Olga Padilla-Falto

Coordinator Elementary Spanish

Olga Padilla-Falto is a Teaching Professor of Spanish in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Translation at UNC Charlotte. She is the Coordinator for Elementary Spanish classes. A native of Puerto Rico, earned a doctorate degree in Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University. In 2007 she was awarded a Certificate for Teaching Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She has taught Spanish at all levels. She enjoys working with students, mentoring future language teachers, and planning new curriculum. She is also interested in heritage language teaching, comprehensive input, hybrid classes, and language variation (dialectology).

Education

PhD, Applied Linguistics, Georgetown University, 1996
MS, Applied Linguistics, Georgetown University, 1992
BS, Linguistics & Spanish (dual major), Georgetown University, 1990

Appointments

Teaching Professor of Spanish, Department of Languages, Cultures and Translation, UNC Charlotte, 2021-present

Martin Scholars Faculty Fellow, Honors College

Lecturer in Spanish, Department of Languages, Cultures and Translation, UNC Charlotte, 2016-2021

Lead Spanish Teacher, Blacksburg New School, 2013-2016

Assistant Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 2004-2007

Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 2000-2004

Assistant Professor, English Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, 1996-2000

Assistant to the Foreign Language Program Director and GTA, Georgetown University, 1991-1996

Research Assistant, Center for Applied Linguistics, 1990-1992

Specific Research Interests

•second language acquisition

•second language teaching methodology

•second language teacher preparation

•language variation (dialectology)

•language evolution

•heritage language learners

•hybrid teaching

•advanced grammar

•Language Methodology

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