Rate My Professor Erin Kearney

Erin Kearney is Professor and Chair of the Department of Learning and Instruction in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo. She holds a PhD in Educational Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania (2008) and completed a Postdoctoral Associate position at Yale University (2009). Kearney's specialty and research focus areas include educational linguistics, language teaching and learning, interculturality, design of learning environments such as virtual reality, and teacher preparation and learning. As a recognized faculty expert on world languages learning, her work examines the state of world languages education in the United States, teaching and learning processes and outcomes, and the development of intercultural competence alongside linguistic proficiency in classroom settings. She advocates for broadening the goals of language education to foster an interculturally competent citizenry, enhancing student confidence, social and communication skills, and cultural understanding.

Kearney serves on the Board of Directors of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and has received the Anthony J. Papalia Award for Outstanding Article in a State or National Foreign Language Education journal. In 2024, she was awarded a $687,495 grant from the New York State Education Department. Her key publications include 'Perspective-Making and Its Potential in Intercultural Learning' (2025), 'Yes We Can!: A Report from the Field on Growing Teacher Self-Efficacy around Implementation of the New NYS World Language Standards' (2024), 'Intercultural Learning in Modern Language Education: Expanding Meaning-Making Potentials' (2015), 'Cultural Immersion in the Foreign Language Classroom: Some Narrative Possibilities' (2010), and 'Developing Worldview(s): An Ethnography of Culture Learning in a Foreign Language Classroom' (2008). She has contributed to initiatives like STARTALK as Program Co-Director and delivered plenary talks on language teaching practices. Kearney's research informs national, regional, and local policies and practices to increase access to language education, elevate teacher education quality, and improve learner experiences in multilingual contexts.