YiShan Lea

Biography

YiShan Lea is a professor of Teacher Education in Bilingual Education and Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages at Central Washington University. She has traveled extensively
through Central and South America, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe. Her research engages in
studies on the Latin and Caribbean areas. Her work, informed by Critical and Freirean
Pedagogies, investigates Q’eqchi’ Mayan agricultural religion practices, lived experiences, human
consciousness, and transnational migration concerning the political economy and globalization
trends.

EDUCATION
Ed.D. Curriculum and Instruction Boise State University, 2003
Emphasis in Critical Pedagogy, Multicultural and Bilingual Education, TESL, M.A. Applied Linguistics, TESOL
Ohio University, 1998
B.A. English Language and Literature
Tamkang University, Taiwan, 1993

• UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCES
  Full Professor - Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA  2019-present 
• Associate Professor -  Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA  2013-2018   
• Department Coordinator -  Yakima CenterCentral Washington University  2014-2015   
• Assistant Professor - Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA    2008 –2013   
• Assistant Professor - Randolph Macon Woman’s College, VA   2006-2008   
• Assistant Professor -  Shih-Chien University, Taiwan  2004-2006 
• ADJUNCT FACULTY AND ESL TEACHING  Adjunct Faculty - Boise State University. Boise, Idaho 2003-2004  ESL Teaching Assistant East Elementary School, Athens, Ohio 1996-1997

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Well-being and Scarcity, Social Emotional Learning
Freirean Pedagogy, Indigenous Cultural Studies, Praxis of Social Movement/Political Mobilization and
Sustainability, Teacher Education, Multicultural Education, TESL.

LANGUAGES
Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese (Native Languages)
English (2nd language)
Spanish (3rd language)
German and French (on going)

UNIVERSITY COURSES TAUGHT
*Foundations in Bilingual Education
*Educational Linguistics
*Literacy and Linguistics
*Teaching ESL
*Cultural Diversity in School
*Multicultural Education
*Assessment for Linguistically Diverse Students
*Educating Linguistically Diverse Learners
*Literacy Development for Linguistically Diverse
Students
*Philosophy of Education
*Practicum