PATSY MARTIN LIGHTBOWN
Academic affiliation |
Distinguished Professor Emerita Concordia University, Montreal |
Current professional activity |
Writer and editor; consultant to schools, colleges, universities, publishers, and government agencies in areas related to second and foreign language teaching and learning |
Mailing address |
P.O. Box 274 Harwich, MA 02645-0274 |
Contact |
Telephone: 508-432-2593 Mobile telephone: 508-241-5528 E-mail: patsy.lightbown@verizon.net |
Languages |
Native speaker of English; fluent French; some knowledge of Spanish, German, Italian and Hausa. |
EDUCATION
Institution |
Degree (field) |
Year |
| Columbia University | Ph.D. (Psycholinguistics) | 1977 |
| Columbia University Teachers College | M.Ed. (TESOL) | 1975 |
| Yale University | M.A.T. (French) | 1968 |
| Hamilton College Junior Year in France |
Certificate (French) | 1964 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | B.A. cum laude (French) | 1965 |
HONORS AND AWARDS
2015 Focus on Content-Based Language Teaching, Oxford University Press (2014), runner up for British Council Award for ELT Writing
2015 Focus on Content-Based Language Teaching, Oxford University Press (2014), shortlisted for the English Speaking Union’s Duke of Edinburgh Book Prize in the Applied Linguistics category
2014 Honorary Lifetime Membership, Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers
2002 Distinguished Professor Emerita of Concordia University
2001 Concordia University Alumni Association’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
1993 How Languages Are Learned, Oxford University Press (co-authored with Nina Spada), awarded first prize in the English Speaking Union’s Duke of Edinburgh Book Prize in the Applied Linguistics category. The award was presented at Buckingham Palace by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
1988 SPEAQ Award for “contributions which have had an impact on the entire English (second language) teaching community in Quebec”. Presented by the Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Date |
Institution |
Position |
| Current | Independent | Consultant, editor, researcher, writer in second language teaching and learning |
| 1974-2001 | Concordia University Applied Linguistics/TESL Centre |
Professor1988-2001; Associate Professor 1980-1988; Assistant Professor 1975-1980; part time lecturer 1974-75 |
| May-June 2009 | Concordia University Applied Linguistics/TESL Centre |
Visiting Professsor |
| Feb–April 2007 | Northern Arizona University | Visiting Professor |
| July 2003 | Michigan State University | Visiting Professor, Linguistic Society of America, Summer Institute |
| July 2002 | The Pennsylvania State University | Visiting Professor, Applied Linguistics Summer Institute |
| July 1993 | La Trobe University Melbourne, Australia (Australian Linguistic Institute) |
Visiting Professor |
| July 1990 | Michigan State University | Visiting Professor (TESOL Summer Institute) |
| Sept 1977-Jan 1978 | McGill University Linguistics Department | Visiting Lecturer |
| Sept 1971-May 1974 | Columbia University Teachers College | Research assistant to Professor Lois Bloom |
| Summer 1971 | United Nations Headquarters, Staff Language Program | English instructor |
| Sept 1968-June 1969 | Hillhouse High School New Haven, Connecticut |
French teacher |
| July 1965-June1967 | United States Peace Corps Niger, West Africa |
Public health worker |
PUBLICATIONS: See Publications tab
PRESENTATIONS (1995-2020): See Presentations tab
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES (1995-2020)
Volunteer consultant for the development of the primary school of the Centre scolaire et de sauté Néné Aissatou Diallo (CSS-NAD) in Labé, Guinea, West Africa.
Member Oxford University Press Expert Panel to create position papers for topics including English Medium Instruction, Global Skills, Learner Agency… Launched in 2019. www.oup.com/elt/positionpapers
Co-editor (with Nina Spada) of the Oxford Key Concepts for the Language Classroom (2014-2019), a series of research-based books for teachers. Each of the nine volumes reviews research in a particular area (Content-Based Language Teaching, Assessment, Oral Interaction, Literacy, Grammar and Meaning, Technology in Language Teaching, Vocabulary, Special Educational Needs) and relates the findings to the challenges and opportunities of classroom instruction.
Consultant (2003) to WGBH (Boston’s PBS station) and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages for the creation of a video series the teaching of Foreign Languages Methodology Workshops to accompany the Library of Classroom Practices (K-12). Funded by the Annenberg Foundation. http://www.learner.org
Writer (2001-2002) of a series of short articles on language acquisition (called RENEW) included in the Teachers’ Guide for Chatterbox materials for primary school ESL in Quebec. Published by Éditions du renouveau pédagogique (Pearson affiliate). Topics include feedback on error, vocabulary learning, developmental sequences, and group work.
