The Language & Competitiveness Project Team
Dr. Beverly-Anne Carter
Dr. Beverly-Anne Carter is the Director of the Centre for Language Learning and the lead researcher on the Language and Competitiveness Project. Her academic interests include learner autonomy, technology-mediated language learning, and non-specialist language learning in the Caribbean higher education context. Her current research interest focuses on the contribution of foreign languages to the strategic economic development of local small and medium-sized enterprises.
Dr. James Bukari
Dr. James Bukari is a lecturer in French and coordinator of French, German, Italian and Portuguese teaching at the Centre for Language Learning. He is Ghana-born and raised, and holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Foreign Language Education, with a specialisation in French language education. His current research focuses on sociolinguistic perspectives of language learning and teaching. His primary interest is the status of the French language in Trinidad and Tobago and its role in regional and international communication, trade and diplomacy.
Dr. María Landa Buil
Dr. María Landa-Buil (Currently on non-paid leave) is a lecturer in Spanish and coordinator of the Spanish programme at the Centre for Language Learning. She was born and grew up in a small city in the north of Spain close to France. She holds an MPhil in Applied Linguistics and her PhD dissertation was a longitudinal study on Spanish language acquisition. She has taught Spanish as a foreign language in North Carolina (USA), Barbados and Tanzania, and speaks Swahili and some French. Her academic interests include Spanish-language acquisition, technology-mediated language learning, and the maintenance of heritage languages.
Mrs. He Min
Mrs. He Min is a Chinese national who considers Trinidad and Tobago her second home. She works at the Centre for Language Learning as its sole Mandarin Chinese instructor. She holds Master of Arts degrees in Foreign and Applied Linguistics and in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. She brings to the team, her native knowledge of Chinese language and culture and a desire to develop an appreciation for these among various audiences.
Dr. Godfrey St. Bernard
Dr. Godfrey St. Bernard is a Senior Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. His current academic interests include problems of population and development, applied statistical analysis, research methodology, evaluation research and social policy. His current research interest focuses on youth and development, Caribbean population policy and the measurement of social phenomena.
Dr. Michele Reis
Dr. Michele Reis is an independent researcher, specializing in diaspora issues and holds a PhD in International Relations. She previously worked at the Institute of International Relations, at the University of the West Indies. Dr. Reis continues to advance her professional career through consultancy work in projects related to diasporic issues and the impact of migration on the cultural and socio-economic landscape of Trinidad and Tobago. Her research interests also include international relations, international political economy, Latin American affairs, cultural industries and fore-sighting and innovation strategies. She is fluent in both French and Spanish.
Ms. Bephyer Parey
Ms. Bephyer Parey is currently pursuing her PhD at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at The University of the West Indies. She holds a Master of Science degree in Statistics. She is also employed at the Centre for Language Learning as a graduate research assistant and supports the team in conducting fieldwork, preparing and analyzing data, and reporting on findings. Her primary research interest focuses on matters related to disability and human rights.
Ms. Avian Daly
Ms. Avian Daly is employed at the Centre for Language Learning as a Contract Officer I (Research). She holds a Masters of Arts in English Language Teaching, with a specialisation in ICT and Multimedia. As both a foreign language learner and educator, she supports the team by conducting background research, assisting in the conceptualization and execution of various research activities and conducting fieldwork. Her research interests lie in the areas of technology-mediated language learning, learner autonomy and curriculum design.