| Student Profiles: Saylor Eames and Ben Vacariu, LING 390 and LING 392 Applied Linguistics Tutors for Winter and Spring 2020
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| Saylor Eames
Hi everyone! My name is Saylor, and I am so excited to be an Applied Linguistics tutor! I am an Applied Linguistics and French major, with hopes to go on and get the MA in TESOL. I took Ling 390 and LING 392 last winter, and I am excited to help out. I’m really looking forward to getting to know more people in our department and to have a chance to become more involved with the community.
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Ben Vacariu
Hi, my name is Benjamin. I am a tutor for Linguistics 390 (Introduction to Linguistics) and 392 (Structure of English).
My time spent as a linguistics student and Japanese learner have led me to reflect on language
acquisition at all levels. Whether someone’s learning a new language or solidifying their knowledge of their first, there’s always room to grow and questions to ask. Being able to tutor the same classes that I worked through puts me in a unique position to answer questions and tackle challenges with students that I likely ran into myself. Turning confusion into understanding has always been one of my favorite things about studying language, and helping others do the same is what excites me about teaching.
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Faculty member Dr. Alissa Hartig receives 2019 Global Legal Skills Award
Alissa began her work in advanced academic literacy in law for non-native speakers of English over ten years ago. At the time, she knew absolutely nothing about law. Now, her work has been internationally recognized for its contributions to academic research and scholarship on second language legal literacy. In addition to her presenting her work in Costa Rica, Canada, Poland, Italy and Norway.
“Receiving the award is validation from peers in the field that what I’ve contributed is relevant… it’s gratifying to get that recognition.” Besides several articles, her work includes her book Connecting language and disciplinary knowledge in English for Specific Purposes: Case studies in law (Multilingual Matters, 2017).
In spring 2020 Dr. Hartig will be teaching a senior seminar (Ling 407) on language and the law. In fall 2020 she will teach the new junior cluster course (Ling 334U) “You have the right to remain silent”: Language & the Law.
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The department's student lounge is one year old!
Once a conference room, the student lounge is now a gathering place for all Applied Linguistics students to hang out with friends, relax, study, find a snack, heat up their lunch, and recharge!
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| Faculty member Kathy Harris shared her expertise on a panel in November 2019 at the first National Summit on Adult Literacy in Washington, D.C.
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Kathy Harris, Applied Linguistics faculty member and a member of the Literacy, Language and Technology Research Group (LLTR) faculty, was an invited presenter on a panel on “Theory to Practice” at the Barbara Bush Foundation’s inaugural National Summit on Adult Literacy in Washington, D.C., on November 13th, 2019. The summit brought together adult and family literacy advocates with leaders from across related sectors and fields to share perspectives and discuss approaches to solving the nation’s literacy crisis.
Kathy Harris commented on the importance of the summit to the work of the LLTR: "In the Literacy, Language, and Technology Research group our research points to digital skills as an essential part of 21st-century English literacy. Adults need digital literacies for work, learning, health, finance, etc. We have also done research on the ways to support adults to develop digital literacies. For me as a researcher, I see the real question of our time to be: what is the best combination of in-person and online resources for which learners and for what purposes? Working to understand the answer to that question will provide important guidance to design instruction and supports so that all adults, including English language learners, can be lifelong learners and succeed in the future of work, participate in their healthcare, and achieve their personal goals."
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Upcoming Applied Linguistics Information Sessions
MA TESOL Sessions:
- Friday, March 13th 1-2:30 pm
Undergraduate major, minor, and TESL Certificate Session:
- Friday, February 28th 1-2 pm
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Nattinger Scholarship Campaign
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Thanks to the generosity of emeritus faculty member Dr. Beatrice Oshika, any gifts to the scholarship this academic year will be doubled in honor of the 25th anniversary of the passing of Jim Nattinger – beloved teacher, highly respected linguist, and first chair of the PSU Department of Applied Linguistics.
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Are you an Applied Linguistics major or minor, TESL Certificate or MA TESOL alum?
Please share news of your travels, a new job, or professional accomplishment by emailing linginfo@pdx.edu.
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MA TESOL applications accepted until spaces fill
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Nattinger Scholarship applications due March 1, 2020
The James R. Nattinger Scholarship provides support to students pursuing our MA TESOL degree, with one student each year receiving $3,000-$4,000/term. Applicants should have a strong scholarly record and a research interest. The scholarship honors the memory of Jim Nattinger, who was a beloved teacher, valued colleague, and respected researcher, as well as the main force behind the formation of the Department of Applied Linguistics. See more information and application instructions at: https://www.pdx.edu/linguistics/ma-tesol-james-r-nattinger-graduate-teaching-fellowship.
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More news from the Applied Linguistics department:
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