Saint Michael's College

Title: Professor of Applied Linguistics

Education: B.A., M.A. Leeds University, England; Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University

Areas of Expertise/Research Interests: The learning and application of English as an Academic Language (AEP), and the influences of the socio-cultural context of second language learning and teaching on AEP.

Testimonial: The Applied Linguistics program brings to Saint Michael's a rich international perspective, with diversity of cultures from almost every continent, including the "new Americans" recently arrived in Vermont.

What do you like most about teaching/working at Saint Michael's College? We are a smaller college so it's easy to get to know our students and colleagues well. That's so important in a learning community.

What inspires students the most in your classes and/or your academic area? Because my field is linguistics, I'm dealing with a topic that students take for granted - we all speak at least one language. I love to watch the light bulb go on as they learn about this taken-for-granted complexity and beauty of language structure and usage.

What do you like about Saint Michael's students? They are very involved in a variety of activities and service learning as well as their studies. They are fun to have in class, and willing to try new things. They're also extremely polite!

What do you find most rewarding about working with graduate students? Our students are very mature and motivated. They have strong goals to achieve individually, but they are supportive of each other, rather than competitive; this adds strength to the program and creates a collegial atmosphere of trust.

What kinds of unique opportunities are available to students in your classes or department? I love to help students explore the internal structure of language, how it's represented in the mind, and how we constantly have an effect on people by the way we use it. In my department, we're also proud to enhance the community with students from many different cultures and languages.