World Languages Academy
at Texas A&M University
Our Team
Directors
Dr. Li-Jen Kuo
Dr. Li-Jen Kuo has a master’s degree in Language, Learning, and Policy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Texas A&M University, her research and teaching center on second language acquisition, teacher education, and the integration of STEAM with second language instruction. Her research has been supported by the U.S. National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation. The impact of her research is evidenced by an exceptionally high number of citations (more than 3,000) for a scholar of her rank. She serves as a U.S. federal proposal reviewer for the Linguistics program with the National Science Foundation and the International Research Studies Program with the Department of Education.
Dr. Kuo has served as the director for five cohorts of the STARTALK Chinese and Korean Student Program. She successfully planned and implemented the professional development for each of the STARTALK Student Programs and provided professional support for teachers beyond STARTALK.
Dr. Kuo has also established herself as an innovative postsecondary educator and has successfully developed two courses certified by Quality Matters, a national certification program that recognizes high-quality online and blended courses. One of Dr. Kuo’s areas of expertise is the integration of content-area instruction and technology with second language instruction. Her research on this topic has been published in high-impact journals in the field, including the International Journal of Science & Mathematics Education, Computers & Education, and Computer-Assisted Language Learning. The impact of her work is also evidenced by invited talks and panel discussions on this topic by world language communities in the U.S. and in Europe, including “Integrating STEM with K-5 World Language Instruction: A Project-Based and Learner-Centered Approach” and “Unit & Lesson Design: Creating Units for Global Competence.”
You can learn more about Dr. Kuo’s research and outreach projects at her research group website: Cross-Linguistic Literacy & Cognition Research Group.
Haemin Kim
Haemin Kim received her B.A. in English Education from Hanyang University and is a certified public school teacher in South Korea. She is also certified to teach Korean as a Foreign Language by the Ministry of Education of South Korea. She is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on the integration of content-area instruction with second/foreign language teaching. She received the prestigious Ruth Crymes TESOL Fellowship for Graduate Study from the TESOL International Association in 2020 for her research on the integration of STEM with second language instruction.
Ms. Kim has been actively involved in the STARTALK program since her first year of graduate study at Texas A&M University in 2016. She served as a teacher and as the science coordinator in the 2016 program, and she has co-directed the Texas A&M Chinese and Korean Program with Dr. Kuo since 2017. Having completed graduate-level coursework in world language teaching and learning as well as professional development focused on the STARTALK program, Ms. Kim is well-versed in the STARTALK-Endorsed Principles for Effective Teaching and Learning and Teacher Effectiveness in Language Learning Framework. She has extensive teacher education experience in South Korea and in the U.S., where she coordinates and gives professional development workshops for teachers of world languages.
Teachers
Xuan Zhou
Ms. Xuan Zhou is a Ph.D. student specializing in bilingual education/second language acquisition at Texas A&M University (TAMU). She obtained her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from TAMU in 2017. She later worked as a public school teacher in Houston Independent School District (ISD). During the 2017-2018 school year, she was recognized as the Campus Beginning Teacher of the Year by Houston ISD. Ms. Zhou has completed graduate-level coursework in world language teaching and learning and has extensive experience with world language programs funded by the federal STARTALK grant. Ms. Zhou is also an in-demand private Chinese tutor by former students from the STARTALK program who wish to continue their Chinese lessons. Ms. Zhou is a professional guzheng (also known as a Chinese zither) player with a master's degree in musical performance arts from Nanjing University of Arts. She won the first prize in guzheng performance at the National College Students Arts Festival in China in 2009. She is well connected with the East Asian musicians and artists in the community and excels in integrating visual and performing arts with Chinese language teaching.
Weiqi Guo
Ms. Weiqi Guo is currently a Ph.D. student in the English as a Second Language program at Texas A&M University. She received her B.A. in English from Ludong University in China, and her M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University. Ms. Guo received a Certificate of Accreditation in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (Senior) from the International Chinese Teachers Association (ICA), and has successfully completed graduate-level coursework in world language teaching and learning at Texas A&M University, as well as professional training programs in world language education funded by the STARTALK federal grant. She has been a Chinese teacher with the TAMU World Languages Academy funded by the federal STARTALK program since 2017. Ms. Guo is currently the director of the Graduate Hall at Texas A&M University, a position that requires outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills in a culturally and linguistically diverse context. Such skills are essential for our teachers because they are expected to establish and maintain cordial relationships with parents, who are culturally and linguistically diverse community members. Ms. Guo has led a diverse team of TAs and middle school volunteers (former students who participate in our program as volunteers) to orchestrate fun and stimulating learning experiences for our students.
Yu Jeong Yang
Ms. Yu Jeong Yang received her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University and has completed professional training in Teaching Korean as a Foreign Language at Seoul National University. Ms. Yang has more than eight years of experience teaching Korean to heritage and non-heritage learners of Korean in early elementary grades. She previously taught at Crockett Elementary School in Bryan, Texas, and now teaches at International Leadership of Texas in College Station, Texas. She is active in community service and currently serves on the Parenting and Child Development Committee in College Station, Texas.