Snap Language

I have been interested in language for as long as I can remember. This led me to earning a degree in linguistics. In college, I also became interested in other aspects of language and linguistics, so I went on to earn a doctoral degree in human development (or developmental psychology) with an emphasis in socio-psychological and cognitive aspects of language.

I was very young when I started teaching English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). Through teaching, I was very interested in language-learning processes and created materials to meet my student’s individual needs. I learned a few languages along the way, which gave me an appreciation for what my students went through and needed to learn English.

Currently, I maintain the Snap Language website and YouTube channels. Being a Content Creator resulted in part from my dissatisfaction with existing textbooks and instructional materials both for enrichment and for language learning.

I use my experience and understanding of the research literature to create materials and lessons that learners need to understand and process the information themselves (even if it goes against “the teaching methodology du jour.”)

I teach college-level courses (both classroom-based and online) in research methodology and statistical analyses, developmental writing, and ESOL. I have always enjoyed creating instructional materials for my courses. Putting these materials online is a great way to make them available to a wider audience.

I focus on two educational aspects, which you see reflected on the language- and linguistics-related content I create.

Enrichment materials are designed for anyone and are supported by Snap Language channel on YouTube.

The other portion has materials for English-language learners and are supported by the Snap Language Learner channel.

I developed an interest in language and linguistics early in life. Even as a child, I found the idea of communicating with sounds and written words fascinating, especially when I heard people speaking other languages.

Early in my career as an English as a second language (ESL) instructor, I taught ESL to refugees in Virginia in the United States. As a budding instructor, the experience left a very positive, indelible mark on me. Soon afterwards, I was very fortunate to work as instructional and materials director at a private language school in Brazil. I had a great deal of creative freedom to guide teachers and create the instructional materials lacking in textbooks.

I was also a student of languages early on. I have lived in Belgium and Germany for a year, where I attended college courses in Dutch and German. Learning these languages was humbling because I experienced firsthand what my ESL students went through. I realized that acquiring a new language requires more than just a textbook and an instructor. To truly understand and use a language, you use it in different social contexts. And that takes a great deal of motivation, time, and effort.

After college, I wanted to understand more about language acquisition and learning. I earned a doctoral degree in human development (developmental psychology). My dissertation explored syntactical and phonological cues in stereotyped perceptions of Spanish-accented speakers.

I worked at a large public school system for over a decade researching and evaluating mostly reading programs and bilingual programs. Thanks to my graduate training, I have also taught statistics and research methodology.