Celeste Kinginger

Celeste Kinginger serves as Kirby Professor in Language Learning and Professor of Applied Linguistics at Pennsylvania State University, where she also directs graduate studies in the Department of Applied Linguistics within the College of the Liberal Arts. Her pioneering work has established telecollaborative approaches as viable methodologies for classroom language instruction.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne.

Kinginger's research centers on sociocultural dimensions of language learning in immersive environments, particularly study abroad contexts. She examines how meaningful language abilities develop through everyday interactions like homestay dinner tables and residence hall conversations, with emphasis on second language pragmatics, narrative identity construction, and intercultural adaptation. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks from sociocultural theory and activity theory to practical applications in language education.

Analysis of her 2018-2019 publications reveals consistent focus on qualitative investigations of informal learning spaces during study abroad. She employs case study and narrative methodologies to explore French and Chinese language acquisition across diverse social contexts, highlighting how power dynamics, cultural schemas, and peer interactions shape linguistic development.

As Director of Graduate Studies, Kinginger oversees the graduate program while teaching foundational courses in applied linguistics and second language acquisition. Her advanced doctoral seminars include Pragmatics in Language Learning and Teaching (APLNG 585) and Qualitative Research in Applied Linguistics (APLNG 592), reflecting her methodological expertise.