Wona Lee is a dedicated lecturer and the Program Coordinator of the Korean Language. With a robust academic background and years of teaching experience, she has been instrumental in fostering the growth and development of Korean language education at UCSB since 2018.

She earned a Ph.D. from the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UCSB in August 2018, with a dissertation titled “Who is proficient? An investigation of bilingual language proficiency and its influence on classroom practices in a first-grade Korean/English Two Way Immersion classroom.” The dissertation explored critical aspects of bilingual education and classroom dynamics, reflecting her deep commitment to understanding and enhancing bilingual education.

Prior to this, Wona completed a Master of Arts in TESOL/Applied Linguistics from San Diego State University in 2010. Their thesis, “Codeswitching as a Communicative Strategy in a Korean Heritage Language Classroom,” further underscores a long-standing interest in bilingual and foreign language education. This academic journey was preceded by an Advanced Certificate in TESL/TEFL from the same institution.

At UCSB, Wona teaches a variety of courses across different levels of Korean language, including introductory and intermediate Korean classes. These courses are designed not only to enhance language proficiency but also to deepen students’ understanding of Korean culture and society.

Before joining UCSB as a lecturer, she accumulated significant teaching experience at various institutions, including Palomar College, San Diego State University, and La Sierra University. They have taught a wide range of courses, from elementary to intermediate Korean, and have engaged in international instruction, notably at the Sogang Korean Immersion Program in Seoul, Korea.

Her research interests are diverse and interdisciplinary, with a focus on Korean-English bilingualism, Korean language education, and the pedagogical implications of translanguaging practices. Their work often intersects with cognitive and sociocultural linguistics, contributing valuable insights to the field of bilingual education.

Selected Articles

Lee, W & Sugawara, H (Forthcoming). ‘Cultivating uri community: ‘Translanguaging practice in Japanese fan communities’ in Suh, J & Park, E. (Eds). BTS: K-pop transcending language and communication. Routledge (Chapter 7).

Lee, J.S., Lee, W. & Sun, H. (2020). ‘Raciolinguistic positioning of language models in a Korean-English dual language immersion classroom’ in Tseng, A., Subtirelu, N. (Eds). Bilingualism for All? Raciolinguistic Perspectives on Dual Language Education in the United States. United Kingdom: Channel View Publications (Chapter 8).

Lee, W. & Lee, J.S. (2017). Math instruction is not universal: Language specific pedagogical knowledge in Korean/English Two-Way Immersion programs, Bilingual Research Journal, DOI: 10.1080/15235882.2017.1380729

Kim, A., Lee, J.S. & Lee, W. (2015). Examining Korean American Parent-Child Relationships Through Bilingual Language Use. Journal of Family Communication. 15(3). 269-287

Courses Taught