Christian, Donna (1949-)

Donna Christian, president of the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) since 1994, was born in Schenectady, New York, on November 14, 1949. Following graduation from St. Lawrence University, from which she earned a BS degree in mathematics in 1971, she moved to Washington, D.C., to attend Georgetown University. There, in 1973, she completed an MA degree in applied linguistics, with a minor in French, and in 1978, a PhD in sociolinguistics, with specialization in language variation and minors in applied linguistics and theoretical linguistics.

Christian began her career at CAL in 1974. CAL is a private, nonprofit organization that works to promote and improve the teaching and learning of languages, serves as a resource on issues related to language and culture, and conducts research on critical topics in those areas. As a research associate there, Christian participated in studies funded by the U.S. Department of Education and privately supported studies on the relationship between linguistic diversity and access to education. In 1979, she took a leave of absence from CAL to serve as a Fulbright Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, for 2 years.

After returning to CAL, Christian served as associate director, director of the Research Division, and director of the English Language and Multicultural Education Division. During this time, she served as a member of the Stanford Working Group on Federal Education Programs for Limited-English-Proficient Students, chaired by Kenji Hakuta, which advised on reauthorization of the Bilingual Education Act. She also served as associate director of the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, coordinated [Page 134]CAL's work for the UCLA-based Center for Language Education and Research, and codirected an evaluation of the bilingual program in the Red Clay Consolidated School District (Wilmington, Delaware). Christian's professional life during this time included a number of adjunct faculty appointments at nearby universities, including the University of Virginia School of Education, Northern Virginia Center; the Georgetown University Linguistics Department; and the George Washington University School of Education, where she taught courses in sociolinguistics and education geared to the professional preparation of teachers of English language learners.

Under Christian's leadership, CAL has conducted pivotal work in the development of two-way immersion as an effective means of promoting bilingualism. Two-way immersion programs integrate language minority and language majority students, providing instruction in both English and the native language of the language minority students. The structure of these programs varies, but they all integrate students for most content instruction and provide this instruction in the non-English language for a significant portion of the school day. In addition to supporting bilingualism and biliteracy, these programs strive to promote grade-level academic achievement and positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors in all students. Beginning in the 1980s, Christian directed a series of projects on two-way immersion education, including an extended research program under the auspices of three federally funded research centers: the Center for Language Education and Research at UCLA and, at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning and the Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence. Her extensive work laid the foundation for CAL's ongoing research, professional development, and preparation of resources for educators in this area.

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