Rate My Professor Donna Butorac

Dr. Donna Butorac is a Senior Lecturer in Anthropology and Sociology at Curtin University in the Faculty of Humanities, serving as Deputy Head of the School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry and Major Lead for Anthropology and Sociology. She earned her PhD from Macquarie University in 2011. Prior to her current role, she worked extensively in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), functioning as an English language teacher, researcher, and policy advisor dedicated to integrating English language development into university curriculum and assessment design. At Curtin, she coordinates units such as ANTH2003 Language and Social Life and contributes to teaching across anthropology, sociology, and sociolinguistics.

Donna Butorac's research focuses on sociolinguistics, language learning, language ideologies, migration studies, and the role of language and race in shaping migrant identities and inclusion, particularly for women migrants in Australia. Notable publications include her co-authorship of the book Life in a New Language (Oxford University Press, 2024), which draws on ethnographic data from 130 migrants across 34 countries to explore language learning and settlement challenges. She authored “ ‘Like the fish not in water’: How language and race mediate the social and economic inclusion of women migrants to Australia” (Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 2014). Additional works encompass book reviews, including James Paul Gee's Social Linguistics and Literacies (2013) and Rosina Lippi-Green's English with an Accent (2013). In 2022, she received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Curtin Student Guild for the Faculty of Humanities. Butorac has engaged in public outreach through podcasts such as “The Future Of: Geographical Borders,” addressing globalization and borders, and discussions on migrant language learning and settlement.