Sara Finney

sfinney@umn.edu

Spanish & Portuguese Studies

214B Folwell Hall

9 Pleasant St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Collegiate Affiliation

Spanish & Portuguese Studies

Educational Background & Specialties

Open Close

Educational Background

B.S.: Computer Information Systems & International Business, Indiana University
M.A. : Spanish Applied Linguistics, University of Alabama
Ph.D.: Spanish Applied Linguistics, University of Alabama

Specialties

Second language acquisition, foreign language pedagogy and applied linguistics, content-based instruction, experiential learning, intercultural empathy, learner agency, and role-immersion pedagogy

Publications

Open Close

Publications

Social justice in the Spanish classroom: Exploring biopiracy in Latin America through the voices of the marginalized: Claire Mitchell, Information Age Publishing, Finney, Sara, How We Take Action: Social Justice in K-16 Language Classrooms, forthcoming 2020.
The impact of curricular materials on learner agency: An ecological perspective on role-immersion pedagogy: Springer, Finney, Sara, New Perspectives on Material Mediation in Language Learner Pedagogy, forthcoming 2021.
Developing intercultural empathy through a strategy-based simulation in intermediate Spanish: Isabelle Drewelow, Finney, Sara, The Language Learning Journal, 1-14, 2018.
Fostering Intellectual Investment and Foreign Language Learning through Role-Immersion Pedagogy: Finney, Sara, L2 Journal, 11, 1-17, 2019.

Activities

Open Close

Activities

Professional

Biopiracy in Colombia: Using social justice to foster global responsibility: Paper presented at American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) National Convention. 2018 -
RTTP in the Language and Culture Curriculum: Paper presented at Eighteenth Annual Faculty Institute at Barnyard College. 2018 -
Cultural immersion in the intermediate classroom: Closing the language-content gap: Paper presented at the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) National Conference. 2017 -
Embodied global simulations: An instructional model for a post-modern era: Paper presented at the University of Alabama Language (UALC) Conference. 2017 -
Adapting to a globalized landscape: Preparing educators, preparing learners: Paper presented at the Tenth International Conference on Language Teacher Education. 2017 -
Deep learning through role-immersion: A complexity theory perspective: Paper presented at the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) National Conference. 2016 -
Igniting learner imagination with cultural characters: Paper presented at the Southeastern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) Conference. 2016 -
Discovering and uncovering: Using strategic cultural games to promote learner engagement: Paper presented at the Alabama World Languages (AWLA) Conference. 2016 -
Bringing culture to life: Role-immersion games in the Spanish classroom: Paper presented at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) National Convention. 2015 -
How do I win?: Creating autonomous learning environments using role-immersion pedagogy: Paper presented at the Second Language Research Forum (SLRF). 2015 -
The effects of globalization on the teaching and learning of English: Paper presented at the Fourth International Congress of English Teachers. 2015 -
Game-based pedagogy: Re-conceptualizing foreign language learning: Paper presented at the University of Alabama Language Conference (UALC). 2015 -
Teacher factors affecting students’ attitudes toward the Spanish-language classroom: Paper presented at the Southeastern Conference on Linguistics (SECOL). 2014 -
Creating an Immersive Language Learning Experience through Role-Immersion Pedagogy: Presented at the Center on Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA). 2019 -
Latinoamérica through the lens of social justice: A literacies perspective: Paper accepted for presentation at American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) National Convention. 2019 -

Awards

Open Close

Awards

Outstanding Dissertation Award, Department of Modern Languages and Classics, University of Alabama, 2019
Outstanding Teaching by a Ph.D. Student Award, Department of Modern Languages and Classics, University of Alabama , 2016
PACE Project Grant Recipient, Language Center, University of Minnesota , 2019

Courses

Open Close