35.1058, Rising Star: Kassandra Sharren

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-35-1058. Tue Mar 26 2024. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 35.1058, Rising Star: Kassandra Sharren

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Date: 27-Mar-2024
From: Justin Fuller [justin at linguistlist.org]
Subject: Rising Star: Kassandra Sharren


During our annual Fund Drive, we like to feature undergraduate and
early-career graduate students who have gone above and beyond the
classroom to participate in the wider field of linguistics. Selected
nominees exemplify a commitment to not only academic performance, but
also to the field of linguistics and principles of scientific inquiry.

Since this year’s Fund Drive theme is Mirrors and Reflections, we are
especially excited to recognize those Rising Stars whose bright light
is sure to reflect onto the field for years to come. Today's Rising
Star meets this criterion!

It is my pleasure to announce that today's Rising Star is Kassandra
Sharren, a master's student at the University of Calgary. Kassandra
was nominated by her mentor, Dr. Angela George, who wrote to us and
said:

"Kassandra is a standout 'Rising Star' in the realm of applied
linguistics, blending a remarkable academic foundation with extensive
hands-on experience and a forward-thinking approach to linguistic
studies and pedagogy. In her first year of a thesis-based M.A.
program, Kassandra has distinguished herself by demonstrating her
dedication and scholarly prowess. Her recent submission of an article
aimed at educators across Canada showcases her innovative exploration
into integrating speech recognition chatbots for oral language
learning, underscoring her commitment to enhancing language
instruction with cutting-edge technology.

"Beyond her academic obligations, Kassandra plays an active role in a
language teaching and learning working group. Her involvement goes
beyond mere attendance; she has shared her insights on chatbot
applications in language education through presentations, further
establishing her as a thought leader in her field. This summer, she
aims to deepen her expertise in German and applied linguistics with a
specialized course in Germany, highlighting her commitment to
continuous learning and mastery of her discipline.

"As Kassandra's advisor and professor in Additional Language Pedagogy,
I am continually impressed by her academic excellence and her dynamic
engagement with the linguistic community. Leveraging her background as
a German K-12 teacher, Kassandra enriches her pedagogical skills while
expanding her research acumen. Her holistic approach to education and
research not only enhances her own development but also contributes
significantly to the advancement of applied linguistics."

Kassandra reflects:

"My own language learning journey began as an adult, when I began
taking German classes in my undergraduate degree. I chose to learn
German as my father immigrated to Canada with my grandparents when he
was a child and, although I never spoke it with them, I always wanted
to be a part of their conversations. Learning German has allowed me to
form deeper connections with family members, expanded my access to
literature and music, and granted me travel and employment
opportunities. Since then, I have taught German to both children and
adults, as an elementary school teacher and a university instructor.
My interest in researching second language teaching and learning stems
from reflecting on these experiences as both a student and a teacher.

"Starting to speak in a second language can be remarkably challenging,
even with a good knowledge base. When taking advanced German courses
during my undergraduate degree I felt overwhelmed with vocabulary that
I encountered in literature, and lack of confidence speaking held me
back from many valuable opportunities to learn from my mistakes and
practice with native speakers. Similarly, once I began teaching many
new situations also arose that my education had not prepared me for,
particularly regarding vocabulary. Teaching in a K-12 context, parents
often were eager to support their child's language development but did
not speak the language I was teaching so did not necessarily have the
means to do so. This observation further highlighted the need to
maximize opportunities for speaking and vocabulary development.

"My past education and employment emphasized communication and
remaining in the target language throughout instruction. However, this
was at odds with feedback I received from adult-learners. After
instructing an introductory German university course, student
evaluations indicated that I spoke in the target language too much,
causing them to feel hesitant to participate. This led me to once
again consider emotional variables that had hindered my own
participation in language classes and social interactions in the
target language, and to consider best teaching practices.

"Reflecting on these experiences inspired me to explore ways of
enhancing opportunities for oral language production and vocabulary
acquisition, so, after teaching for six years, I decided to pursue an
MA that focuses on this topic. With recent advancements in artificial
intelligence, the limited opportunities students have for oral
practice, and my encounters with hesitant speakers, the possibility of
integrating modern speech synthesis chatbot applications into oral
language activities struck me as one possible way of supplementing
speaking opportunities. While working toward my MA, my hope is to
expand my own teaching repertoire and ease the language learning
process for others by investigating ways to support oral production
and vocabulary acquisition, with a particular focus on how AI can
support oral language skills."

________________________________

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including its up-and-coming Rising Stars, for years to come. But we
cannot do it alone. Please help us continue providing our services by
making a donation to our Fund Drive at
https://funddrive.linguistlist.org/donate.



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