Claudia Fernández, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Spanish and Director of the Spanish Basic Language Program
Hispanic and Italian Studies
Pronouns: She/Her
Contact
Building & Room:
University Hall 1714
Address:
601 S Morgan
Office Phone:
Email:
Fall 2022 Drop-in Hours Heading link
Wednesdays 11-12 or by appointment
Fall 2022 Classes Heading link
Spanish 102, MWF 9:00-9:50
About
I am fascinated by how adults learn additional languages and how additional language teaching can be most effective. That is why my area of expertise is learning Spanish as an additional language and how languages are learned in the classroom. My research interests are materials research, task-based language teaching, and input processing/processing instruction. In addition to Directing the Spanish Basic Language Program at UIC, I also train and mentor current and future language teaching professionals, and regularly participate in conferences and other professional development events both nationally and internationally.
Selected Grants
UIC Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence (CATE), Action Research Scholars (to begin 2023), Fellowship
Selected Publications
Fernández, C. & Berwick, A. (2022). Using Language Learning Materials: Theory and Practice. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Fernández, C. (2022). Instructors’ use of innovative teaching materials within a task-based curriculum in higher education in the USA. In C. Fernández & A. Berwick (Eds.), Using Language Learning Materials: Theory and Practice. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Corpas, J., García, E., Garmendia, A., Soriano, C., & Fernández, C. (2022). Aula en acción 1. Klett World Languages.
Fernández, C. (2021). Trials-to-criterion as a methodological option to measure language processing. In M. Leeser, G. Keating & W. Wong (Eds.) Research on input processing and processing instruction: Studies in honor of Bill VanPatten. John Benjamins.
Fernández, C. (2021). From grammar-driven to proficiency-based: Improving the Spanish language curriculum in Higher Education. The Language Educator, 16, 28-31.
Fernández, C. (2020). Instructors’ perspectives on the value of innovative teaching materials in USA higher education. Folio, 1, 4-11.
Publication Aggregators
Professional Leadership
Associate Editor, RESLA/SJAL (Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada)
Mentor, ACTFL 2022-2023 Early Career Language Educators Mentoring Program
Higher Education Committee member, AATSP
Co-founder, SOLPHE (Symposium on Language Pedagogy in Higher Education)
Education
PhD Spanish Linguistics, University of Illinois-Chicago
M.A. Spanish, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee