Bernard Issa

Bernard Issa is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Tennessee. He serves as First-Year Spanish Language Program Director and Language Training Coordinator for Graduate Students. His PhD in Second Language Acquisition was earned at the University of Illinois at Chicago, supported by National Science Foundation and Language Learning dissertation grants.

Dr. Issa's research uses eye-tracking to investigate how individual differences (motivation, attention, working memory, L2 usage) interact with instructional interventions and learning contexts to impact second language grammar processing and acquisition. His work bridges cognitive psychology and language pedagogy, with special focus on study abroad programs and technology-mediated learning.

His publication record demonstrates consistent methodological innovation in SLA research, particularly through eye-tracking and multisite replications. Recent work (2022-2025) shows expanded focus on technology-mediated TBLT, heritage bilingualism, ecological validity in assessment, and quantitative approaches to study abroad research.

As program director, he oversees curriculum development for Spanish language training. His grant-supported dissertation examined attentional allocation during grammar learning, establishing foundational work for his ongoing research into cognitive aspects of L2 acquisition.