My experience as a lifelong language learner fostered my interests in foreign language learning and teaching, and led me to purse BA and MA degrees in English language education, and a Ph.D. in Second Language Studies. 

During my years in the SLS Program at Michigan State University, I explored diverse areas in the fields of second language acquisition and applied linguistics. My research interests ranged from syntax acquisition, pedagogical grammar, second language (L2) learners’ processing of linguistic features, eye-movement research, L2 writing, to English for academic purposes. I was fortunate to have opportunities to work with professors in these various areas. I worked as a research assistant for Dr. Charlene Polio in reviewing L2 writing development studies, and Dr. Patti Spinner on a lexical gender study. I participated in a research project on eye-movements in grammaticality judgements with Drs. Aline Godfroid, Shawn Loewen, Susan Gass, and Rod Ellis, and conducted a qualitative study on a graduate student’s academic writing strategies with Dr. Peter De Costa. I also taught while in the program. I taught pedagogical grammar and Korean language to undergraduate students at MSU. These various research and teaching experiences helped me to broaden my knowledge on second language acquisition and education and to build an interdisciplinary perspective on the field. 

My current research interests are centered on second language writing development, second language writing assessment, and English for specific purposes. I am sad to be at the end of my Ph.D. life, graduating in December 2016 with a dissertation on syntactic complexity in second language writing. Thank you to Dr. Charlene Polio, and to my other professors and peers in the SLS Ph.D. Program. I feel that my journey in second language acquisition, however, is just beginning. And I am excited for what is to come next.