Barbara Louise Trudell
Degrees
- Ph.D. International Education, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, 2004
- Recipient of the Marion K. Hume Endowed P.E.O. Scholar Award, 2002-2003
- Recipient of the Overseas Research Student Award, 2001-2003
- M.A. Interdisciplinary Studies (applied linguistics and education), University of Texas, Arlington, 1991
- B.Sc. Chemistry, magna cum laude, Houghton College, Houghton NY, USA, 1979
Current positions
- Director of Research and Advocacy, SIL Africa Area (2010 –present)
- International Literacy and Education Consultant, SIL, (2005–present)
Other experience
- Director of Academic Affairs, SIL Africa Area (2004 –2010)
- Instructor, International Perspectives on Education and Training, University of Edinburgh (2003 – 2004)
- Director, Women Organized for Reading and Development (WORD) (2000 – 2001)
- Literacy programs coordinator, SIL Africa Area (1993 – 2000)
- Literacy programs coordinator, SIL Peru (1991 – 1992)
- Instructor, English Composition for International Students, University of Texas at Arlington (1989 – 1991)
- Literacy programs administrator, SIL Peru (1986 – 1989)
- Instructor, literacy and applied linguistics, University of Texas at Arlington (1985 – 1986)
- Community literacy worker in Huanca Quechua, SIL Peru (1982 – 1984)
Memberships
- SIL International Board of Directors, 1996 to present
- International Reading Association, 1985 to present
- British Association of International and Comparative Education, 2002 to present
- British Association of Applied Linguistics, 2005-present
- African Studies Association of the UK, 2005-present
- Multilingual Education Network of Eastern Africa (steering group member, 2006–present)
Language proficiency
- English
- Spanish
Research experience
Present: Collaboration with RTI and SIL researchers in Kenya, studying the outcomes and implications of early grade reading assessment in Kenyan primary schools
2010: Study of seven primary education alternative programs being implemented by government and non-government sponsors in Burkina Faso
2008: Study of the context, processes and outcomes of local-language adult literacy programs in five language communities of Senegal
2002-2003: Study of primary education and language maintenance in three language communities of Northwest Cameroon (PhD work)
1988-1989: Evaluation of the SIL/Ministry of Education bilingual education program in the Peruvian rainforest (MA work)
Selected publications
Publications in SIL International Bibliography
2011. Trudell, B. and A. Klaas. Effective literacy programs and independent reading in African contexts. Learning Matters. Forthcoming.
2010. Trudell, B. When ‘Prof’ speaks, who listens? The African elite and the use of African languages for education and development in African communities. Language and Education 24: 4, 337- 352.
2010. Trudell, B. Language, culture, development and politics: Dimensions of local agency in language development in Africa. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 31.4, 403- 419.
2010. Trudell, B. and A. Klaas. Distinction, integration and identity: Motivations for local language literacy in Senegalese communities. International Journal of Educational Development 30, 121-129.
2009. Trudell, B. Local-language literacy and sustainable development in Africa. International Journal of Educational Development 29 (2009), 73-79.
2009. Makoni, S. and B. Trudell. African perspectives on linguistic diversity: Implications for language policy and education. In Kleifgen and Bond (eds), The Languages of Africa and the Diaspora: Educating for Language Awareness. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Ltd.
2009. Trudell, B. Contesting the default: The impact of local language choice for learning. UNESCO and United Nations University (eds), Globalization and Languages: Building on Our Rich Heritage. Paris: UNESCO.
2008. Trudell, B. Practice in search of a paradigm: Language rights, linguistic citizenship and minority language communities in Senegal. Current Issues in Language Planning 9.4, 395-412.
2008. Kioko, A., J. Mutiga, M. Muthwii, L. Schroeder, H. Inyega and B. Trudell. Language and Education in Africa: Answering the Questions. Nairobi: UNESCO.
2008. Trudell, B. and M. Paul Lewis. (with M. Paul Lewis) Language Cultivation in Contexts of Multiple Community Languages. In Spolsky and Hult (eds), Handbook of Educational Linguistics. Blackwell.
2007. Trudell, B and Leila Schroeder.(with Leila Schroeder) Reading methodologies for African languages: Avoiding linguistic and pedagogical imperialism. Language, Culture and Curriculum 20.3.
2007. Local community perspectives and language of education in sub-Saharan African communities. International Journal of Educational Development 27.
Selected presentations
2011. “The making of a killer (language): Language contact and language dominance in sub-Saharan Africa”. European Conference on African Studies. Uppsala, Sweden. June 2011.
2011. “Of gateways and gatekeepers: Language, education and mobility in francophone Africa”. AILA Conference: Mobility Language Literacy. Cape Town. January 2011.
2010. “Early reading success: The language factor”. FTI workshop on “All Children Reading by 2015”: From Assessment to Action. Washington DC. April 2010.
2010. “Language of literacy, language of schooling: Enhancing the links between formal and nonformal education programs in Africa”. Center for Applied Linguistics. Washington DC. April 2010.
2010. “Language of instruction in Africa: Hot issues and current trends”. USAID 2010 Africa Regional Education workshop. Dar es Salaam. June 2010.
2010. “Literacy in a multilingual context: Program outcomes and considerations”. 8th E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting. Abuja. June 2010.
2010. “The MLE Network phenomenon: Advocacy and action for minoritized language communities”. Conference on Multilingualism and Education: Global Practice, Challenges and the Way Forward. Kenyatta University, Nairobi. July 2010
2010. “Making a world of difference for the world’s marginalized: The role of language in education and development”. World Vision USA seminar. November 2010.
2009. Multilingualism in sub-Saharan Africa: Describing a phenomenon, leveraging a resource”. International Conference on Multilingualism, Bamako. January 2009.
2009. “Freedom for what? Independent readers in sub-Saharan Africa”. Conference on Literacy Inequalities. University of East Anglia. September 2009.
2008. “The place of local languages in education: The ideal, the reality and the space in between”. UNESCO Education sector seminar. Paris. September 2008.
2007. ‘Who owns this policy? Local agency and national language policy implementation in rural African communities ’. University of Western Cape Conference “The Multilingual Citizen: Towards a politics of language for agency and change” Cape Town.