First and foremost, I am an educator, an agent of change.
Everything that I study, I relate it to the context of my teaching
practices, and seek ways to meet the needs of culturally and
linguistically diverse students who I often encounter. My academic
interest lies primarily in ESL, second language writing,
composition, literacy, and literacy education. I am interested in
the power of language, literacy, and culture: how they shape us,
our perspectives, identities, and the communities/societies we live
in. In particular, my focus is on second language learners and
writers living in the US. I explore 1) how learning or writing in a
second language impacts the way they see themselves; 2) how they
negotiate between their cultural identities and the “new
identities” that may be emerging through the process of
acculturation (what is gained, lost, and reshaped); and 3) how, as
educators, we can honor the cultural traditions the learners bring
into the classrooms as we support their learning in the US. I am
committed to developing classrooms where students engage in
self-reflective practices, and learn to use language and literacy
in critical and empowering ways. Other than that, I enjoy traveling
and learning about other cultures!