wdiao

Image
wdiao@arizona.edu
Phone
(520) 621-0106
Office
Learning Services Building 122
Diao, Wenhao
Associate Professor

Home Department: East Asian Studies

SLAT Areas of Specialization: Instructional Dimensions of L2 Learning, Sociocultural Dimensions of L2 Learning

Wenhao Diao is an Associate Professor in the Department of East Asian Studies and an affiliated faculty member in the interdisciplinary graduate program of Second Language Acquisition and Teaching at the University of Arizona.  She received her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University and her B.A. and M.A. from East China Normal University.  As an applied linguist, she is interested in the identities, ideologies, and (in)equities that Chinese language learning and teaching (re)produce and (re)distribute. Her research has primarily focused on the phenomenon of study abroad -- particularly going to and from China More recently she has examined Chinese learning during the secondary to postsecondary transition. Her work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Chinese Language Teachers Association (USA).  She was awarded a Fulbright-Hays grant in 2017 for her prosposed project that connects educators in the U.S. with their peers in China. Her articles have appeared on journals such as Applied Linguistics, Modern Language Journal, System, and so on.  With her colleagues in the field, she has published an edited book entitled Language Learning in Study Abroad: The Multilingual Turn (Multilingual Matters, 2021) and a guest edited special issue themed Study Abroad in the 21st Century for the L2 Journal in 2016.  Prior to joining the University of Arizona, she taught at Middlebury College, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Virginia, and East China Normal University. 

Area of Specialization
Instructional dimensions of L2 learning
Socio-cultural dimensions of L2 Learning

Currently Teaching

EAS 577 – Qualitative Research in Applied Linguistics: East Asia and Beyond

This course introduces its students to the theories, principles and techniques underlying qualitative research and its application in applied linguistic research. Students apply the data collection and analysis tools and conduct their own qualitative projects during the semester . We begin by exploring the epistemology of qualitative research. The focus is on principles in designing a qualitative research project, such as constructing the research relationship, choosing among different approaches, and situating events in context . We then move to discuss how these theoretical positions are realized in practice through examining common data collection and analysis methods. In the final part, the students present their own projects and reflect on how qualitative methods can contribute to their understanding of specific issues in applied linguistics. Throughout the semester, we also engage in reading and critique of representative qualitative research in applied linguistics- within and beyond the East Asian context.

SLAT 920 – Dissertation

Research for the doctoral dissertation (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or dissertation writing).

Research for the doctoral dissertation (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or dissertation writing).

GER 579 – Second/Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

This class is intended to prepare students to teach a second/foreign language. It will provide students with the essential foundations in language teaching methodology and theory, pedagogical grammar, curriculum and materials development, classroom management, and formal and informal assessment techniques. In addition, students will gain practical knowledge through video practicum components, which allow them to watch and reflect on actual classroom teaching. Students will complete this program with the pedagogical knowledge and practical understanding necessary to be confident and effective language teachers.

SLAT 699 – Independent Study

Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 699 or 799.