Alejandra Balestra
abalest1@gmu.edu

Education

Ph.D. Spanish Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, University of Houston, 2002.

Dissertation: “Del futuro morfológico al perifrástico: cambio morfosintáctico en el español de California, 1800-1930”; Director: Dr. Manuel J. Gutiérrez. (GPA 4/4)

M.A. Spanish, University of Houston 1999. (GPA 3.8/4)

B.A. Spanish, Major in Modern and Classical Languages, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1993. (GPA 7.5/10)

Working experience

Term Assistant Professor, George Mason University, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Fall 2009.

Professor, Instituto Cervantes, Albuquerque, October 2007-June 2009.

Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico, Spanish and Portuguese Department, Fall 2003— January 2008.

Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Houston, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Fall 2002-Summer 2003

Teacher Assistant, University of Houston, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Fall 2001

Assistant Professor, University of Buenos Aires, Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, 1991-1996

Teaching Assistant, University of Buenos Aires, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Cátedra de Historia de la Lengua, 1989-1995.

High School Teacher, 1987-1990, Escuela de Educación Media No. 8, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Coordination experience

Coordinator of Spanish as a Second Language, Spanish and Portuguese Department, University of New Mexico, Fall 2003 – January 2008.

Coordinator of Basic Spanish Program, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, University of Houston, Fall 2002-Spring 2003.

Coordinator of Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project, University of Houston, June 1998-June 2003.

Coordinator of Spanish Teachers, Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina, March 1994 - December 1995.

Coordinator of Research Assistants, Compilation of the Dictionary of Medical texts of 16th. Century, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Instituto de Historia de España, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina, May 1994 - April 1996.

Director of Study Abroad

Founder and Director of Caminito Study Abroad in Buenos Aires and Iguazú, Argentina. Summer 2005-January 2008, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Director of the Summer Program in Salamanca, Spain. Summer 2003, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, University of Houston, Houston, Texas.

Other working experience

Orientation for new Teaching Assistants at University of Oklahoma, Vistas Higher Learning, August 2008.

Corrector and writer, Revista Jardincito, 3B Editores, Buenos Aires, Argentina. July 1994-April 1996.

Courses taught

* Aproximaciones a la literatura argentina del siglo XX: realidad social argentina en la literatura y en el cine. March 24-May 26, 2009 (Instituto Cervantes, Albuquerque)

* Advanced Spanish, Spring 2009 (Instituto Cervantes, Albuquerque)

* Basic Spanish 4, Fall 2007, Spring 2008 (Instituto Cervantes, Albuquerque)

* Intermediate Spanish 3, Fall 2007 (Instituto Cervantes, Albuquerque)

* Cultura Argentina a través del cine, Summer 2007 (Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina)

*Argentine Culture: history, literature, economy and politics, Summer 2006 (Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina).

* Río de la Plata Spanish: History and evolution, Summer, 2005 2006, and 2007 (Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina).

* Historical Linguistics, Spring 2006 (University of New Mexico).

* Spanish Phonology, Spring 2005 (University of New Mexico).

* Sociolinguistics and Gender, Spring 2004, 2007 (University of New Mexico).

* Recent Research on the Teaching of Spanish, Fall 2003, Fall 2004, Fall 2005, Fall 2007 (University of New Mexico).

* Introduction to Spanish Linguistics, Summer Program in Salamanca, Summer 2003 (Universidad de Salamanca, Spain)

* Intermediate Spanish, Spring 2003 (University of Houston).

* Introduction to Spanish Linguistics, Spring 2003 (University of Houston).

* Spanish Composition for Hispanic Heritage Learners, Fall 2002 (University of Houston).

* Written Communication in Spanish, Fall 2002 (University of Houston).

* Teaching Spanish for Acquisition, Fall 2002 (University of Houston).

* Spanish Phonetics and Phonology, Spring 2002 (University of Houston).

* Elementary Spanish, Fall 2001 (University of Houston).

* Spanish Language and Literatura, April 1992 - December 1995 (Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Buenos Aires).

* Spanish Language History, Agosto 1991 - June 1993 (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras).

* General Linguistics, 1991 (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras).

* Spanish Language and Literature, Escuela de Educación Media (High School), Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 1987-December 1989.

Professional Recognition, Honors

Nominated for the 2006-2007 Outstanding Teacher Award, CASTL, University of New Mexico, New Mexico, Albuquerque.

Nominated for the 2004-2005 Outstanding Teacher Award, CASTL, University of New Mexico, New Mexico, Albuquerque.

Publications

Balestra, Alejandra and Alex Sousa, Variación en el uso de los adjetivos en las cartas de Maria A R Burton: ¿Contacto lingüístico o subjetividad? Revista Iberoamericana de Lingüística. 2009.

