Faculty and staff

María Eugenia de Luna holds a PhD. in Hispanic Studies from Western University (2011), an MA in Applied Linguistics (2007), and a BA in Communication Sciences (1990) from Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP). In 2006 she was awarded the North American Grant Mobility Program between UDLAP and the University of Manitoba. That same year, she was a Graduate Fellow/Visiting Scholar for the Transnational Literacy Researchers Work Group in the Center for the Americas at Vanderbilt University. Before coming to UFV, Dr. de Luna worked in other universities in Hong Kong, Canada, and the United States, teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language. As an active community member, Dr. de Luna has been involved in community service learning initiatives, as well as an outreach program as the coordinator of an Access to University program for non-traditional learners.

• Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Studies

• Master of Arts, Applied Linguistics 

• Diploma in Business Administration  

• Bachelor of Arts with Cum Laude, Communication Sciences

• Member, Asociación Canadiense de Hispanistas (ACH).
• Member, The Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS).
• Member, Standing Committee on Language Articulation (SCOLA).
• Member, Asociación Para la Enseñanza del Español como Lengua Extranjera.

One of my passions in life is teaching.  For me, it is very important to know that I am part of my students’ adventure of learning at the university level.  I take my contribution to their personal and intellectual growth very seriously, which, in turn, helps them to meet present and future challenges.  As a result, I am committed to constantly improving my pedagogical practices by rethinking better ways to engage students with the content of my courses.  I am interested in understanding what students are learning and how we can help them learn more effectively. I believe in creating inclusive and engaging learning opportunities for students inside and outside the classroom that incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing, universal design, and student-centred pedagogies.

TEACHING INTERESTS

• Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL)
• Latin American Language and Culture
• Linguistics
• Language and Migration
• Teaching University Skills to International Students and Non-Traditional Learners

COURSES TAUGHT

• SPAN 101 - Spanish Language I
• SPAN 102 - Spanish Language II
• SPAN 201 - Intermediate Spanish I
• SPAN 202 - Intermediate Spanish II
• SPAN 301 - Advanced Oral Spanish
• SPAN 302 – Advanced Spanish II – Composition
• SPAN 330 / LAS 312 - Latin American Popular Culture
• SPAN 380 – Advanced Spanish Practicum I
• SPAN 493 - Directed Studies, Spanish Language, Society and Migration
• LING 101 - An Introduction to Language
• UNIV 101 - University 101

My research aims to understand how language mediates social participation. Specifically, I want to contribute to understanding how linguistic diversity, access to study English as a Second Language, Adult Second Language Acquisition, English language proficiency level, and linguistic ideology and attitudes mediate social and economic participation. I am interested in linguistically diverse small Canadian cities and social justice issues related to language and migration. My second field of research interest is the pedagogy of teaching and learning Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL), where I share my research and practical knowledge on innovative materials on the teaching and learning of SFL at national and international conferences and by publishing my work. I will continue working on designing and developing student-centred opportunities, such as task-focused projects, to practice and share students’ knowledge by transcending beyond the SFL classroom.

ROSA Project Research and Scholarly Option teaching release. Research, Engagement and Graduate Studies. The University of the Fraser Valley.

• De Luna, M.E. (2019). La enseñanza de español en Asia Oriental: un caso de imperialismo lingüístico, Guest Lecture Series, University of Toronto.
• Enseñar en el mundo virtual [Teaching in the virtual world], (2020), Guest Lecturer, AATSP – ON Webinar Series.
• Teaching Spanish in East Asia, (2020), Guest Lecturer, University of Western Ontario.
• De Luna, M.E.  (2021). Programa de Trabajadores Agrícolas Temporales México-Canadá: Cuando la lengua sí importa. Paper presented at II Encuentro Internacional Derechos Lingüísticos Como Derechos Humanos en Latinoamérica: La Furia de La Lengua. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. BA, Argentina.
• De Luna, M.E. (2021). Spanish as a foreign language in Hong Kong universities: understanding how and why a linguistic variety prevails in teaching the language, Guest Lecturer, UWO.
• Surtees, V. & De Luna, M.E. (2022). Your English is so good! Strategies for identifying and confronting accent discrimination in your classes. Workshop presented at UFV PD Day 2022. UFV.     
• De Luna, M. E. (2023). Estudiantes construyendo conocimiento que traspasa las 
  paredes del aula de ELE. Workshop presented at 33er Congreso Internacional de la Asociación Para la Enseñanza del Español como Lengua Extranjera (ASELE), Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, España.
• Carlino, F., Dabrowski, M., Dimitru, I., De Luna, M.E., Restrepo Gautier, P., & Sánchez 
  F. (June 2023). The future of language instruction in the age of Artificial Intelligence: A roundtable. Roundtable presented at the Canadian Association of Hispanistas. Congreso (2023). Ottawa, ON, Canada.
• De Luna, M.E. (2023) Estudiantes construyendo conocimiento que va más allá del 
  salón de clase. [Students building knowledge that goes beyond the classroom walls.] Workshop presented at WEFLA 2023: XVII Seminario Internacional de Estudios Canadienses. Facultad de Comunicación y Letras y la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de Holguín. Campus Celia Sánchez Manduley. Holguín, Cuba. 
• De Luna, M.E. (2024). A 2900 Millas de Distancia: Voces de Migrantes Temporales 
  en un Mundo de Fronteras Lingüísticas. [2900 Miles Away: Voices of Temporary Migrants in a World of Language Borders.] Paper presented at Lengua, Identidad y Racismo: un Enfoque Lingüístico/Language, Identity and Racismo: a Linguistic Approach, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
• De Luna, M.E. (2024). Identidad, Tradición y Creatividad: Integrando la Cultura 
  Popular en la Enseñanza del Español LE/L2/LH. [Identity, Tradition and Creativity: Integrating Popular Culture into Education of Spanish LE/L2/LH.] Workshop presented at 34th Congreso Internacional de la Asociación Para la Enseñanza del Español como Lengua Extranjera (ASELE), Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, Scotland.

• De Luna, M.E. (2022). Linguistic Landscapes: Imagined Borders and Territories Made 
  By/For Latin Americans in Canada. In Robins, A. & Suscuen, M.C. (Eds.), Latin America Made in Canada. Lugar Común Editorial.
• De Luna, M.E. (2015).  Cuéntame un cuento: una propuesta de escritura colaborativa 
  digital con significado social.  [Tell me a story: a collaborative digital writing task with social meaning.]  Actas del XXVI Congreso Internacional ASELE, Granada, Spain.
• De Luna, M.E. (2014). Ideas prácticas para integrar el uso de herramientas digitales 
  para promover el aprendizaje activo y participativo en la clase de ELE. [Practical ideas for integrating digital tools to promote participative and active learning in SFL class.]  Actas del XXV Congreso Internacional ASELE.