91泡芙

My research focus: applied linguistics and second language education

Plurilingualism and academic literacy

I have spent many years doing collaborative research on the learning experiences of English as an additional language (EAL) students in English for academic purposes (EAP) and academic literacy classes, as well as classes across the disciplines, in higher education. I am particularly interested in plurilingual/international students' sense of belonging, identities, and use of languages other than English (e.g., Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Punjabi) as tools for learning. Additionally, I have researched instructors' pedagogical responses to cultural and linguistic diversity in their classes.

My research also includes a large-scale impact assessment of a first-year academic literacy/EAP program, comparing post-program GPA and retention rates of 80,000+ students, focusing on four different modes of assessment, in collaboration with SFU Institutional Research and Planning.

Language teachers' professional development

As part of my Associate Dean role, I work with global partners to design and host professional development programs for teachers working in schools and in higher education. In my related research, I have analyzed the experiences of language teachers from Japan, Taiwan, and several southeast Asian countries who have taken professional development programs in Canada; I collect and analyze data through post-program site visits, interviews, and analysis of reflective narrative writing. Key areas of focus are understanding pedagogy in different cultural contexts, teachers' professional identities, and issues related to applying knowledge post-program (opportunities and constraints).

Latin American migration: Catalonia and Japan

A recurring theme in my research dating back to my doctoral studies has been the languages and identities of Latin American migrants. The focus of my doctoral research was on the languages and identities of Spanish-Speaking Latin Americans in Catalonia, particularly in relation to learning (or not learning) Catalan. More recently, I have been researching how ethnic Japanese Nikkei Latin Americans combine Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese in their daily lives and between generations in Japan. 

Linguistic landscapes

I am currrently researching the Portuguese language in Japanese society, studying how the presence of Portuguese in linguistic landscapes represents the marketing of an exotic past, particularly in and around the Nagasaki region, as well a response to Brazilian Portuguese as a new heritage language. My other related studies have focused on three areas: the educational potential of linguistic landscape activities in graduate studies as a way to engage critically with multilingual communities, public pedagogy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the linguistic landscapes of university spaces.

Other things

I also write EAP textbooks, and am the author of Advance in Academic Writing 1 & 2, and Grammar for Academic Purposes 1 & 2, published by TC Media ELT (previously Pearson), Montreal.

And finally, I have a YouTube Channel - OnScreen Academy. The channel offers free-access short screencast videos on English language and academic writing, and has received over 280,000 views from students around the world. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmMdQxeZJxzHDl6z528Q2A

Faculty of Education Research Hub

To learn about Faculty of Education research and my work with colleagues in the Faculty's Research Hub, please click on the following link: /education-research-hub.html