About me |
My research philosophy is anchored in two dynamic forces: language and culture.
Language, for me, is not merely a system of sounds and structures; it is a living, contextualized practice. I explore phonetics, grammar, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, interactional sociolinguistics, and critical discourse analysis—while drawing on fields such as history, cultural geography, and anthropology—to understand how people mean, negotiate, and transform their worlds through communication.
Culture, likewise, is the lens through which these linguistic practices gain depth.
I engage with questions of social class, gender, ethnicity, race, political and religious identities, and participatory action research to understand how individuals and communities construct meaning and navigate power in everyday life.
Bringing these elements together, I invite students to critically examine unresolved educational and social challenges in both English and Spanish. Their work may involve exploring their own learning processes or analyzing cultural issues emerging from Latin American economics, politics, literature, and education, among many other arenas. In doing so, they learn not only to interpret the world but also to question it, challenge it, and participate in reshaping it.
To guide their analyses and participatory action research, students follow a structured yet reflective process:
Initial reflection
Planning
Action and participation
Observation
Final reflection
(adapted from Richards & Lockhart, 1999)
In designing my courses, I prioritize students’ needs and the realities they will face beyond the university walls. My goal is to bridge the gap between theory—the realm of ideal speakers and ideal citizens—and practice—the world of real individuals navigating complex social, cultural, and linguistic demands.
This process, which forms the core of my teaching philosophy, aims to equip students with strategies to negotiate their identities in a diverse and highly competitive American educational environment.
Ultimately, I channel all my efforts into exploring, adapting, and refining teaching methods so that theory can genuinely inform practice. In striving to be a different and more effective educator, I help students become more confident, critical, and empowered participants in their academic, professional, and cultural worlds. |
