Maria Hasler Barker

Maria Hasler Barker serves as an Assistant Professor of Spanish within the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Sam Houston State University. Her teaching portfolio encompasses undergraduate and graduate courses in Hispanic Linguistics, including Spanish grammar, composition, conversation, and second language acquisition. She directs the university's study abroad program in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, providing immersive cultural and linguistic experiences for students.

Dr. Barker earned both her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Linguistics from Indiana University - Bloomington, with specialized focus on interlanguage pragmatics and second language acquisition. Her academic training established the foundation for her research and pedagogical approaches in language education.

Her research centers on interlanguage pragmatics and second language acquisition, particularly examining how explicit instruction in culturally-appropriate interactional resources enhances Spanish language learning. She also investigates bilingual service encounters in public libraries through interdisciplinary collaboration, bridging linguistic theory with practical applications in community settings. This work demonstrates her commitment to understanding language use across diverse contexts.

Dr. Barker's scholarly output reveals consistent thematic focus on pragmatic competence development in language learners, with publications spanning theoretical frameworks in Spanish linguistics and practical applications in classroom instruction. Her work consistently addresses the intersection of language pedagogy, cultural competence, and real-world communication strategies.

Dr. Barker has secured competitive grant funding from multiple institutions including Sam Houston State University, Indiana University, the American Library Association, and the Association for Library and Information Science Education. These grants supported her interdisciplinary research project analyzing language choices in bilingual library settings, examining how linguistic decisions reflect and shape power dynamics and cultural identities.

As director of the SHSU study abroad program in Costa Rica, Dr. Barker leads a comprehensive initiative that integrates academic coursework with community engagement, providing students with authentic language practice while fostering cross-cultural understanding through structured immersion experiences.