David W. Counselman

David W. Counselman is an Associate Professor in the Department of World Languages & Cultures – Spanish at Ohio Wesleyan University and currently serves as Chair of the Humanities & Arts Division. He holds a B.A. in Spanish and French from the University of South Alabama, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from Penn State University (2010). His research focuses on second language phonological acquisition, foreign accent perception, and heritage Spanish syllabification. He teaches Spanish courses at all levels, including advanced linguistics courses like Spanish Phonetics and Phonology and Spanish Bilingualism. Counselman has directed OWU's study abroad program in Spain (2014–2017) and chaired his department since July 2020. He actively mentors students, aiding their academic and professional development, including a recent graduate accepted into the University of Florida’s Spanish linguistics program.

• Education:
  • B.A., University of South Alabama (Spanish and French)
  • M.A., Ph.D., Penn State University (Hispanic Linguistics)

His research emphasizes how explicit phonetics/phonology instruction improves L2 Spanish pronunciation and explores heritage speakers' linguistic patterns. He has presented at international conferences (Colombia, Argentina) and led student travel programs to Spain and France. Counselman advocates for inclusive academic policies, serving on OWU's Academic Policy Committee (2018 chair) and Academic Planning & Allocation Committee. A polyglot, he speaks Spanish fluently, French conversationally, and studies German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese.

Professional service includes roles as EEO Commissioner/Inclusion Advocate and involvement in over four job searches. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to language learning and the cognitive benefits of bilingualism in his teaching and scholarship.