Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco

Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco serves as Faculty Director of the Eigel Center for Community-Engaged Learning and Associate Professor in the Department of Classics and Modern Languages. She completed her doctoral work in Spanish Applied Linguistics and Methodology at the University of Pittsburgh. At Xavier since 1998, Diane recently served Xavier University as Faculty Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence. Diane teaches courses in Spanish language, linguistics and culture, and World Language Pedagogy, and has integrated community-engaged learning into several courses at Xavier, including Advanced Spanish, Latino Voices in the Community, Spanish in Community Health Settings and Latino Community as Story. Currently, Diane coordinates immersion programs in Colombia and Guatemala. She has also co-facilitated faculty and staff learning communities on immersive learning programs in Nicaragua, has led study abroad programs in Spain, Mexico, Peru and Costa Rica, and has served as a visiting professor in Spain and Costa Rica. Diane regularly works with international partners within the Jesuit university network to provide students with virtual interactions through collaborative online international learning (COIL), telecollaborative pedagogies and video conferencing. An international presenter and K-12 teacher trainer, Diane has published articles in such journals as Hispania, The Language Educator, Central States Reports and The NAMTA Journal. Her research interests include second language acquisition, intercultural communicative competence, telecollaborative pedagogy and immersion.