Spanish/Bilingual-Multicultural Education Concentration

Combines courses in the Spanish program with select courses in the College of Education and Human Development

Wade Swede, 2019

Wade Swede

After earning his BA in Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh, Wade joined the Department of Modern and Classical Languages to pursue an MA in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Spanish Bilingual/Multicultural Education.  He simultaneously worked as a Spanish teacher in Prince William County Public Schools.

Whereas Wade’s primary focus during his undergraduate program had been pedagogy and cultural studies, at Mason he expanded his academic interests to include bilingualism and the internal workings of the second language speaker’s mind. In addition to courses within the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and the College of Education and Human Development, Wade was able to take courses in Mason’s own program in linguistics as well at Georgetown University at no extra cost (via the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area).  Wade also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, which gave him valuable teaching experience and allowed him to complete his degree tuition-free.

Following his graduation from Mason, Wade continued to build on his varied teaching experience, both locally and in Valencia, Spain. He then applied to the PhD program in Hispanic Linguistics at the University of Arizona and was awarded a graduate teaching assistantship. He is now teaching undergraduate Spanish courses and pursuing a PhD at one of the top programs in the country. His research interests include the syntax of Spanish among second language learners, heritage language speakers, and the syntax of code-switching in the Arizona context.