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Betsy Gilliland and Georganne Nordstrom from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature each received a Fulbright Award for the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters, respectively.

Betsy Gilliland headed to Chile

Betsy Gilliland

Gilliland, an associate professor in the Department of Second Language Studies, is headed to the Universidad de Atacama in Chile where she will teach 4th year undergraduate English pedagogy students who are preparing to become English-as-a-foreign-language teachers in primary and secondary schools.

“Like the United States, Chile has public schools that are open to all children, and who vary in their readiness and motivation to learn. New teachers need to have a strong knowledge base and the ability to adapt practices to student needs,” said Gilliland. She wants to help meet those needs, while also laying foundations in the classroom that will equip graduates to meet the country’s high national standards for teacher education programs. Gilliland will combine her interests in second language writing, language teacher education and collaborative action research.

Georganne Nordstrom travels to Ireland

Georganne Nordstrom

Nordstrom, an associate professor in the Department of English, is on her way to the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). She will share her expertise with NUIG’s writing center and teach two courses she designed—“The History of the English Language in Hawaiʻi” and “Place-based Rhetoric and Public Discourse in Hawaiʻi and Ireland.”

“Ireland’s longer history of efforts toward language revitalization provides a rich model for those of us working toward the same goal of language recognition and use in Hawaiʻi” Nordstrom said. “I chose NUIGbecause I feel my work would both resonate with and benefit from teaching and researching at an institution that supports the Irish language through their commitment to create an exemplary bilingual campus.”

Fulbright experiences will enrich Mānoa

Gilliland and Nordstrom plan to expand on their Fulbright experiences.

“Upon my return to the U.S., I will incorporate the invaluable knowledge gained in Chile into my courses on teaching second language writing and preparing language teachers,”said Gilliland. “I hope also to build connections with other teacher educators in Chile to create cross-institutional links between our students and Chilean students. I would be happy to host teacher educator colleagues in faculty exchanges, should any wish to visit Hawaiʻi.”

Nordstrom added, “I can envision using Irish rhetorical practices in my English classes and inviting my new Irish colleagues into them via skype. The Fulbright semester will also impact my UH Mānoa tutor training and writing center work by providing new ideas and approaches for language use.”

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