Aurélie Chevant-Aksoy

PhD 2013

Specialization

Professor of French, Santa Monica College, Soka University of America

Bio

When I started the Ph.D. program at UCSB in French, I had already been teaching as a graduate student for 2 years at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. During this time, although many mentors indirectly influenced my teaching, none had given me any formal pedagogical training. This changed at UC Santa Barbara, where Dr. Jean Shultz immediately noticed my passion for teaching and my desire to learn more about it. Her guidance brought me to the Applied Linguistics emphasis that both deeply improved my teaching practices, and provided a methodology that I used in my dissertation. 

1) An important tool to form a well-rounded instructor and pedagogue

As a graduate student, Dr. Jean Shultz played an integral role in helping me develop an Applied Linguistics pedagogical method for language classes. As part of completing my emphasis in Applied Linguistics, I was fortunate enough to do apprentice training with Dr. Schultz, who would meet with the graduate student teachers weekly and brainstorm classroom pedagogical methods. I also took classes with Dr. Dorothy Chun and Dr. Jin Sook Lee that allowed me to broaden my expertise in language education, policy, assessment, and bilingualism issues. I was also able to attend classes with students in different fields (Spanish, Portuguese, Linguistics, Education…), and share diverse perspectives on a teacher’s role and objectives. The classes I took that I found the most useful for practical application in my classroom were technology and second language acquisition, teaching through digital media, foreign language teaching methodology, and language and culture. The Applied Linguistics classes allowed me to take the time to think about my teaching practices and their impact on my students, and to push myself to be a better instructor.

2) A key to open doors on the job market

Dr. Shultz’s introduction into Applied Linguistics ultimately helped me adapt to the changing academic profession, and develop the competences valued in today’s job market. Now more than ever, language instructors must be flexible in their approach to teaching. Language and literature programs are adopting a more global emphasis, and the future of the discipline lies in pluridisciplinary approaches. Furthermore, language and literature programs want scholars who also have expertise in teaching languages and developing curricula. Accordingly, my time at UCSB with Dr. Shultz allowed me to build a dual expertise in Applied Linguistics and Sociolinguistics. My dissertation uses sociolinguistics theories as the critical prism through which I analyze the writing practices and socio-cultural themes of contemporary Francophone Vietnamese writers. I also research in Applied Linguistics, on topics such as second-language acquisition, and the use of different media in the language classroom. Having the Applied Linguistics emphasis alongside my Ph.D. globally attests to my competency within the field, and gives me access to jobs that I could not have applied to with a “pure” research profile. I can definitely say that I was able to get the job of Preceptor of French at Harvard University thanks to both my training with Dr. Schultz, and the research I conducted within the Applied Linguistics emphasis.