Izolda Wolski-Moskoff

Izolda Wolski-Moskoff is a Visiting Lecturer and Director of Language Programs specializing in Polish and Russian at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). She holds a PhD in Slavic linguistics with a focus on Second Language Acquisition. Her primary research examines Polish heritage language maintenance among US populations, particularly through case studies of college-age heritage speakers. She coordinates the Basic Language Program and has published works promoting bilingualism in Polish-speaking communities.

• Education: PhD in Slavic Linguistics

Research interests center on heritage language preservation, sociolinguistic aspects of immigrant languages, and bilingual education strategies. Recent work explores Polish immigrant communities in Cleveland and the impact of parental language input on heritage speaker proficiency. She has presented widely on topics like distance language teaching methodologies and Polish dialect preservation in Chicago.

Current projects include contributions to Brill's Historical Sociolinguistic Studies of Language Islands in the Americas, analyzing postvernacular language development. Her work bridges academic research with community engagement through publications aimed at supporting heritage language families.