Teresa P. Pica
Encyclopedia
Teresa P. Pica also known as Tere Pica, was Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania
Graduate School of Education
, a post she held from 1983 until her death in 2011. Her areas of expertise included second language acquisition
, language curriculum design, approaches to classroom practice, and classroom discourse analysis
. Pica was well known for her pioneering work in task-based language learning
and published widely in established international journals in the field of English as a foreign or second language
and applied linguistics
.
As a dissertation adviser, Dr. Pica supervised more than 50 doctoral dissertations at Penn and at universities abroad. Some of her best-known advisees include: Catherine Doughty, Jessica Williams, Richard Young, Valerie Jakar, Joanna Labov, and Shannon Sauro.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, commonly known as Penn GSE, is one of the leading educational research schools in the United States...
, a post she held from 1983 until her death in 2011. Her areas of expertise included second language acquisition
Second language acquisition
Second-language acquisition or second-language learning is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the name of the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process...
, language curriculum design, approaches to classroom practice, and classroom discourse analysis
Discourse analysis
Discourse analysis , or discourse studies, is a general term for a number of approaches to analyzing written, spoken, signed language use or any significant semiotic event....
. Pica was well known for her pioneering work in task-based language learning
Task-based language learning
Task-based language learning , also known as task-based language teaching or task-based instruction focuses on the use of authentic language and on asking students to do meaningful tasks using the target language. Such tasks can include visiting a doctor, conducting an interview, or calling...
and published widely in established international journals in the field of English as a foreign or second language
TESOL
TESOL may refer to:* The acronym "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages", used in English as a Foreign or Second Language * TESOL Inc., a professional organization based in the United States for people working in this field...
and applied linguistics
Applied linguistics
Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study that identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems...
.
Early Years
Before entering the field of TESOL, Dr. Pica was a speech and language pathologist. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in three years, graduating in 1982. In 1983, she took over the position of her advisor, Michael Long, who left Penn in 1982.Teaching
Dr. Pica's passion in life was teaching and advising students. She was known for never taking summers or sabbatical years off and for always teaching multiple sections of two core courses in the TESOL MSEd program: "EDUC 527: Approaches to Teaching English and Other Modern Languages" and "EDUC 670: Second Language Acquisition". By doing this, she taught thousands of TESOL Masters Degree seekers from all over the world over her 30 year tenure at Penn GSE.As a dissertation adviser, Dr. Pica supervised more than 50 doctoral dissertations at Penn and at universities abroad. Some of her best-known advisees include: Catherine Doughty, Jessica Williams, Richard Young, Valerie Jakar, Joanna Labov, and Shannon Sauro.