My name is Jessica Gerard, and I received my Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching from the University of Arizona in 2007. I joined the English Department at Case Western Reserve University in 2008, where I currently serve as the Director of the SAGES ESL Program. My mission is to improve the experience of undergraduate non-native speakers of English at Case through curriculum development, teacher training, and program assessment.
Teaching
I teach specialized SAGES seminars on linguistics and intercultural communication to non-native speakers of English, a split level undergraduate/graduate practicum-based course on ESL Literacy, and also lead ESL training workshops for faculty and graduate students. This year I will be advising the Peer Mentor Program for International Students and leading a multi-session ESL certification workshop (Spring 2010).
Research
My research interests include the acquisition of idiomatic, metaphorical, and collocational competence in English, particularly its relationship to the acquisition of sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic competence.
Administration
As the Director of ESL, I welcome you to contact me with questions or concerns about learning and teaching English as a Second Language. I look forward to hearing from you!
| 
