A Conversation with Melanie Gonzalez, PhD

Melanie Gonzalez is an assistant professor in the School of Education. 

You teach primarily in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) English to Speakers of Other Languages program, with your research focusing on second language vocabulary acquisition and second language composition. How did you become interested in this field? 

I have always been interested in the ins and outs of language, growing up with both English and Spanish in my home. My paternal side of the family is from Puerto Rico and my mother was a Spanish-English translator who met and married my father when she was living and working in San Juan. These experiences were foundational for my later pursuit of a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature. However, I shifted to the study of English for my M.A. after working as a housing manager for Disney International Programs in Orlando. Interns from all over the world lived in an apartment complex and would informally ask me questions about how to say certain words in English, fill out applications in English, or simply navigate U.S. culture and society. These wonderful interactions led me to look into TESOL as a field of graduate study. I later went on to teach ESOL in almost every context imaginable from middle school ESOL to international students preparing for university study in English to adult community language classes.

My interactions with ESOL students became formative to setting the foundations for my research agenda in vocabulary – most of the questions asked centered on vocabulary, whether asking me what did a particular word mean to describing what they’re trying to say and asking me to help them select the right word. My interest in writing then dovetailed with my vocabulary studies in noticing how gaps in language learners’ lexicons are particularly constraining when they are asked to write. In the written domain, language is elevated and permanent and out there for others to see (and judge) and consequently, writing becomes an exhausting process!

My anecdotal observations surrounding vocabulary were confirmed as I delved into my graduate study, and I was particularly affected by the book Vocabulary Myths: Applying Second Language Research to Classroom Teaching by Keith Folse. I was fortunate to then get to study under Keith, and he became a mentor to me, encouraging me to pursue this intersection between vocabulary and writing that resonated so profoundly with me in my teaching. What keeps me going is a particular quote from a well-respected vocabulary researcher, Norbet Schmitt, who said: “[language] learners carry around dictionaries, not grammar books” -- words are the foundation of a language!

Before joining Salem State you taught in a variety of ESL contexts, including middle school ESL and adult community education. What inspires you about working with English Language Learners? How have these experiences helped to shape the way you teach others how to teach ELLs?

My inspiration largely comes from the hopes and dreams of the ELs themselves as well as my own family’s bilingual experiences. I feel honored that so many students for varying reasons are choosing to learn English, the language I am strongest in. It really is a privilege because when one delves into a new language, they also take steps to enter a new culture and community. As such, I strive to instill in my education and English students to celebrate the linguistic differences (commonly seen as “mistakes” and “errors”) ELs bring into the classroom because it means that they are on the journey towards adding the valuable and enriching skill of being multilingual.

I understand that you recently participated in the International Society for the Linguistics of English (ISLE) Summer School at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. What is the significance of this program and how do you think this experience will influence your teaching at Salem State?

The ISLE Summer School is a special intensive seminar that gathers junior researchers from around the world to learn about and refine their research skill set under the guidance of the field’s foremost scholars. Additionally, it offers the opportunity for participants to workshop each other’s research ideas and turn them into a robust study ready to be carried out. Since I teach the graduate Research in TESOL course here at Salem State, I first wanted to augment the content of the course with the latest trends in the field. I am currently teaching this course and have inserted some new and exciting research trends such as using eye-tracking tools and corpus linguistics methods into the class.

What book are you reading now? Is there a book that has made a particular difference in your life that you would recommend to others?

My current academic book in progress is “Connecting Reading and Writing in Second Language Writing Instruction” by Alan Hirvela. I feel that this book is a must read for anyone teaching multilingual learners in a university classroom and it contains a wealth of practices to help sharpen students’ skills.

In terms of a book that had made a difference in my personal life, Paulo Coehlo’s The Alchemist is my go-to book when I’m in need of some inspiration - and it’s one of the first books I read entirely in Spanish, which makes it extra special. In fact, one of my favorite quotes from this book sums up how I feel about my journey in teaching and learning languages - that diving into a new language cannot occur in isolation. Coehlo states: “Cuando realmente quieres que algo suceda, el universo entero conspira para que tu deseo se vuelva realidad (When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true).”