My name is Madhukar K C (Madhu), a graduate student in the Linguistics & Applied Linguistics program at Arizona State University. Let me share a little bit about myself: I am originally from Nepal, a small South Asian nation sandwiched between two boulders—China and India. I grew up speaking Nepali at home, and later began the journey of learning English as a second/foreign language since kindergarten school in my hometown, Dang. Learning English as a second/foreign language was not easy; however, it turned out to be one of my favorite subjects. After graduating from high school (10th Grade used to be high school and 11th and 12th grades were considered college level degree back then), I started teaching at the age of 17. Initially, I got into teaching out of necessity to support myself and my family financially. Later, it turned into a passion for life. I have taught English more than a decade in Nepal before moving to the US.
Currently, I am in the doctoral program specializing in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at ASU. In addition, I have been teaching First-year writing course in the US since Fall 2018. I taught First year writing at Minnesota State University, Mankato during my Master’s for two years and at Arizona State University as a doctoral student since Fall 2020. I have taught First-year writing course to domestic (L1 user of English) and international (multilingual students) from across the world. I also serve as an Associate Director of L2 Writing at ASU and a President of Graduate Scholars of English Association (GSEA) within the English Department. I also serve as Vice-President of Arizona TESOL—one of the oldest teacher associations in the State.
My primary research interests broadly include World Englishes (WE), multilingualism, second language teacher/learner identity and emotions, nonnative English Teachers’ (NNEST) identities and professional development, language ideologies, advocacy for professional equity, second language writing, TESOL, teacher education, critical pedagogy, and social justice. Currently, I am in ABD status and writing my dissertation. I expect to graduate in May 2025. Furthermore, I am seeking tenure-track positions in higher educational contexts (e.g., universities and colleges), primarily in TESOL, Linguistics & Applied Linguistics, and L2 writing.
Madhukar KC 