Hyun-Sook Kang

Hyun-Sook Kang is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with multiple affiliations across the institution. She holds appointments in the College of Education's Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership, as well as the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity, and the Center for Global Studies.

Dr. Kang earned her Ph.D. in Educational Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education in 2007. Prior to her current position, she served on the faculty in the Linguistics Department at the University of Illinois, Illinois State University, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Dr. Kang's research focuses on language practice and ideology in relation to global mobility, including immigration and study abroad. Her work examines student agency, belief, and identity in educational contexts with implications for teacher development and internationalization of education. She is particularly interested in ontological, epistemological, and methodological considerations in educational research. Her scholarship bridges linguistic theory with practical applications in diverse educational settings.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on international education, language teaching, and the impact of technology on learning. The research spans study abroad experiences, online language education, teacher development, and equity considerations in global contexts. Her work often employs mixed-methods approaches and focuses on Korean and East Asian language learners in international settings.

Dr. Kang serves as Co-Editor of the Journal of Language, Identity, and Education and sits on the editorial boards of several academic journals including the European Journal of Education, Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education, Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, Language and Assessment, and Language-Related Research.

As an educator, Dr. Kang teaches courses related to global education, education and globalization, learning technologies, and instructional design. She has contributed significantly to the field through her editorial work, research publications, and service on professional committees including the American Association for Applied Linguistics and the Comparative and International Education Society.