Bio

My work in Second Language Acquisition takes an interdisciplinary approach to applied sociolinguistics. I do qualitative research on the ideological underpinnings of language use—in particular, exploring how power dynamics affect language learning. My areas of research include: language ideologies, L2 learner identity formation, language policy & planning, bilingualism/multilingualism, heritage language learning, and L2 learners as emergent bilinguals.

In the Ph.D. program in Second Language Acquisition, I mentor graduate students and teach courses such as Second Language Acquisition: Theories and Research; Language Policy & Planning; Language & Identity; and Bilingualism. I also teach undergraduate courses in Hispanic Studies (e.g., 82-345 Using Spanish in Social Contexts) and in the Applied Multilingual Studies program (e.g., 82-280: Bilingual & Bicultural Experiences in the USA and 82-283 Language Diversity & Cultural Identity). Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon University, I taught both Spanish as an additional language and as a heritage language in the U.S., and English and Spanish as additional languages abroad.

Department Member Since 2016