UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — "Racialized Identities in Second Language Learning: Speaking Blackness in Brazil," a book written by Uju Anya, assistant professor of education (second language learning) and research affiliate for the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Penn State, has been awarded the First Book Award by the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL). Anya received the award at the AAAL Annual Convention.
The book centers on the identities and transformation of black college students in a study-abroad program in Brazil. Anya said this is the first single-author volume on second language learning focusing on African-Americans as the primary subject. It details the history of blacks in foreign language study in the United States, and focuses on questions of identity in language learning.
In addition to considerations of race, the text also addresses gender, sexuality, and social class as college students work through these issues while studying in a foreign country. For more information about the book, visit www.routledge.com.
The American Association for Applied Linguistics AAAL First Book Award recognizes a scholar whose first book represents outstanding work in the field of applied linguistics.
In bestowing this award, the association honors high-quality books that make an exceptional contribution to the field as a whole or to a specific area of specialization. The award is given biennially, alternating every other year with the AAAL Book Award.