About Us
The Center for Bilingual Studies (CBS) is an interdisciplinary unit under the Office for Bilingual Integration that brings together faculty from colleges across the university to collaborate on research that supports bilingual families and the communities in which they live. Directed by Dr. Christian Zúñiga, Associate Professor for the Department of Bilingual and Literacy Studies. CBS undertakes research projects that further our understanding of bilingualism as it expands into areas such as curriculum, educational policy, community engagement, and other facets of the bilingual experience. CBS has been instrumental in supporting and providing research presentations to bilingual educators across Texas and the nation, as well as engaging with the local community and schools for dual language enrichment. CBS’ ongoing activities include partnering with other non-profit organizations to plan parent conferences, collect oral histories with influential leaders in bilingual education, support for local school districts for implementing bilingual education programs and provide professional development for internal and external educational entities. CBS’s focus on research and program development related to bilingualism and bilingual education regionally and across the nation adds depth to the emerging understanding of historical and current practices in schools, in the community, and at UTRGV.
Goals
The Center for Bilingual Studies’ has two major goals:
- Engage families, students, and communities on issues important to the teaching, learning, and development process for bilingualism.
- Collaborate on research projects that focus on the areas of bilingualism.