- Ph.D., with distinction, Georgetown University, 2010
- M.S., Georgetown University, 2007
- B.A., Marquette University, 2005

Laura Gurzynski-Weiss
Associate Professor, Spanish and Portuguese
Director, Undergraduate Studies
Associate Professor, Spanish and Portuguese
Director, Undergraduate Studies
I conduct research in the field of instructed second language acquisition, which studies how non-native languages (L2s) are acquired in instructed contexts, and what can be done to maximize acquisitional outcomes. My work expands our understanding of the variables that may affect L2 learning by systematically examining input, interaction, feedback, modified output, and task-related factors primarily from cognitive-interactionist and psycholinguistic approaches. In utilizing quantitative and qualitative descriptive and quasi-experimental (laboratory or in-class experimental) designs, my empirical work investigates: (a) the presence of these aforementioned factors in instructed Spanish L2 settings; (b) the attention and cognitive processes directing instructor provision and learner perception and use of these factors; and (c) how instructor and learner individual differences—as well as contextual features such as task variables and mode of interaction—may influence the provision, cognitive processing, and use of these factors; within this latter area I also examine if individual differences are static or dynamic. I have recently expanded my research to investigate emerging bilingualism in elementary school exposure-track programs as well as how task-based domestic immersion may lead to L2 Spanish development.
A cornerstone of my research is ensuring that the data I collect are impactful beyond academia. My work directly informs L2 learning opportunities in elementary, high school, and university contexts in our Bloomington and greater Indiana communities, and the vast majority of my work occurs in collaborative engagement with students at undergraduate and graduate levels, within and beyond the classroom. I teach two undergraduate courses regularly: Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics (HISP-S326), and the Acquisition of Spanish (HISP-S430). For the former course, I co-authored a textbook with faculty colleagues Díaz-Campos and Geeslin (Introducción y aplicaciones contextualizadas a la lingüística hispánica, Wiley-Blackwell, 2017) and, with current and former students Daniel Jung, Carly Carver (Augusta University) and Nofiya Denbaum, collaboratively designed a task-based companion set of materials for use with the textbook.
The graduate courses I teach include L2 teaching methodology (HISP-S517), the required training course for all of our associate instructors, as well as specialized courses in second language acquisition. The advanced graduate courses have most recently included Task-Based Language Teaching and Learning (TBLT), Individual Differences (IDs), Research Methodology, the Acquisition of L2 Spanish in Multiple Educational Contexts, and Second Language Acquisition for Spanish Teaching, an online course I co-designed with Josh Prada at IUPUI for Indiana high school Spanish teachers. Work originating from the teaching methods course and TBLT seminars can be seen on the Task Bank, a central hub for task-based researchers, language teachers, and teacher trainers alike to utilize and share task-based language learning tasks with a global community that is funded by the International Association of Task-Based Language Teaching.
My largest professional service involvements are on the Executive Boards of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA), where I coordinate the 29 Research Networks worldwide and am the co-founder and co-organizer of AILA Ibero-America (AIALA), on the Executive Board of the International Association for Task-Based Language Teaching, and as the Founder/Project Director of the Task Bank. I am also currently serving as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, working with an incredible team to oversee our 200 courses and 3500 undergraduate students each semester.
Gurzynski-Weiss, L. “Emerging bilingualism in elementary-level Spanish classes in the United States.” International symposium on child bilingualism. Universidad del País Vasco, Spain, May 28, 2021