Balestra, Alejandra. Formas de tratamiento en correspondencia en español: California y Nuevo México, 1800-1900. In Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Linguistic Heritage: Sociohistorical Approaches to Spanish in the United States, Alejandra Balestra, Glenn Martinez, Irene Moyna, Editors, (2008), 75-88.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Rima de Vallbona”. Encyclopedia of Latino Literature. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, (2008), 2019.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Luisa Valenzuela” Encyclopedia of Latino Literature. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, (2008), 2020.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Women writers: Linguistic and discourse features of letters written by women in New Mexico and California, Nineteenth Century,” Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literature, Volume 6. (Forthcoming January 2009).

Balestra, Alejandra. “El tiempo futuro en el español de California (1800-1930): incidencia del género y del estilo en un cambio lingüístico en marcha” Spanish in Context, 3.1 (2006), 25-47.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Jesús Colón.” Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States. Edited by Suzanne Oboler, and Deena J. González, Vol. 1, (2005), 369-71.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Luis Valdéz.” Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States. Edited by Suzanne Oboler, and Deena J. González, Vol. 4, (2005), 286-88.

Balestra, Alejandra. “New Mexico Acequia Association.” Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States. Edited by Suzanne Oboler, and Deena J. González, Oxford University Press, Vol. 3, (2005), 264-65.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Alberto O´Farrill y Jesús Colón: Dos cronistas en Nueva York.” Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage. Volume IV. Ed. José Aranda and Silvio Torres Saillant, Houston: Arte Público Press, (2002), 133-44.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Luisa Valenzuela.” En otra voz: antología de literatura hispana de los Estados Unidos. General Editor Nicolás Kanellos, Co-editors Kenya Dworkin y Méndez, Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Erlinda González-Berry, Charles Tatum. Coordinator Alejandra Balestra. Houston: Arte Público Press, (2002), 501-02.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Alberto O’Farrill.” En otra voz: antología de literatura hispana de los Estados Unidos. General Editor Nicolás Kanellos, Co-editors Kenya Dworkin y Méndez, Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Erlinda Gonzales-Berry, Charles Tatum. Coordinator Alejandra Balestra. Houston: Arte Público Press, (2002), 246-47.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo.” En otra voz: antología de literatura hispana de los Estados Unidos. General Editor Nicolás Kanellos, Co-editors Kenya Dworkin y Méndez, Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Erlinda Gonzales-Berry, Charles Tatum. Coordinator Alejandra Balestra. Houston: Arte Público Press, (2002), 72-73.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Alberto O’Farrill.” Herencia: The Anthology of Hispanic Literature of the United States. General Editor Nicolás Kanellos, Co-editors Kenya Dworkin y Méndez, Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Erlinda Gonzales-Berry, Charles Tatum. Coord. Alejandra Balestra. New York: Oxford University Press, (2001), 372-73.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Cambio de armas de Luisa Valenzuela: una guerra desde el punto de vista femenino.” The Politics of Written Word in the Americas. Conference proceedings. Waco: Baylor University, (1999), 1-8.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Las glosas en Historia de las Indias,” Actas del III Congreso Argentino de Hispanistas. Buenos Aires: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Instituto de Filología y Literaturas Hispánicas “Dr. Amado Alonso,” (1992), 284-92.

Balestra, Alejandra. “Vocabulario basado en textos médicos de los siglos XIII al XVI. (Enfermedades),” Medicina y Sociedad: curar y sanar en la España de los siglos XIII al XVI. Buenos Aires: Instituto de Historia de España “Claudio Sánchez Albornoz,” Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires, (1996), 265-71.

Books Coordinated and Edited

Balestra, Alejandra, Glenn Martinez, Irene Moyna, Editors. Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Linguistic Heritage: Sociohistorical Approaches to Spanish in the United States, Houston, TX: Arte Público Press, 2008.

En otra voz: antología de literatura hispana de los Estados Unidos. General Editor Nicolás Kanellos, Co-editors Kenya Dworkin y Méndez, Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Erlinda Gonzales-Berry and Charles Tatum, Coordinator: Alejandra Balestra. Houston: Arte Público Press, 2002.

Herencia: The Anthology of Hispanic Literature of the United States. General Editor Nicolás Kanellos, Co-editors Kenya Dworkin y Méndez, Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Erlinda Gonzales-Berry and Charles Tatum. Coordinator Alejandra Balestra. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Libro de la Anathomia del Hombre del Doctor Bernardino M. de Monserrate. Edited by Alejandra Balestra and Patricia Gubitosi. Madison: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies. 16th Century Spanish Medical Texts, Series No. 2, 1995.

Balestra, M. Alejandra, M. Teresa Corbella, Marcela Groppo y Mabel Morano. Guías de estudio de castellano. Buenos Aires: Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1995.

