Current Students & Dissertation Committees

Current Students

Jen Ging

My dissertation investigates the nature of language aptitude as a relatively stable or dynamic individual difference. Particularly, the study investigates the relationship between language background/experience and language aptitude, as well as how language aptitude relates to target language performances across proficiency levels.

Pong-ampai Kongcharoen (Ing)

My dissertation investigates English teachers’ perceptions of grammatical accuracy in L2 English writing in the Thai EFL context, comparing Thai and non-Thai English teachers. It examines how teachers conceptualize grammatical accuracy, interpret grammatical errors in student writing, and apply their beliefs when evaluating and providing feedback on L2 texts. The study also explores teachers’ judgments of acceptability and botheration for specific grammatical error points to identify differences in assessment practices and perceptions.

Runlan Liu

My dissertation topic is grounded in task-based language teaching. Specifically, I explore how different task variables (e.g., task description and task implementation) influence learners’ task performance, with a specific focus on interactional and linguistic features. Additionally, this dissertation also assesses learners’ performance from a functional adequacy perspective, with the aim of promoting language learning in a communication-oriented environment.

Kim Thien Nguyen

My dissertation addresses a neglected aspect of adult English language education by developing, implementing, and evaluating a scalable TBLT framework tailored for low-literacy refugee and immigrant learners. Implemented in community college citizenship classrooms, the study examines how instructors adapt the framework in practice, with the goal of producing an evidence-based, replicable model that shifts from improvisational to principled instruction in order to better support this underserved population.

Past Dissertation committees

Chair/co-chair

Seda Acikara Eickhoff (w/ Tove Larsson) (2025)

Lama Alhusain (2022)

Tülay Dixon (w. Doug Biber) (2021)

Mohammed Alquraishi (2020)

Garrett Larson (w/ Okim Kang) (2020)

Meixiu Zhang (2018)

Dan Brown (2017)

Qiandi Liu (w/ Luke Plonsky) (2016)

Jon Smart (w/ Randi Reppen) (2012)

Committee member

Marcella Caprario (2023)

Meishan Chen (2018)

Nicole Brun-Mercer (2018)

Eric Schnur (2017)

Mansour Al. Surmi (2012)

Cui Zhang (2012)

Anthony Becker (2011)

Jack Grieve (2009)

Mohammed Albakry (2005)