2019 Topic: Language Learning Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century
Biography:
Gabriel is a seasoned practitioner and researcher in the field of language learning and technology. He created the first community of blogs dedicated to the interchange of languages, back in 2007, and recently founded Team Tandem (Recicle.org), connecting Spanish and English learners in the county of Monterey. His own doctoral dissertation, which he completed at the University of California at Davis, centered on online intercultural exchanges and the use of language learning social networks in the context of hybrid language education.
At MIIS Gabriel teaches content-based Spanish courses focusing on social entrepreneurship and the use of media in the Hispanic world. In the past, he has been a Frontier Market Scout, a recipient of the prestigious AECID Spanish Lectureship, a study abroad coordinator, a journal editor, a web developer, and a reporter who published more than 300 articles in Spanish. His teaching has been recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Year Award from the UC Davis Department of Spanish & Portuguese and the HOPE Award from the Southern Methodist University. He is an active member of the CALICO organization and regularly publishes about language learning in the Huffington Post.