2025 IIW Keynote Speaker Joan Clifford (Duke University)

Please join us for the opening presentation of the 2025 IIW, followed by a wine and cheese reception. This presentation is open to all instructional faculty and graduate students. The guest speaker is Joan Clifford, PhD from Duke University.

Joan Clifford, PhD (Duke University)

Anchored relationships: Community-based language learning

Community-based pedagogies are a powerful tool for language educators because they create opportunities for relationships by anchoring to attributes of a place. By integrating different engaged approaches into language curricula, educators expand traditional student learning outcomes to include more opportunities to build global citizenship and an appreciation for the natural world, among others (Langran &DeWitt, 2020; Sobel, 2004). Place-based learning builds bridges to language communities within both academic and community spaces and we will look at models from Spanish, French, and Mandarin, referencing these community-engaged approaches: service-learning, community-based learning, fair trade learning, and transformative sustainability learning.

Bio 

Joan Clifford, PhD, is Associate Professor of the Practice in Spanish in the Department of Romance Studies and Director of Duke Service-Learning at Duke University. Joan is affiliate faculty in the Duke Global Health Institute, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and the Program in Latino/a Studies in the Global South. She teaches service-learning courses and advises undergraduate research projects. Committed to experiential learning opportunities, Joan has directed global education programs in Chile, Mexico, and Spain and worked with Duke Engage in Argentina, Ecuador, Miami, and Tucson. Her co-authored book, Community-based Language Learning: A Framework for Educators, explores best practices for building ethical and authentic partnerships between local communities and language learners.