Work
Steven C. Beering Hall of
Liberal Arts and Education
100 N. University Street
West Lafayette
Indiana
47907-2098
BRNG
work
Work Email: chan201@purdue.eduINTERNET
Website: Vita
Virak Chan
Clinical Assistant Professor
Literacy and LanguageCurriculum and Instruction
Virak Chan is a Clinical Assistant Professor in literacy and language. Courses Dr. Chan usually teaches include EDCI 37001 Teaching English Language Learners in the Elementary School, EDCI 53000 English Language Development (online) and EDCI 52600 Language Study Education (online). Dr. Chan is a native of Cambodia and he leads a summer study abroad program to Cambodia every year. His research area focuses on language and education policies and practices for linguistically and culturally diverse students. With the increasing diversity in student population in the U.S., we may need to be more conscious of the possible injustices that certain policies and practices have on different linguistic and cultural groups. Dr. Chan is also researching teacher education, linguistic landscape, teaching writing and curriculum development.
- Ph.D. — Culture, Language and Literacy, University of Texas at San Antonio (2016)
- M.A. — Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, San Jose State University, California (2008)
- Grad. Dip. — Applied Linguistics, Regional Language Center, Singapore (2003)
- B.Ed. — Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia (2001)
- 2019 – present
Clinical Assistant Professor, Language and Literacy,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- 2017 – 2019
Visiting Assistant Professor, Language and Literacy,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- 2015
Curriculum Developer
ESL services, University of Texas at San Antonio, TX
- 2014 – 2016
Instructor of Record,
Department of Bicultural and Bilingual Studies,
University of Texas at San Antonio, TX
- 2014, 2016
Visiting Lecturer,
Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- 2013 – 2014
University Teaching Fellow,
University of Texas at San Antonio, TX
- 2012 – 2013
Teaching Assistant,
Department of Bicultural and Bilingual Studies, University of Texas at San Antonio, TX
- 2010 – 2012
Teacher Trainer and Lecturer,
Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- 2008 – 2010
M.A. Program Coordinator,
Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- 2008
Adult ESL Teacher,
San Jose City College, California
- 2007
Researcher,
San Jose State University, California
- 2001 – 2006
Teacher Trainer and Lecturer,
Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- 2004
Translator and Interpreter,
Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- 1999 – 2001
ESL Teacher,
Newton Thilay Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- 2000
Translator and Interpreter,
O.M.C. Company, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Exploratory SAIL Grant, Purdue University (2018)
- ISLS Travel Grant, The International Society for Language Studies Conference (2017)
- Graduate Student Award, The American Association of Applied Linguistics Conference (2016)
- Doctoral Dissertation Grant, The International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF) (2015-2016)
- The Rick Sullivan Stipend Award, CATESOL state conference (2007)
Reviewer – Language Policy
- Wright, W. E. & Chan, V. (In Press). Khmer Language in Greater Los Angeles. In Claire, C. (Ed). Multilingual in La La Land. U.S.: Routledge.
- Wright, W. E. & Chan, V. (In Press). Multilingualism in North America. In Montanari, S. & Quay, S. (Eds). Multidisciplinary perspective on multilingualism. U.S.: De Gruyter
- Chan, V. (2018). The linguistic landscape of a Cambodia Town in Lowell, Massachusetts. Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, 13(1). doi:10.7771/2153-8999.1137
- Chan, V., & Henderson, K. (2018). Effective classroom strategies toward decolonizing ELT practices: Implications for postmethod pedagogy. In J. I. Liontas & M. DelliCarpini (Eds.), The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching: Wiley.
- Chan, V. (2018). Refugee resettlement in the United States: Language, policy, pedagogy, by Feuerherm, E.M. & Ramanathan, V. (Eds.)., Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 17:1, 63-64, DOI:10.1080/15348458.2017.1347386
- Chan, V. (August, 2016). Medium-of-instruction policy in Cambodia higher education. (Ph.D. Dissertation), University of Texas at San Antonio, ProQuest.
