Teaching

My teaching interests are in the areas of second language acquisition theory, methods and materials in bilingual/multicultural education, and education and sociolinguistics. I am deeply committed to helping students apply educational theory to practice.

Courses frequently taught:

EDUC 5615: Second Language Acquisition
This course examines the intricate web of variables that interact in the second language learning process. These variables include linguistic, cognitive, social, cultural, and political factors. Learning a second language occurs as both an individual and collective experience. It does happen “in the head” of an individual, but it is also a social phenomenon. As such, second language learning involves complex interactions between the individual and the contexts in which he or she interacts. The emphasis in the course is on examining each of these factors in turn and then attempting to understand how they work together to foster or inhibit successful second language acquisition.

EDUC 5635: Education and Sociolinguistics
This course introduces students to the discipline of sociolinguistics, the study of language variation and use, and its application within education settings. It is not designed as an advanced sociology or linguistics course. Areas of study include language variation, speech communities, the ethnography of communication, speech and social identities, and sociolinguistic research related to teaching and learning

EDUC 8004: Doctoral Seminar in Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity
This course examines critical issues in the development and implementation of bilingual education and English as a second language programs with a focus on the implementation of these programs in various sociopolitical contexts of the United States. Course topics include theoretical perspectives, political issues, policy and practice issues, and cultural and linguistic issues. The course aims to develop skills in scholarship, particularly collaborative reflection, discussion, and fieldwork investigation of culturally and linguistically diverse schools and communities. Specifically, the course provides first-hand opportunities to engage in or to create research projects related to bilingual education or ESL.