Graduated with MA 2007
My interest in the interface of language, culture and social practice comes out of my language experiences as a journalist and author for many years, and in my teaching adults English through ESL programs at community colleges, libraries and in tutor exchanges. Many immigrants come to this country as adults from Asia, Africa, South and Central America. Once they arrive, the lose not only their language but their community practices and culture. It is a life-changing experience. Those who survive and adjust are rarely completely assimilated into American culture. They are the outsiders even though their children become Americans. I am most interested in research about the different facets of the adult immigrant experience, the adjustments that are made in language and culture, and the critical changes that occur in their social practice over a period of time.