Welcome to Dr. Emily Feuerherm, Assistant Professor in the English Department!

Name: Emily Feuerherm
Title: Assistant Professor
Department: English

Classes I’m teaching: LIN/ENG200-02

Professional Interests/Activities:
I have presented at several local and national conferences, especially the American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL, both the national and local California conferences), among others. I have an edited volume in press called Refugee Resettlement: Language, Policy, Pedagogy that should be coming out at the end of this year or beginning of next year.

Additionally, Emily has published three articles about Iraqi refugee resettlement, citizenship policies and ideologies, and the creation of the ESL program. She started an ESL program for Iraqi refugees in Sacramento to learn English, find jobs, and adjust to life in the United States. She once lived and worked on a cruise ship for two summers, teaching ESL to the crew. She has lived and studied in both Ireland and Switzerland.

Research Interests:
Second language acquisition (especially learning/teaching English to speakers of other languages), applied linguistics, language policy and planning, immigration/migration/asylum seeking, language and politics, English language teaching pedagogy and curriculum building, participatory action research

Awards:
$75,000 preferred communities grant awarded to a program I started for my dissertation, the Refugee Health and Employment Attainment Program (RHEAP), from the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Degree(s)/Education:
• MA and PhD in Linguistics from University of California, Davis
• BA in Anthropology from University of Arkansas, Fayettevillez
• Language Certificate in German from Handels und Dolmetscher Schule, Switzerland

Memberships:
American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL) and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

How I fell in love with my field:
While living in Switzerland and learning German (standard German and Swiss-German), I made friends from all around the world. I loved learning other languages, living abroad and making friends with vastly different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. After 2 years there, I decided to go back to school to get an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and liked that so much that I kept going for a PhD.

What I hope for my time at UM-Flint: 
I hope to identify and engage in new areas of research, develop new courses and better pedagogical practices, and get involved in the Flint community. I’d also like to do lots of camping, hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities in Michigan and surrounding areas. Finally, I hope to learn Arabic well enough to hold a basic conversation (I’ve been trying to teach myself and it’s really hard!).

Three things you should know about me:
1. I LOVE teaching. Truly. It’s my dream job.
2. I’ll be creating a bridge program for UM-Flint international students to help them with the linguistic, cultural, social and academic skills they need to succeed here. If you are interested in my vision for this program, feel free to contact me.
3. The only things I love more than teaching are food and travel. Now to figure out how to combine all three…

To learn more about Dr. Feuerherm and her work, visit the English Department website.

A Welcome Reception for Dr. Feuerherm will be held on October 1st. Open to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members! 4-5:30pm, UCEN Michigan Room D. Brief remarks at 4:15pm; light refreshments. Contact the English Department with questions: 810.762.3285.