Oregon State University – Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Elizabeth Root Profile

Elizabeth Root is an associate professor of intercultural communication in the School of Communication at Oregon State University, and holds a PhD from the University of New Mexico.

Elizabeth Root She began her career as an English as a second/foreign language teacher. Besides teaching refugees, immigrants, and international students in Minnesota, she also taught conversational English classes in both China and South Korea for seven years. Her experience working with international students prompted her to return to graduate school to study intercultural communication. Research during her PhD program took her back to South Korea to collect narrative data exploring the intercultural relationships between native-English-speaking teachers and Korean students in a classroom setting. This branch of her research explores how the hegemony of English has impacted foreign language classrooms. Ideological beliefs attached to English influence how cross-cultural adaptation occurs in complex and uneven ways. She has also examined perceptions of agency of English speakers within the context of English hegemony. Another branch of Elizabeth’s research is focused on intercultural communication pedagogy. She employs qualitative research to study teacher identity and students’ descriptions of intercultural learning. Deeper intercultural learning occurs through acknowledgement of dialectical tensions as students navigate cultural differences and similarities.

Research publications on English hegemony:

Root, E. (2022). “English is my knight”: Descriptions of perceived agency within the hegemony of English. Intercultural Communication, 31(2), 57-72.

Root, E. (2018). “English Fever” in South Korea: Examining English as the language of globalization through the lens of intercultural praxis. In W. Jia (Ed.), Intercultural communication: Adapting to emerging global realities (2nd ed., pp. 261-278). Cognella.

Root, E. (2016). Cultural adjustment from the other side: Korean students’ experiences with their sojourner-teachers. China Media Research, 12(1), 35-45.

Root, E. (2012). Participation in and opposition to the ideology of English in South Korea: Insights from personal narratives. Asian EFL Journal, 14(3), 178-213.

Root, E. (2009). “I’m just a foreign teacher doing my job”: Ways in which discursive constructions mask an ideology of English in South Korea. NIDA Journal of Language and Communication, 14(14), 57-80.

Research publications on intercultural communication pedagogy:

Root, E. (2018). Staging scenes of co-cultural communication: Acting out aspects of marginalized and dominant identities. Communication Teacher, 32(1), 13-18. DOI: 10.1080/17404622.2017.1372617

Root, E. (2014). Definitions of an intercultural encounter: Insights into “Internationalization at Home” efforts. The Northwest Journal of Communication, 42(1), 35-60.

Root, E. (2013). Insights into the differences—similarities dialectic in intercultural communication from university students’ narratives. Intercultural Communication Studies, 22(3), 61-79.

Root, E., Hargrove, T. D., Ngampornchai, A., & Petrunia, M. D. (2013). Identity dialectics of the intercultural communication instructor: Insights from collaborative autoethnography. Intercultural Communication Studies, 22(2), 1-18.

Root, E., & Ngampornchai, A. (2012). “I came back as a new human being”: Student descriptions of intercultural competence acquired through education abroad experiences. Journal of Studies in International Education. doi:10.1177/1028315312468008

Work for CID:

Elizabeth Root wrote ICD Exercise 8: Exploring Layers of Identity Through Interviews.

Oregon State U Job Ad: Language, Culture, and Society

The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) at Oregon State University invites applications and nominations for the Director of the School of Language, Culture, and Society (SLCS). The Director leads a unique school of learners, teachers, and scholars in the continuing development of its shared vision. The Director supervises the School’s academic programs (Anthropology; College Student Services Administration; Ethnic Studies; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and World Languages and Cultures) and serves as chief administrative officer and advocate for the school as a whole.

The SLCS advances innovative and applied scholarship at the intersection of the social sciences and the humanities. We share commitments to social justice, diverse communities of people and perspectives, and meaningful communication through social, cultural, and linguistic scholarship and practice.

The next Director will

lead the faculty in an ongoing process of refining the School’s vision and identity
effect strategy to further the School vision in relation to college and university goals and policies
foster the applied focus of the School to engage with communities locally, nationally, and transnationally through scholarship and practice
support the teaching, scholarly/creative, and service functions of the School
manage personnel, budgets, and other resources
represent the School internally and externally

The Director is a full-time (1.0 FTE) 12-month academic administrator tenured at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.

Oregon State U job ad: Intercultural Communication

Visiting Assistant Professor of Intercultural Communication at Oregon State University
EFFECTIVE DATE OF POSITION: 16 September 2016
APPOINTMENT: 1.0 FTE, 9-month, fixed-term
LOCATION: This job is based on-campus at Oregon State University, in Corvallis, Oregon.

The Speech Communication Area of the School of Arts and Communication invites applications for a full-time (1.0 FTE) Visiting Assistant Professor in Intercultural Communication. Primary areas of interests should include: intercultural communication and qualitative research methods. Secondary areas in support of primary area include: communication theory, international communication, postcolonial studies, language and discourse analysis, conflict management, rhetorical theory. For complete position details go to posting P00269UF at http://oregonstate.edu/jobs/.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 75% Teaching – 3 courses per quarter (nine in the academic year) including introductory as well as upper division and graduate level classes; 25% Research and Scholarship.

QUALIFICATIONS: Minimum Required: ABD in Communication or related field; demonstrated excellence in teaching; record of scholarly promise in a program of research; and a demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.

Preferred: PhD in communication with an educational emphasis in intercultural communication; with a secondary area of expertise: qualitative research methods, communication theory, international communication, postcolonial studies, language and discourse analysis, conflict management, rhetorical theory. A demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Apply to posting #P00269UF online at http://jobs.oregonstate.edu. When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:
1) A resume/CV
2) A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position.
3) A professional statement that includes your philosophy of teaching and research/scholarship.
4) Evidence of teaching excellence such as teaching evaluation summaries for lower & upper division courses and graduate courses, if available. (Upload as Portfolio)

You will also be required to submit the names of at least three professional references, their e-mail addresses and telephone numbers as part of the application process.

For additional information please contact Loril Chandler.

OSU commits to inclusive excellence by advancing equity and diversity in all that we do. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: For full consideration submit a complete file by May 22, 2016.