Katharine E. Burns

Associate Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Hispanic Studies

Bio

Katharine Burns' work in second language acquisition takes an interdisciplinary approach to applied sociolinguistics. She conducts qualitative research on the ideological foundations of language use, with a particular focus on how power dynamics influence language learning. Her areas of research include language ideologies, L2 learner identity formation, language policy and planning, bilingualism and multilingualism, heritage language learning, endangered and minority languages, and L2 learners as emergent bilinguals.

As part of the Applied Linguistics & Second Language Acquisition doctoral program, Dr. Burns mentors graduate students and teaches courses such as Second Language Acquisition: Theories and Research; Language Policy and Planning; Language and Identity; and Bilingualism. She also teaches undergraduate courses in Hispanic Studies—including Using Spanish in Social Contexts—and in the Applied Multilingual Studies program, such as Bilingual and Bicultural Experiences in the USA and Language Diversity and Cultural Identity. Before joining Carnegie Mellon University, she taught Spanish both as an additional and heritage language in the United States, as well as English and Spanish as additional languages abroad.

Education

Ph.D., Second Language Acquisition & Teaching (SLAT), University of Arizona

M.A., Second Language Acquisition & Teaching (SLAT), University of Arizona

M.A., Spanish Language & Literature, Marquette University

B.A., Program of Liberal Studies; Spanish, University of Notre Dame

Areas of Interest

Courses Taught

Selected Community, University & Professional Service

Selected Publications