Daniella Molle

Background:

I have been teaching English as a second and foreign language since I graduated from high school in 1997. After teaching for years without a degree in English, I decided to pursue a master’s in TESOL. It was then that I discovered the fascination of research in its diverse forms, including action research, discourse analysis, and genre analysis. My interest in TESOL guided my PhD work as well and I focused on professional development for teachers of English language learners.

Academic Degrees:

• 2002: BA in Swedish from Gothenburg University, Sweden
• 2005: MA in TESOL from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 2010: PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Occupation:

I am currently employed as a researcher by the WIDA Consortium at the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison. I conduct qualitative research studies related to teacher learning and teacher practice. I have the privilege to be a part of a dynamic and diverse team of researchers, which is a welcome change after the isolation of my dissertation work!

Areas of Interest:

My main areas of interest include the following:

• Professional development for teachers who work with English language learners
• The relationship between teacher learning, teaching practice, student learning, and context
• The development of academic literacy in language learners
• The formation and sustainability of professional communities of teachers (with a focus on equity and voice)
• The teaching of composition to English language learners

Publications:

Molle, D. (in press). The pitfalls of focusing on instructional strategies in professional development for teachers of English learners. Teacher Education Quarterly

Molle, D. (in press). Book review: The Power of Learning through Inquiry: Teacher Research as a Professional Development Tool in Multilingual Schools by Aida A. Nevárez-La Torre. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies.

Molle, D. (2013). Facilitating professional development for teacher of English language learners. Teaching and Teacher Education, 29, 197-207.

Sardegna, V., & Molle, D. (2010) Videoconferencing with strangers: Teaching Japanese EFL students verbal backchannel signals and reactive expressions. Intercultural Pragmatics, 7(2), 279-310.

Molle, D., & Prior, P. (2008) Multimodal genre systems in EAP writing pedagogy: Reflecting on a needs analysis, TESOL Quarterly, 42(4), 541-566.