Marika Kunnas

Dr. Marika Kunnas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Education. Formerly a secondary school French teacher in Ontario, her research critically examines French immersion programs through antiracist and decolonizing frameworks.

Research Interests

• Bilingual/multilingual education
• Antiracism and anti-colonial pedagogy
• Critical intercultural studies
• Drama-based educational methodologies
• Language ideologies and identity

Her work emphasizes critical literacy and teacher education reform, focusing on the experiences of racially minoritized students in French immersion programs. She employs narrative inquiry and arts-based research methods to amplify marginalized voices.

Scientific Awards

• Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarship for her dissertation project

Marika actively collaborates on interdisciplinary research clusters and welcomes supervision inquiries from master's and doctoral students interested in language education equity. Her publications span topics including cultural conceptualization in language teaching, drama-based pedagogy, and systemic race erasure in second language education.

Additional Information

She maintains an online platform (https://mkunnas.wixsite.com/race-in-fi) showcasing counter-stories from her research participants. Her methodological approach combines critical race theory with performative storytelling techniques.