Carrie Bonilla

Carrie Bonilla is an Associate Professor and Basic Spanish Program Coordinator at George Mason University. She holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA in Spanish Language and Translation from New York University in Madrid. Her research focuses on second language acquisition, emphasizing pedagogical practices in syntax/morphology, individual cognitive aptitude, and learning environments such as online, classroom, community-based, and study abroad settings. She received the 2023 George Mason University Teaching Excellence Award.

Her education includes a strong foundation in linguistics and language pedagogy, complemented by grants like the George Mason Term Faculty Development Grant (2018) and Curriculum Impact Grants (2019, 2020). She teaches a broad range of Spanish courses, including elementary through advanced levels, linguistics, translation, and phonetics.

Research Interests:

• Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
• Individual differences in language learning
• Community-based and online language learning
• Third language acquisition (Portuguese for Spanish speakers)
• Processability Theory applications
• Cognitive aptitude roles in study abroad

Publications Highlight Trends: Her work bridges theoretical SLA frameworks (e.g., Processability Theory) with practical pedagogy, emphasizing evidence-based practices in curriculum design and testing. Recent studies explore placement test development (2024), corpus use in classrooms (2023), and autonomous learning strategies (2021).

Grants & Awards:

• George Mason Teaching Excellence Award (2023)
• Curriculum Impact Grant (2019, 2020)
• Term Faculty Development Grant (2018)

Advising & Labs: While no specific advisees are listed, her courses involve community-based projects (e.g., SPAN 485) and collaborative learning initiatives.