Dr. Chris "C.J." Jacobs
Areas of Expertise
- Graduate Faculty
- Modern Languages
- Pedagogy
Education
Ph.D. in Spanish (Applied Linguistics), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (2020)
M.A. in French (Linguistics and Pedagogy), Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT (2018)
M.A. in Spanish (Linguistics and Literature), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (2017)
Master of International Affairs, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (2014)
Language Skills
- English (native language)
- French (CEFR C2, ACTFL Superior)
- Spanish (CEFR C2, ACTFL Superior)
- Italian (CEFR C1, ACTFL Advanced High)
- Portuguese (CEFR B1, ACTFL Intermediate High)
- Catalan (CEFR A2, ACTFL Intermediate Low)
- German (CEFR A2, ACTFL Intermediate Low)
Research Interests
- Second (L2), L3, and heritage language acquisition and maintenance
- The role of emotions like motivation, flow, anxiety, and self-efficacy in language acquisition and maintenance
- Task-based language teaching (TBLT)
- Authenticity in teaching and assessment
- Individual learner differences
- Language program recruitment strategies
- Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL)
Biography
A native of the Mid-Atlantic states, CJ has taught French, Italian, and Spanish at UNK since 2020 and in other contexts–including primary school, secondary school, university, and adult education–since 2011. He has lived, worked, and studied in the U.S., France, Italy, and Spain.
As a language learner and teacher, CJ has discovered that motivation matters–perhaps more than all else–in language acquisition and maintenance. This has led him to adopt a communicative, task-based language teaching approach that encourages learners to freely express themselves on their passions, goals, and everyday lives in the target language.
Skilled in community building and in event planning, CJ organizes weekly conversation tables in various languages; leads study abroad trips to France and Italy; coordinates an annual World Language Week; and plans and caters professional conferences, dinners, and networking events. He has served on two organizational boards: NEBLA (formerly NILA) for language teachers and the Nebraska Association for Translators and Interpreters (NATI).
Outside of work, CJ enjoys traveling; trying new restaurants; entertaining people with home-cooked French, Italian, and Spanish food; shopping; attending shows; visiting museums; and partaking in almost any social activity that does not require athletic talent or outdoor survival skills.
