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Patti Davis-Wiley headshot

Patricia Davis-Wiley, EdD

Professor Emerita (Retired 2020), World Language, ESL Education

Biography

Patricia Davis-Wiley is Professor Emerita of World Languages (WL) and ESL education and holds degrees from the University of California, l’université de Montpellier, and the University of Houston. During her time in TPTE, she advised ESL doctoral students; coordinated all WL Education degree and licensure programs and the ESL specialization for the MS in Teacher Education with a concentration in Educational Studies; and taught graduate methods, assessment and research classes in World Languages in addition to Advanced Studies in ESL and Grammar for ESL teachers. Davis-Wiley was part of the Literacy Studies Instructional Team in TPTE.

Most of her professional life has been dedicated to her first love, teaching. Prior to coming to UT, she taught teacher education classes at the University of Houston, French at Baylor University, and French and Spanish in three high schools in Texas. Dr. Davis-Wiley is the recipient of three UT awards for teaching and service: the UT Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award, the Chancellor’s L. R. Hesler Award for Excellence in Teaching and Service to the University of Tennessee, and the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Advisor. She has also been recognized for her leadership by ACTFL’s Language Learning for Children (LLC) SIG.         

Her research interests and publications focused on early language learning; the impact of L2 on academic success; global awareness and inter-cultural competence; creating Virtual Learning Communities (VLCs) and Web 2.0 tools in the L2 classroom in addition to EL social justice issues. She actively and enthusiastically presented at international, national, regional, and state professional organizations in both World Languages and ESL. Dr. Davis-Wiley is the Founding Editor of the peer-reviewed TFLTA Journal, was Tennessee’s state representative to NNELL (National Network for Early Language Learning), and tech specialist for ACTFL’s LLC SIG. Past international outreach efforts included a visiting professorship twice a year for six yeas to in-service Korean elementary school teachers, followed by a semester teaching a graduate Linguistics class at Chuncheon National University of Education in South Korea, and a winter sojourn as a visiting L2 scholar at Jilin University in Changchun, China.

PDW is a southern California native who enjoys the water (she is a PADI dive master), traveling, gourmet cooking, acquiring languages (she speaks three), and learning about world cultures.

Patti Davis-Wiley headshot