Trauma-Informed ESL in the Digital Age: An Interview with Volha Hurskaya

This interview with ESL instructor and researcher Volha Hurskaya explores trauma-informed strategies for teaching English to displaced learners through e-learning. With more than 122 million people forcibly displaced globally, many refugee learners face challenges that impact their ability to focus, retain information, or feel safe in traditional classroom environments. Hurskaya shares insights from her volunteer work in U.S. resettlement programs and from her peer-reviewed research on multimedia methods for ESL instruction. The conversation offers practical design principles and tool recommendations for educators seeking to build compassionate, effective e-learning experiences. Trauma-informed e-learning, Hurskaya argues, improves language acquisition and fosters confidence, stability, and identity restoration, making it both a pedagogical and humanitarian imperative.