Lorena Gómez

Lorena Gómez, Ph.D., earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and English Teaching at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. She later earned a Master’s in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS. She was awarded a doctorate in Spanish Linguistics at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. Gómez’s teaching experience includes teaching English as a second language in Colombia and different levels of Spanish in the United States. Her research interests are extensive and varied, covering Linguistics, Spanish Applied Linguistics and TESOL. She has also offered study abroad experiences to her students, specifically to Seville, Spain, and Bogotá, Colombia.

How did you discover Western?

I discovered Western by searching information about possible places where I would be able to develop my professional interests and find a thriving community of students and colleagues.

What excites you most about your field?

Language is a living thing. I am a linguist who focuses on observing and studying how new words make their path to different dialects of the Spanish language. In addition to this, I like studying the differences and commonalities among the varieties of Spanish spoken around the world.

As a language teacher (Spanish and English) I like making a difference in someone´s life. Interacting with my students has always been extremely rewarding. When students learn a language they also open their minds, hearts and souls to a new culture. This process brings students not only good opportunities but happiness, joy and many other good things. Being their mentor, I enjoy seeing how they choose multiple pathways using the Spanish language. Their happiness is my happiness.

What is your favorite thing about the Gunnison Valley?

The mountains and my students make me feel as if I were in Bogotá, Colombia. They make me feel at home.