Translations

Balestra, Alejandra. (Trans.) The Last Doll/La última muñeca. Houston: Arte Público Press, 2001.

Balestra, Alejandra (Trans.) Pepita takes time/Pepita siempre tarde. Houston: Arte Público Press, 2000.

Educational Video

Vistas culturales: Argentina. Video with Script and Activities for first year Spanish as a Second Language Courses. Prentice Hall.

Textbook Reviews

Plazas, Heinle Thomson, Cultural Council Member, 2006.

Conozcámonos, McGraw Hill, October 2004 (This textbook was published by Heinle, but I reviewed the manuscript for McGraw Hill.

Rumbos, McGraw Hill, Higher Education, July 2004.

Entrevistas, McGraw Hill, April 2004.

¿Cómo se dice?, Houghton Mifflin, May 2004.

Invited or Refereed Abstracts and/or Presentations at Professional Meetings

“Las formas de tratamiento en cartas escritas en California y Nuevo México durante el siglo XIX: relaciones de poder y solidaridad.” Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Conference, University of Houston, Rice University and Texas Southern University, Houston, TX, November 14-15, 2008.

“¿Tú o usted? Evolución de las fórmulas de tratamiento de segunda persona en el español de California y Nuevo México: 1800-1910.” Spanish in the United States Conference, Arlington, VA, March 15-18, 2007.

“Presencia de la lengua inglesa en la correspondencia de María Amparo Ruiz de Burton y en la correspondencia de la familia Amador, de Nuevo México: ¿confrontación de la lengua del imperio o fenómeno característico del contacto lingüístico? Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Conference, St. Louis, MO, October 11-14, 2006.

“Desarrollo de la adquisición del español como segunda lengua y programa de estudios en el exterior: habilidad oral y vocabulario (campo semántico de los viajes y pasatiempos) (with Kelly Bilinski, MA student). First International Conference on the Acquisition of Spanish as a First and Second Language, Facultad de Humanidades y Artes, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina, June 1-3, 2006.

“Revisión histórica del español de California y del Nuevo México (1800-1930).” XIV Congreso de la Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de América Latina (ALFAL). Monterrey, México, October 19-21, 2005.

“Dialectología y sociolingüística IX: Variaciones diacrónicas 2.” Session Moderator. XIV Congreso de la Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de América Latina (ALFAL). Monterrey, México, October 19-21, 2005.

“Evolución de las fórmulas de tratamiento en el español de California y Nuevo México: 1800-1910.” 20th Conference on Spanish in the United States and 5th International Conference on Spanish in Contact. Chicago, March 24-26, 2005.

“Definición de la mujer y del hombre a partir de la jerga contemporánea de jóvenes de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Capital, Argentina y de Albuquerque, NM, Estados Unidos. Estudio sociolingüístico y de género.” XXXIII Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Association of the Southwest (LASSO). New Orleans, September 10-12, 2004.

“El tiempo futuro en el español de California en el siglo XIX: incidencia del género en la selección de las formas de futuro.” Second UK Symposium of Hispanic Linguistics, University of Southampton, England, 15-17 April 2004.

“The Lost Voices of Our Hispanic Heritage: Recovering the United States Hispanic Literary Heritage.” Session Moderator. Modern Language Association Conference, New Orleans, December 27-30, 2001.

“La expresión del tiempo futuro entre los californios del siglo XIX: Estudio de sociolingüística histórica.” 51st Mountain Interstate Foreign Language Conference, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, October 11-13, 2001. 

“Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage: An Overview.” Annual Meeting of American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP), San Francisco, July 5-9, 2001.

“La expresión del tiempo futuro entre los californios.” Sixth Conference of Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage, University of Houston, December 1-2, 2000.

“La mujer héroe en Shadow of a Man de Cherríe Moraga.” Latin American Theatre Today. IV Congreso de Teatro Latinoamericano, University of Kansas, Lawrence, 29 March – April 1, 2000.

“La heroína en dos obras escritas por mujeres hispanas en Estados Unidos.” Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS), Summer Institute 1999, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, August 12-14, 1999.

“Cambio de armas de Luisa Valenzuela: una guerra desde el punto de vista femenino.” The Politics of Written Word in the Americas. Baylor University, Waco, April 8-9, 1999.

“Alberto O’Farrill y Jesús Colón: dos cronistas en Nueva York.” Fifth Conference of Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage, University of Houston, Houston, December 4-5, 1998.

“El léxico en la Historia de las Indias: americanismos, glosas y terminología técnica”. III Jornadas Interescuelas/Departamentos de Historia. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1991.

