Germán Zárate-Sández
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5338 USA
- Ph.D., Spanish Applied Linguistics, Georgetown University, 2015
- M.S., Spanish Linguistics, Georgetown University, 2009
- M.S., English as a Second Language, The University of Scranton, 2007
- B.A., English Linguistics, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina, 2004
- Applied linguistics
- Linguistic theories
- Phonetics/phonology
- Second language (L2) acquisition
Dr. Germán Zárate-Sández is an associate professor and director of the introductory Spanish program in the Department of Spanish at Western Michigan University (WMU).
He joined WMU in 2015 after obtaining his Ph.D. in applied Spanish linguistics from Georgetown University.
His research and teaching address topics in applied linguistics, teacher training, second language pronunciation development, and social justice in language education. His research has been funded by the Language Learning Journal and by the Modern Language Association/Mellon Foundation (Pathways Step Grant) to support his curricular project aimed at better understanding and enhancing the academic experiences of Black students enrolled in language courses. Dr. Zárate-Sández is a three-time recipient of Fulbright recognitions: a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) award to teach Spanish at the University of Scranton (2005-2006); a Fulbright U.S. scholar award at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil (2022), and an appointment by the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as an Alumni Ambassador to represent and promote the Fulbright Program at campuses and conferences in the United States (2024-2026).
In addition to giving numerous conference presentations, he has been invited to give keynote and plenary presentations in the U.S., Argentina, and Brazil. His work regularly appears in high-impact edited volumes and journals such as the Modern Language Journal and Language Teaching Research.
In recognition of his scholarly accomplishments, Dr. Zárate-Sández was the 2024 recipient of WMU’s “Faculty Achievement Award in Research and Creative Activities” from the College of Arts and Sciences.