraduate students attending a U.S. university. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), Denver, CO.

      Barber, J. P., Bohon, L. L., Feltman, L, Stone, S., & Tarantino, K. (2015, November). Perspectives on integration: Comparing views of undergraduates and educators on integrative learning experiences. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), Denver, CO.

      Bohon, L. L. (2015, October). Improving academic and social success of international freshman through pre-collegiate programs. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Virginia TESOL, Newport News, VA.

      Allen, C., & Bohon, L. L. (2015, June). Coming to America: Improving cultural acclimation & employment success. Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance (MBA CSEA), Dallas, TX.

      Barber, J. P., Bohon, L. L., Everson, N. (2014, November). Educators’ voices: Examining the characteristics of integrative learning experiences. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Washington, DC.

      Bohon, L. L., McKelvey, S., Rhodes, J., & Robnolt, V. (2014, May). Teacher training for aspiring teachers of English language learners: Using experiential learning to improve instruction. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Conference on Education, Chicago, IL. Best Paper Award.

      Barber, J. P., Bohon, L. L., Everson, N., Stone, S., & Feltman, L. (2014, April). Integration of learning: Examining undergraduates’ “light bulb moments.”  Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Philadelphia, PA.

      Barber, J. P., Everson, N., Feltman, L., Bohon, L. L. (2014, March). Integration of Learning: Strategies to promote and assess intercontextual learning.  Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Student Affairs Educators in Higher Education (NASPA), Baltimore, MD. Special recognition.

      Eddy, P. L., Barber, J., Brush, K., Bohon, L. L., Holly, N. (2012, November). Internationalization of the college campus: A case study. Peer reviewed paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Las Vegas, NV.

      Eddy, P. L., Bohon, L. L., Brush, K. H. (2012, June). Internationalizing a campus: A case study of the College of William & Mary. Presentation at the Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland.

      Robnolt, V., McKelvey, S., Rhodes, J., & Bohon, L. L. (2011, December). Expanding access, knowledge, and participation of adolescent English language learners in content area classrooms. Peer reviewed presentation at annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association (LRA), Jacksonville, FL.

      Cho, S. & Bohon, L. L. (2011, March). How do secondary content-area teachers implement SIOP in their classrooms? Peer reviewed presentation at the annual meeting of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), New Orleans, LA.

    • Memberships

      TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)

      VATESOL (Virginia TESOL)

      Kappa Delta Pi, Education Honor Society, College of William & Mary, 2009-present

    • Certifications

      IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory) certified Administrator

    • Institutional Service

      Fulbright National Screening Committee. Served on Committee to recommend applicants for English Teaching Assistants in Spain, 3-year term: 2017, 2018, 2019.

      Fulbright University Screening Committee. Serve on University Committee to mentor applicants of English Teaching Assistants fellowship.

      Global EFL & Culture Internship in Indonesia. Founder and Advisor. A partnership between the University of Richmond Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and the Basic English Course (BEC) School in the English Village Pare (Indonesia) to offer summer teaching internships for UR students. The global internship hosts UR students who provide English language and intercultural learning to post-secondary Indonesian students seeking to improve their English skills and intercultural knowledge. Launched summer 2023.

      Mentor student Orientation Leaders and Advisors. “Train the Trainers” mentoring focuses on cross-cultural communication, cultural adjustment, and intercultural competence to support their work with incoming international students. In collaboration with International Ed.

      Mentor Indonesia Global Interns to teach, live, and work in Pare, Indonesia for their EFL teaching internship. Training includes cultural, intercultural competence, EFL teaching pedagogy, and cross-cultural communications. Training is pre-departure and on-site mentoring in Pare, Indonesia.

      Faculty Training. Co-led training, Faculty Learning Community, Academic year 2019-20, Maximizing Academic Engagement with International Students)

      Faculty Training. Co-lead training, Faculty Learning Community, Academic year 2025-26, Intercultural Competence Growth to Maximize Student Interaction.

      Language of COVID Symposium planning committee member (LLC Department) – Fall 2020-Spring 2022

    • Community Service

      TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages). Member and

      • Co-Chair, Intercultural Learning and Communications (ICIS) SIG. March 2023-24 and 2026-7
      • Incoming Co-Chair, ICIS. 2022-2023 and 2025-26
      • Strand Coordinator for national convention, Culture and Intercultural Communication
      • Newsletter Co-Editor, ICIS. 2020-22
      • Member-at-Large ICIS Board, 2019-20
      • Proposal reviewer
      • Member Non-Native English Speaking Teachers SIG

      VATESOL (Virginia TESOL). Member and

      • President, 1998-99
      • Vice-president, 1997-98
      • Higher Ed Chair, 1996-97
      • Newsletter Editor, 1995-97
      • Proposal reviewer

  • Publications
    Journal Articles
    Lacroix, J. A., Bohon, L., Lapornik, B., Lypka, A. E., & Prado, J. (2024).
    Storytelling: Five identity-focused activities for teaching intercultural competence to multilingual learners. Journal of Language and Literacy Education 20(1), 1-23.  

    Bohon, L. L. (2020). English language training for international faculty. In M. E. David & M. J. Amey (Eds.), SAGE Encyclopedia of Higher Education (p. 452). SAGE Publications, Inc.

    Rhodes, J. A., Bohon, L., & Dudley, S. D. (2019). Meeting the needs of early learners: A program for the comparative study of U.S. and Italian pedagogy. In A. Babino, J. Araujo, R. Johnson, & N. Cossa (Eds.), Educating for a Just Society: The 41st Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers Yearbook (pp. 151-162). Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers.

    Bohon, L. L., McKelvey, S., Rhodes, J. A., & Robnolt, V. J. (2017). Training for content teachers of English language learners: Using experiential learning to improve instruction. Teacher Development: An International Journal of Teachers’ Professional Development, 21(5), 609-634. doi:10.1080/13664530.2016.1277256

    Creighton, J., Betjemann, J., & Bohon, L. L. (2016). U.S. student affairs: Interpersonal violence prevention efforts in intercultural contexts. International Association of Student Affairs and Services, Current Trends in Tertiary Education around the World. 

    Eddy, P. L., Barber, J. P., Brush, K., Holly, N., Bohon, L. L., & Green, M. (2013). Internationalizing a campus: From colonial to modern times. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 45(6), 43-50. doi:10.1080/00091383.2013.842107