Past President (2000-2001); President (1999-2000); Vice President and Program Chair (1998-1999) of the American Association for Applied Linguistics.
Member (past and present) of editorial or advisory board of professional journals, including
TESOL Quarterly
Modern Language Journal
Language Awareness
International Review of Applied Linguistics
Studies in Second Language Acquisition,
The Journal of French Language Studies
Canadian Modern Language Review
EURO-SLA Yearbook
Reviewer for other journals, including
Applied Psycholinguistics
Language Learning
Language Teaching Research
Canadian Journal of Education
Canadian Journal of Early Childhood Education
Language Teaching Research
System
Journal of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education
International Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education
Reviewer of manuscripts for
Taylor and Francis
Routledge
Multilingual Matters
Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers
University of Toronto Press
Oxford University Press
Edward Arnold Publishers
Palgrave Publishers
Cambridge University Press
Reviewer of grant applications for
TIRF: International Research Foundation
SSHRC: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
FCAR: Fonds pour la formation de chercheurs et l’aide à la recherche (Quebec)
NSF: National Science Foundation (U.S.)
ARC: Australian Research Council
External examiner for doctoral dissertations from
McGill University
La Trobe University (Australia)
University of Toronto
Sydney University (Australia)
University of Western Australia
Reviewer of faculty dossiers for promotion, tenure, appointment to chairs for
University of Florida
University of Michigan
University of Hawaii
Boston University
University of Texas
Georgetown University
University of Toronto
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
University of Illinois, Chicago
University of Wales, Bangor
University of Northern Illinois
The Ohio State University
University of Minnesota
Brigham Young University
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Program development consultant for the University of Toronto. Two-day site visit, document analysis, interviews, report to the Dean of Faculty of Education on the creation of new graduate programs in Second Language Education. April 1997.
Member of focus group on the Teaching in Canada of English and French as second languages. Department of Canadian Heritage, Official Languages Support Branch. Ottawa/Hull, February 1997.
Consultant to the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University: Three-day consultation (site visit, day-long workshop with faculty and graduate students, interviews with faculty and administrators, report to university administration) regarding feasibility of establishing a research group on classroom second/foreign language teaching and learning, modelled in part on the research group at Concordia/McGill. June 1996.
COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES
Member of task force at the Ministère de l’Education du Québec concerning the state of ESL instruction in Quebec schools. Attended series of meetings over several months in 1999 in Montreal and in Quebec City and provided research documentation, drafted material for inclusion in the final report which was submitted to Minister of Education François Legault in late 1999.
Consultant to the Ministère de l’Education du Québec committee developing ESL programs for primary level students. 1999
Presentation and discussion with the Education Committee of St. George’s School regarding their programs for French as a second language. March 1999
Presentation of research findings and information session for the Kativik School Board’s principals and center directors. February 1999
RESEARCH GRANTS AND CONTRACTS (1995-2006)
New Haven, CT Public Schools 2001-2006
Project: Evaluation of Sci-2 Program (bilingual dual-language program with emphasis on science teaching).
New Haven, CT Public Schools 2000-2002
Project: Evaluation of BRIDGE (bilingual dual-language) Program in the New Haven Public Schools.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada1999-2002
Co-investigator: Nina Spada (McGill University)
Project: Time, timing and attention to form in second language acquisition
Fonds pour la formation de chercheurs et l’aide à la recherche (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec) 1998-2001
Co-investigators: Norman Segalowitz (Concordia – Psychology); Nina Spada, Roy Lyster (McGill University)
Project: Attention, learning context and developmental readiness in second language acquisition.
Major Inter-disciplinary Research Initiatives — Concordia University 1997-1999
Co-investigators: Philip Abrami, Norman Segalowitz, Richard Schmid, Bette Chambers
Project: Establishment of the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance
SPEAQ (Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais, langue seconde au Québec) 1997-98
Co investigators: Nina Spada, Laura Collins
Project: L’enseignement intensif de l’anglais, langue seconde, au Québec: Modèles et résultats.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada 1996-1999
Co-investigator: Nina Spada (McGill University)
Project: Form-focussed instruction in communicative language teaching
Fonds pour la formation de chercheurs et l’aide à la recherche (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec) 1995-1998
Co-investigators: Nina Spada, Roy Lyster (McGill University); Naomi Singerman Goodz (Dawson College)
Project: The availability and utility of different types of input in second language acquisition
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada 1995-1998
Principal investigator: Martha Crago (McGill University); Co-investigators: Fred Genesee, Nina Spada, Lynne McAlpine (McGill University); Shanley Allen (Max Planck Institute, Nijmegen)
Project: Bilingual and second language acquisition in aboriginal communities: Languages and cultures in contact.