Maria Mahaffey

Maria Mahaffey is a Senior Lecturer in Spanish at the Department of Languages, Cultures and Translation where she currently serves as a Coordinator of the Second-year Spanish Language Program. Born and raised in Mexico, Maria started her teaching career in the United States upon the reception of a Fulbright Scholarship. Maria has an extensive teaching experience (she has worked in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Translation since 1998). Developing new curriculum in Spanish at UNC Charlotte has been a major component of her teaching mission. Maria contributed to the development of the online courseware Spanish 2200: Spanish for Reading Knowledge and the development of the Online and Hybrid Intermediate Spanish courses. She holds a Master’s Degree in Spanish from the University of Granada in Spain, a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro in México and a Certificate in Simultaneous Interpretation from Spanish into English from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii. Her research interest focus on Instructional Design, Language Acquisition, Foreign Language Teaching Methodology, Online Language Teaching, Language for Specific Purposes (LSP), Spanish for the Professions and Specific Purposes (SPSP) and Interpreting. Over the last ten years, Maria has been invited to serve as a reader and scorer for the College Board AP Spanish Language Exam during the summer. The study of teaching and learning a second language has been her passion. She is a member of several organizations that promote the study and teaching of the Spanish language (ACTFL, AATSP, SCOLT, ISLSP/CIBER Business Language Conference among others).

Education

Certificate in Simultaneous Interpretation from Spanish into English, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii (2011)

M.A. in Teaching and Learning the Spanish Language and its Culture, Universidad de Granada, Spain (2008)

B.A. in Accounting, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, México (1991)

Appointments

Senior Lecturer in Spanish, UNC Charlotte (2019-present)

Coordinator of the Second-year Spanish Language Program (2018-present)

Coordinator of the Elementary Spanish Hybrid Program, UNC Charlotte (Summer II, 2016)

Interim Coordinator of the Elementary Spanish II Hybrid Program, UNC Charlotte (Fall, 2016)

Lecturer in Spanish, UNC Charlotte (2013-2018)

Visiting Lecturer, UNC Charlotte (2012-2013)

Part-time Lecturer in Spanish, UNC Charlotte (1998-2012)

Fulbright Spanish Teaching Assistant, Russell Sage College, Troy, NY (1996-1997)

Specific Research Interests

Instructional Design

Language Acquisition

Foreign Language Teaching Methodology

Online Language Teaching

Language for Specific Purposes (LSP)

Spanish for the Professions and Specific Purposes (SPSP)

Interpreting

Read More Spanish