- Chan, V. (2015). Integrating social awareness through reading and writing: A classroom action research. Language Education in Asia, 5(2), 216-227. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5746/LEiA/14/V5/I2/A04/Chan
- Chan, V. (2013). Book review of J. W. Tollefson (2013) (Ed.), Language policies in education: Critical issues (2nd ed., Malden, MA: Routledge). RELC Journal, 44. Available: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0033688213488412
- Chan, V. (2010). Networking event with academic institutions in Phnom Penh. FAAC NEWSLETTER, 8(2). Available at http://photos.state.gov/libraries/cambodia/231771/PDFs/faac_newsletter_ vol2_issue_8.pdf
- Chan, V. (2009). After Siam Reap – Lecture series in Preah Sihanouk province. FAAC NEWSLETTER, 1(2). Available at http://photos.state.gov/libraries/cambodia/231771/PDFs/faac_newsletter_ vol1_issue2.pdf
- Chan, V. (2007). Book review T. Clayton (2006), Language choice in a nation under transition: English language spread in Cambodia (New York, NY: Springer). RELC Journal, 38. Available: http://intl-rel.sagepub.com/content/38/2.toc
Work under Review
- Chan, V. Linguistic landscape in a Cambodia Town in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Research in Progress
- Chan, V. A linguistic landscape in a Cambodia Town in Long Beach, California.
- Wright, W. E. & Chan, V. Khmer heritage language retention and loss of Cambodian American students.
Professional Presentations & Interviews
- Medium-of-Instruction policies in higher education in Cambodia
- Presenter at the 2017 conference of the International Society for Language Studies, Manoa, Hawai’i. June 15-17, 2017
- A textual and contextual analysis of Cambodia’s language policies
- Presenter at the 2017 conference of the American Association for Applied Linguistics, Portland, Oregon. March 18-21, 2017
- A critical examination of the medium-of-instruction policy in Cambodian higher educations Presenter at the 2016 conference of the American Association for Applied Linguistics, Orlando, Florida. April 9-12, 2016
- Integrating reading and writing in English for International Students courses Presenter at the Texas Language Education Research Conference, San Antonio, Texas. February 19-20, 2016
- Resettlement and Challenges Invited speaker at the event “Remembering the past and welcoming the future: 40 years since the killing fields,” North Seattle Community College, Seattle, Washington. August 29, 2015
- Language policy for higher education in Cambodia Invited guest on a 30-minute call-in live radio program broadcasted in Cambodia. Link to the article and embedded program: http://www.voacambodia.com/content/language-expert-warns-againstloss-of-identity-under-globalization/2834297.html Voice of America: Khmer Radio, Washington D.C. June 16, 2015
- The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP): Overview and potential application for Cambodia Featured speaker at the 11th Annual CamTESOL Conference, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Feb 28-March 1, 2015
- Applying a genre-based theory in a writing classroom Presenter at the 16th Texas Foreign Languages Education Conference, San Antonio, Texas February 20-21, 2015 Tips on TOEFL training Presenter at a professional development workshop for instructors at ESL services, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas August 21, 2014
- Linguistic landscape in a Cambodia Town, Lowell, Massachusetts Presenter at the International Society for Language Studies 2014 Conference, Akita International University, Japan June 13-15, 2014
- Khmer Oral Language Proficiency of Cambodian American Students Co-presenter at the 2014 conference of the American Association for Applied Linguistics, Portland, Oregon March 22-25, 2014
- The role of Khmer language and its contact with English in a Cambodia Town, Lowell, Massachusetts Presenter at the 6th Annual Khmer Studies Forum, Ohio University, Ohio March 14-16, 2014
- Integrating social awareness in writing class at a university in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Presenter at the International Society for Language Studies 2013 Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico June 2013
- Assessing students’ motivation and outcomes in online peer-review A co-presenter at the 38th CATESOL Annual State Conference, San Diego, California April 2007
- Towards more genre-based writing A presenter at the 2nd CamTESOL Conference, Phnom Penh, Cambodia February 2006
- Peer correction of spoken language A presenter at the CamTESOL Workshop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia September 2004
- EDCI 55700 — Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Online)
- EDCI 51900 — Teaching English Language Learners (Online)
- EDCI 55900 — Academic Language and Content Area Learning for English Language Learners (Online)
- EDCI 52600 — Language Study for Educators (Online)
- EDCI 53000 — English Language Development (Online)