Joseph Garcia

Undergraduate Advisor and Lecturer in Arabic Studies

Bio

Joseph Garcia is the undergraduate academic advisor and a lecturer in Arabic studies in LCAL. He is also currently completing his dissertation investigating the language attitudes, beliefs and experiences of Arabic learners studying abroad.

Growing up, he was always curious about languages and connecting to others. Through travels abroad and personal multilingual encounters, he developed a strong interest in linguistics and cultural studies. Since his undergraduate experiences, he has studied linguistics and worked with diverse student groups in various capacities. He is excited to continue working with the undergraduate students here at CMU and hopes to share some of his enthusiasm for language learning, study abroad and linguistics. 

As a second-language Arabic speaker, Joseph is passionate about understanding the experiences of learners and improving the Arabic classroom. He has taught many levels of Arabic language classes and is interested in developing new courses in the department. Additionally, his background as a learner and teacher directly impacts his research. His current work focuses on the relationship between study abroad, language attitudes and Arabic learning, while he is also interested in aspects of ideology and identity. Through his research and teaching, Joseph views learners as agentive multilinguals and strives to empower the next generation of language learners and researchers here at CMU.

Outside of his professional work, Joseph enjoys traveling, cooking and eating good food and having conversations over coffee. If anyone is interested in learning more about LCAL majors, minors and courses, feel free to contact Joseph. He would be happy to have a coffee and discuss these further. 

Education