DrMacarena Jimenez

PhD, Sociolinguistics (Sydney); MA, Applied Linguistics (Nebrija); Certified translator (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), BA, Translation (Universidad de Granada, Spain); FHEA

My research is grounded in Spanish applied linguistics and the broader field of language pedagogy, informed by my training as both a translator and a linguist. I examine how linguistic diversity, sociocultural context, and educational structures interact to shape the teaching and learning of languages. Working at the intersection of sociolinguistics, critical applied linguistics, and pedagogy, I explore the ideological and institutional forces that shape language education.

Within this wider landscape, my research engages with language policy, curriculum development, teacher education, and professional development, with particular attention to questions of power, identity, and equity in instructional practice. Drawing on critical, intersectional, and decolonial frameworks, I investigate how language ideologies influence teachers’ identities, beliefs, and pedagogical decision-making.

More specifically, my work centers on the role of geographic variation in Spanish language teaching. I examine how practitioners interpret and engage with Spanish regional diversity, and how their perceptions and attitudes toward such variation shape their classroom practices. Through this research, I seek to contribute to more inclusive, socially responsive, and critically informed approaches to language education.