Faculty Directory

Maria Estela Brisk

Professor Emerita

Photo of Maria Estela Brisk

Maria Estela Brisk

Ph.D.

Contact

Email: maria.brisk@bc.edu

Education

  • Ph.D., University of New Mexico
  • M.S., Georgetown University
  • Profesora de Ingles, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba (Argentina)

Research Interests

Bilingualism, bilingual education, literacy development, methods of teaching literacy, writing development and instruction.

Dr. Brisk is not currently accepting Ph.D. students.

Curriculum Vitae

Department

TCS Teaching, Curriculum, and Society

Profile

For decades, Maria Brisk鈥檚 work has focused on language and education鈥攊ndividually and where they intersect. Teaching since the mid 1960s, her expertise has centered on how literacy and bilingualism are developed.

After joining the Lynch School in 1999, Brisk served as Chair of the TESpECI Department from 2007鈥�2012. She uses systemic functional linguistics to teach writing and implement genre-based pedagogy, most recently and successfully at Russell Elementary School.

Brisk earned her first degree from the Universidad Nacional de C贸rdoba in Argentina, her master鈥檚 degree from Georgetown University, and her doctorate from the University of New Mexico. She recently won the AERA Bilingual Research SIG Lifetime Achievement Award and was appointed chair of the 2018 International System Functional Congress.

Her illustrious career includes dozens of book and scholarly journal publications, as well as speaking engagements around the world. Brisk has been a translator, Spanish instructor for the U.S. Peace Corps, and even served as an expert witness on several court cases on desegregation and bilingual education. She was a long-standing member of the Board of Editors for the听Bilingual Research Journal.

Publications

Books

  • Brisk, M. E. (2015).听Engaging Students in Academic Literacies: Genre-based Pedagogy for K-5 Classrooms.听New York: Routledge.
  • Brisk, M.E., Ed.听 (2008).听听Language, culture, and community in teacher education.听 Mahwah, N.J.:听 Lawrence Erlbaum Associate (for the American Association of College for Teacher Education).
  • Brisk, M.E. & Harrington, M. M. (2007).听Literacy and bilingualism: A handbook for all teachers. Second Edition听Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Brisk, M.E. (2006).听Bilingual Education: From compensatory to quality schooling. Second Edition.听Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Menyuk, P. & Brisk, M.E. (2005).听Language Development and Education: Children with Varying Language Experiences. Hampshire, U. K.: Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Brisk, M. E., Burgos, A., & Hamerla, S. (2004).听Situational Context of Education: A Window into the World of Bilingual Learners. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Articles, Book Chapters, Monographs

  • Brisk, M.E. & Kaveh, M.Y. (forthcoming) Mainstream Teachers for Successful Multilingual Classrooms: The Case of a School that Embraced a Genre-based Pedagogy to Teach Writing. In S. Hammer & K. M. Viesca.听Multilingual learners: What teachers should, do and will know -听an international comparison. N.Y.: Routledge.听
  • Brisk, M.E. & Ossa-Parra, M (in press). Mainstream Classrooms as Engaging Spaces for Emergent Bilinguals: SFL theory, Catalyst for Change. In R. Harman (Ed.),听Critical Systemic Functional Linguistics: Promoting Language Awareness and Social Action among K-12 听Students and Teachers.听N.Y.:Springer.
  • Brisk, M.E. (2016). Multimodal reports in elementary school classrooms. In M.F. Alexandre & C.A.M. Gouveia (Eds.),听Theory, application, analysis: Studies in systemic functional linguistics. Lisbon, Portugal: CELGA-ILTEC.听听听听
  • Brisk, M. E. (2016). Genres in writing collaborative project. In H. de Silva Joyce & S. Feez, Exploring literacies:听Theory, research and practice听(pp. 287-292). Basingstoke, UK and New听York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Brisk, M.E., Kaveh, M.Y., Scialoia, P., & Timothy, B. (2016).听 Writing Arguements: The Experience of Two Mainstream Teachers Working with Multilingual Students. In C.P. Proctor, a. Boardman, & F. Hiebert,听English Learners and Emergent Bilingualism in the Common Core Era". N. Y.: Guilford Press.
  • Brisk, M. E., Nelson, D., & O鈥機onnor, C. (2016). 听Bilingual fourth graders develop a central character for their narratives. In L. de Oliveira & T. Silva (Eds.),听L2 Writing in Elementary Classrooms听(pp.88-105).听New York: Palgrave/MacMillan.
  • Brisk, M. E. (2016). Genres in writing collaborative project. In H. de Silva Joyce & S. Feez, Exploring literacies:听Theory, research and practice听(pp. 287-292). Basingstoke, UK and New听York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Brisk, M. E. & Proctor, C. P. (2015) 听in听Common Core, Bilingual and English Language Learners: A听Resource for Educators,听edited by Vald茅s, Menken, and Castro听
  • Brisk, M. E., de Jong, E. J. & Moore, M. C. (2015). Primary School Bilingual Education: Pedagogical Issues and Practices. In W. E. