Michael Tallon

Michael Tallon teaches first-year Spanish courses and advanced linguistics courses in the Department of Modern Languages. He is originally from San Antonio and has taught at UIW since 1994.

• Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education – The University of Texas at Austin
• M.S. in Spanish Linguistics – Georgetown University; Washington, D.C.
• B.A. in Spanish and Geography (Minor in Business Administration) – The University of Texas at San Antonio
• Summer Study in Mexico – Instituto de Filología Hispánica; Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

• Professor of Spanish and Chair – University of the Incarnate Word; Department of Modern Languages; August 2016 to Present
• Associate Professor of Spanish – University of the Incarnate Word; San Antonio, Texas; August 2010 to July 2016
• Assistant Professor of Spanish – University of the Incarnate Word; San Antonio, Texas; August 2007 to July 2010
• Instructor of Spanish – University of the Incarnate Word; San Antonio, Texas; August 2002 to July 2007
• Lecturer – University of the Incarnate Word and The University of Texas at San Antonio; August 1994 to May 2002
• Lecturer – Georgetown University; Washington, D.C.; September 1993 to May 1994
• Substitute Teacher – Harlandale Independent School District; San Antonio, Texas; November 1991 to June 1992

Publications

• The Effects of Foreign Language Anxiety on Heritage Students of Spanish: A Preliminary Investigation. Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education, v16, #1, Summer 2014.
• Heritage Speakers of Spanish and Foreign Language Anxiety: A Pilot Study. 2011. Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education, v15, #1, Summer 2011.
• Foreign Language Anxiety. 2010. Co-authored with Dr. Elaine K. Horwitz and Han Luo. In J. Cassady (Ed.), Anxiety in Schools: The Causes, Consequences, and Solutions for Academic Anxieties (pp. 95-115). New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
• The Effects of Computer-Mediated Communication on Foreign Language Anxiety in Heritage and Non-Heritage Students of Spanish: A Preliminary Investigation. 2010. Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education, v12, #1, pp. 39-66.
• Foreign Language Anxiety and Heritage Students of Spanish: A Quantitative Study. 2009. Foreign Language Annals, 42, 1, 112-137.

Presentations

• A Qualitative Look at Language Anxiety in Spanish Heritage Students. October 2020. Texas Language Education Research (TexLER) Virtual Conference – San Antonio, TX.
• Reducing Anxiety and Increasing Engagement in Spanish Heritage Students. June 8-12, 2020. UIW Virtual Research Week (Poster Presentation) – San Antonio, TX.
• A Writing Strategies Workshop for Spanish Heritage Students. November 2019. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Conference (Research Roundtable Presentation) – Washington, D.C.
• Reducing Foreign Language Anxiety and Increasing Engagement in Spanish Heritage Students. July 2019. American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) Conference – San Diego, CA.
• A Social Justice Project in a Beginning Spanish Class. April 2019. UIW Research Week (Poster Presentation) – San Antonio, TX.
• Language Learning Beliefs in Heritage and Non-Heritage Spanish Students: A Preliminary Investigation. November 2018. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Conference (Research Roundtable Presentation) – New Orleans, LA.
• Developing Cultural Sensitivity using a Social Justice Project in a Second-Semester Spanish Class. June 2018. American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) Conference (E-Poster Presentation) – Salamanca, Spain.
• Language Learning Beliefs in Spanish Heritage Students: A Preliminary Investigation. February 2018. UIW Research Week (Poster Presentation) – San Antonio, TX.
• Language Learning Beliefs in Spanish Heritage Students: A Preliminary Investigation. February 2018. NHLRC Third International Conference on Heritage/Community Languages – UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
• Spanish Heritage Students’ Beliefs about Learning a Foreign Language: A Preliminary Investigation. July 2017. American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) Conference (E-Poster Presentation) – Chicago, IL.
• Using Cooperative Learning in First-Year Modern Language Classes. February 2017. UIW Tenth Annual Research Week – San Antonio, TX.
• Heritage vs. Non-Heritage Students’ Beliefs about Learning a Foreign Language: A Preliminary Investigation. February 2017. Texas Language Education Research (TexLER) Conference – San Antonio, TX.

• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
• American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP)
• National Federation of Modern Language Teacher Associations (NFMLTA)

• Magic
• Reading
• Sports

• Recognition by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics – Invited to San Antonio College to attend the White House Initiative “Commitments to Action and Bright Spots in Hispanic Education” Recognition Reception for “Primeros: A Research-Based Model for Improving the Instructional Experience and Success for First-Generation and Minority Students leading to increased persistence and completion rates” grant proposal. February 18, 2016.
• Nominated for the UIW 2015 Presidential Teaching Award – Spring 2015
• Awarded a $250 Travel Scholarship from the Spanish for Native Speakers (SNS) Special Interest Group (SIG) to attend the 2008 ACTFL Conference in Orlando, FL
• Biography published in Marquis Who’s Who in America, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2019
• Selected as a May 2006 Outstanding Graduate at UT-Austin
• Biography published in The Chancellor’s List, 2004-2005, 2005-2006
• Awarded a 2005-2006 Alexander Caswell Ellis Fellowship in Education at UT-Austin
• Awarded a 2005-2006 UT-Austin Continuing Tuition Fellowship
• Awarded a $300 UT-Austin Travel Scholarship (May 2005)
• Awarded a 2004 Summer Technology Fellowship from the University of the Incarnate Word to create a web site for the Foreign Languages Department
• Part of a team of three graduate students and one professor at UT-Austin that was awarded a $19,000 grant from UT-Austin’s UTOPIA web site (utopia.utexas.edu) to create 24 ESL Online Lessons (Summer 2004)
• Awarded a South Texas Graduate Fellowship at The University of Texas at Austin for graduate studies in Foreign Language Education (2003-2004)
• Nominated to be included in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (2000)
• UTSA Amber Award (1999), in honor and recognition of outstanding contribution and service to the students at The University of Texas at San Antonio

• Department of Modern Languages Chair – Summer 2010 to Present
• Department of Modern Languages Co-Chair – Fall 2006 (mentored), Fall 2008 to Spring 2010
• Department of Modern Languages Newsletter Editor – Fall 2002 to Present
• Department of Modern Languages Webmaster – Summer 2004 to Present
• CHASS Dean’s Task Force for Part-Time Faculty Issues – Fall 2014
• CHASS Part-Time Faculty Governance Committee (Dr. Jeff Crane) – Spring 2014
• CHASS Faculty Representative at UIW Pinning Ceremony – Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019
• CHASS Celebration of Excellence Committee – Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012
• Master of Ceremony for the CHASS Celebration of Excellence Ceremony – Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012
• CHASS Student Engagement Committee – 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010
• CHASS International and Latin American Studies Task Force – 2006-2007
• CHASS Academic Honor Board – 2006-2007, 2007-2008
• UIW Core Advisory Council (CAC) – Fall 2016 – Spring 2019 (Co-Chair in 2018-2019)
• Chair of Social Justice & Peace Concentration Committee – Fall 2019 to Present
• Wrote Curriculum Proposal for New Concentration in Social Justice and Peace – Fall 2020
• Meet the Mission Planning Committee – Summer 2017, Fall 2017; Summer 2018, Fall 2018; Summer 2019, Fall 2019, Summer 2020
• Word in Action Planning Committee – Spring 2018
• QEP Writing Scorer/Assessor – Fall 2017; Spring 2018; Summer 2020
• UIW Rank & Tenure Committee – Fall 2012 – Spring 2014
• Alpha (for First Generation College Students)
• Alpha Newsletter Editor – Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014
• UIW Faculty Senate, At-Large Senator – Fall 2010 – Spring 2012
• UIW Faculty Senate Executive Committee – 2010-2011
• CHASS Mentor Liaison for the UIW New Faculty Mentoring Program – 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014
• First Year Faculty and Target Core Courses (FIRST Faculty) Committee
• Faculty Sponsor for “Meet the Mission” – Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019
• Faculty Leader for Word in Action – Spring 2018
• Volunteer for Cardinal Holiday Feast – Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019
• Volunteer for the President’s Spaghetti Dinner – Fall 2002, Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015
• Faculty Mentor for the UIW First Year Peer Mentor Program – 2006-2007, 2007-2008
• Mentor for Dr. Jason Cota for the UIW New Faculty Mentoring Program – 2007-2008
• Member of the Dissertation Committee for Sandra Browning (Mathematics Education) – Fall 2007, Spring 2008
• Member of the Master’s Thesis Committee for Imogen Constance McClellan (Communication Arts) – Spring 2006
• CHASS Faculty Advisor for UIW Summer Student Academic Advising Sessions – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

• Foreign language anxiety
• Spanish as a heritage language
• Heritage language students of Spanish
• Language students’ beliefs about learning a foreign language
• Mexican-American/Chicano Spanish; the Spanish of San Antonio, Texas

• Elementary Spanish I and II
• Elementary Spanish I for Pharmacists
• Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
• Spanish Phonetics and Oral Communication
• Applied Linguistics for Teaching