“Tipología y función de las glosas en Historia de las Indias.” Conferencia Internacional Medio Milenio del Español en América. Universidad de La Habana, Facultad de Artes y Letras, Departamento de Lingüística y Letras Clásicas, Havana, Cuba, 1991.

“Observaciones sobre el uso del Imperfecto y Pluscuamperfecto del Subjuntivo.” Primeras Jornadas de Lingüística Regional, Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, Argentina, 1990.

Special Training and Workshops

Líderes del Bicentenario, curso online organizado por PJ Digital, Aula Virtual. 17 de octubre 2008-20 de noviembre 2008.

MOPI (Modified Oral Proficiency Interview) Workshop, Plano, Texas, April 6-7, 2005.

AVE Aula Virtual de Español, Instituto Cervantes de Albuquerque, Fall 2004.

WebCT – computer based classes planning, University of Houston, 2002.

PowerPoint – presentations in class, conferences, University of Houston, 2001.

Publisher – online syllabus presentation, University of Houston, 2001.

“Using Technology in the Spanish Classroom.” AATSP, 2001.

“Using a Systems Manager for Program Direction and Instruction.” AATSP, 2001.

Web-Wise. A Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. Washington D.C..March 15-17, 2000.

“To Film or To Scan Workshop.” Northeast Document Conservation Center. Austin, Texas. October 26 – 28, 1999.

“School for Scanning: Issues of Preservation and Access for Paper-Based Collection.” Northeast Document Conservation Center. New Orleans, December 7-9, 1998.

“Computer-Based Technology for Compilation of Dictionaries and Reference Works.” Facultad de Filología, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. October-November, 1995.

“Elaboración de un diccionario histórico basado en textos científicos; base de datos, informática y metodología lingüística”, Prof. Ma. Nieves Sánchez González de Herrero (University of Salamanca), University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado, 1994.

“Paleografía Hispanoamericana. (Siglos XVI y XVII)”, Instituto de Investigaciones de Historia del Derecho, June 3 to August 19, 1991.

Languages

Spanish (Native speaker)

English

Reading: Italian, Portuguese, French

Services

Advisory Committee, Revista iberoamericana de lingüística, Universitas Castellae, Alcalá.

Founder and Director of Caminito Study Abroad, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, May-June 2005-present.

Member, Lina A. Ruiz y Ruiz Memorial Award Selection Committee, Spanish and Portuguese, April 2005.

Coordinator of Spanish as a Second Language, Spanish and Portuguese Department, University of New Mexico, Fall 2003 – present.

Undergraduate Committee, Spanish & Portuguese; Fall 2003– present

Planning Committee, 8th Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Conference, University of New Mexico, November 4-6, 2004.

Member, Lina A. Ruiz y Ruiz Memorial Award Selection Committee, Member, April 2004.

Planning Committee, Hispanic Linguistics Symposium, Spanish & Portuguese; Fall 2003.

Director of the Summer Program in Salamanca, Spain. Summer 2003, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, University of Houston, Houston, Texas.

Service work in University of New Mexico

Member, Regents Grant Committee, Spring 2007

Member, Regents Grant Committee, Spring 2006

Member, CRS/SHRI graduate and professional fellowship or Research Assistantship, Spring 2006.

Study Abroad Committee, Office of International Programs and Studies, University of New Mexico, Fall 2004-present.

Oral and written Proficiency Interview for study abroad. I am giving both tests to students from Latin American and Iberian Institute and the Law School, Fall 2004-2006.

Workshop leader, “Budget preparation for study abroad.” Workshop for UNM faculty.  Sponsored by Office of International Program and Studies, LAII, and the Study Abroad Advisory Committee, April 1, 2005. University of New Mexico.

Workshop leader with Prof. Ken Carpenter, “Promoting Cultural Awareness.” Workshop for UNM faculty. Sponsored by Office of International Program and Studies, LAII, and the Study Abroad Advisory Committee, February 8, 2005.

Facilitator: “Health Care: Identity,Culture and Diversity.” Cultural competence for first-year medical students. November 9, 23, and December 7, 2004.

Study Abroad Advisory Committee, Office of International Program and Studies, Fall 2004-present.

Board Member of Southwest Hispanic Research Institute, University of New Mexico, Fall 2003-present.

Community services

Facilitator, Cultural Competence, New Mexico State Bar Association Diversity Committee, April 30, 2005

Member of Content Advisory Committee for Spanish, New Mexico Teacher Assessments, Spring 2004.

Volunteering at Jersey Village Elementary School, interpreter Spanish/English, 1996-1998.

National services

Abstract reader for the XXI Conference on Spanish in the United States and VI Spanish in Contact with Other Languages Conference, Arlington, VA, March 2007.

Board Member of Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, Spring 2003-present.

(Updated: July 2009)