Haley O'Neil

Haley O'Neil
PhD 2011
Spanish and Portuguese

Specialization

Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA

Bio

Teaching and Research Interests: Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Spanish Literature; Cultural Studies; Second Language Pedagogy

I believe that the doctoral emphasis in Applied Linguistics was an essential component to my success as a graduate student and on the academic job market. At the same time that I was doing my dissertation research I was taking classes in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Pedagogy that allowed me to become a better teacher, no matter the subject. I learned to reflect on my teaching, pay attention to student outcomes, and read research that influences how I teach my classes. I was then prepared on the job market to talk about my pedagogical approach and how it has been shaped. I was asked about the emphasis in almost every interview that I had and I am certain that it made me stand out in a highly competitive job market. Now, although I teach mostly literature courses, I still rely on what I learned in doing the emphasis in Applied Linguistics in designing and preparing my courses. I would recommend the emphasis to anyone who wants to become a better teacher in either languages or literatures.