MA in Foreign Languages

Teaching with compassion is empowering

Grecia had been teaching Spanish for 10 years during which she experienced first-hand the lack of materials and curricula that serve heritage speakers of Spanish. She started the Graduate Certificate in Spanish Heritage Language Education to learn how to bridge this gap and improve the quality of education her students receive. After beginning coursework for the certificate, she liked the program so much that decided to pursue the MA in Spanish.

Spanish instructor and advocate for innovation in language education

With a foundation built from teaching university-level courses since 2018, Niulka embarked on the MA in Foreign Languages to deepen her understanding of language pedagogy, literary theory and sociolinguistics. During her time in the department of Modern and Classical Languages , Niulka’s goals became clear: to develop into an academic who reshapes university-level Spanish education by nurturing a profound engagement with the language and its cultural narratives.

Mason graduate and aspiring bilingual educator

Kelly earned her BA in Global Affairs from Mason, concentrating in Global Governance and Latin America, while aiding as a research assistant for Chile’s New Constitution from 2022-2023. She has also interned with Latino-centered nonprofits helping with housing, translation, and social service work in the NOVA region. She hopes to continue to give back to her community as a future educator.

Interested in Spanish within the United States

Emily's research interests are in the fields of sociolinguistics, education and language policy. She is committed to reconceptualizing Spanish as a domestic language in the United States.

A trilingual editor with a commitment to education

Carolina joined the Department of Modern and Classical Languages in order to pursue an MA student in Foreign Languages with a dual concentration in Spanish and French, as well as the Graduate Certificate in Spanish Heritage Language Education. 

Spanish teacher, working to enhance her school’s heritage language program

Lauren has been a language teacher with Spotsylvania County Public Schools since 2006, as an ESOL teacher for 11 years until becoming a Spanish teacher in 2017. She joined George Mason as a graduate student in Fall 2023. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in Foreign Language with a concentration in Spanish, as well as the Graduate Certificate in Spanish Heritage Language Education.