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Dr. Maggie Warbey has been a part of the Linguistics Department sinces 1974 when she began work on her Master's Degree in Applied Linguistics. She began teaching a variety of Applied Linguistics courses in the Department as soon as she completed her thesis in 1976. Since completion of her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics in 1986, Dr. Warbey has become increasingly involved in the Applied Linguistics programs offered through the Department; she now teaches the core courses of the Applied Linguistics Diploma Program, arranges and oversees student practica and organizes the Second Language Teaching and Learning Workshop Series. She developed Linguistics 388, designed as a pragmatic grammar of English for the Applied Linguistics Program. She also developed and teaches Linguistics 397, Issues in Cross-Cultural Communication and Linguistics 398, Language and Gender, and the new course, Linguistics 377, Issues in Monority Language Maintenance. These last three courses are also offered at the Graduate level. Until recently, Dr. Warbey also served as advisor for the Department's Applied Linguistics programs.
Her current research interests involve pragmatic issues in language use: socio-linguistics and cultural-linguistics, third world literacy programs, intercultural communication, and effective classroom methodology. Dr.Warbey's current research activities include active interest in language and literacy education of aboriginal peoples in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as the maintenance of hereditary and minority languages in these regions.
Currently, Dr. Warbey is involved in the curriculum development and instructor mentoring for a new inititive to teach local fist nations languages at the university level as qualifying languages for teacher education and credentialling programs.
Dr. Warbey's language text, Noriko's Homestay, is used by some private language schools in the Victoria area and elsewhere. The Write Way, a composition text for academic English language students is published by Harcourt, Brace, Holt, Canada. Her audiotape set on English Language classroom methodology, "So You Want to Teach English Overseas", is in use by organizations such as Travel Cuts, WUSC, and The University of Saskatchewan, as well as the University of Victoria. She has also contributed to publications in the TESOL New Ways series, the TEAL Newsletter and other applied linguistics materials.
Other professional activities include work with associations of English Language teachers in British Columbia (B.C. T.E.A.L.) and across Canada (T.E.S.L. Canada). She has served on the Executive Board of T.E.A.L. as Vice President, and Member-at-Large; served on the professional standards and professional certification committee to establish criteria for teacher certification; and secured Provincial Ministry funding for regional professional development workshops. In 1993, Dr. Warbey was convener of the 26th annual B.C. T.E.A.L. conference, held for the first time in Victoria, B.C. It was attended by over 600 English language practitioners from around the globe. In 1997, she was the organizer and convener of the national TESL conference which saw over 1000 language specialists on the University of Victoria Campus. In addition, she is frequently called upon to develop and oversee the implementation of English language, as well as First Nations language curriculum, for various private and public schools and organizations. Recently, Dr. Warbey has been called up to present seminars and workshops on cross-cultural understanding and interaction within the University community.
Among other awards, Dr. Warbey received the Pat Wakefield/British Council Research Scholarship which enabled her to travel to ESL teacher training programs throughout England. Her report, "Going Home to Mother", was published in the T.E.A.L. Newsletter. In 1997 she received a life membership in B.C. TEAL, the provincial association of English Language Teachers, for her contributions to English language education in Canada.