What degree are you working on? How long have you been studying in this program?
I'm working on an MA degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
What are your research interests and/or career goals?
My main research focus centers on the professional development and identity (re)construction of language teachers working with multilingual and multicultural learners. Drawing on my own experiences as a Global South educator navigating Global North institutions, I am interested in how teachers make use of their identities and emotions as resources to make sense of their positioning, navigate tensions and dominant ideologies, and sustain their growth. Upon graduation, I aim to pursue a PhD and continue research that advances equity-oriented education while remaining engaged in teaching, community work, and scholarly service within applied linguistics.
Why should someone study Linguistics/TESL at Illinois?
Illinois is a place where everyone has the freedom to pursue research on a wide range of topics. We have outstanding faculty, and the culture here is very supportive, regardless of how sensitive a subject may be. There really is freedom of research here!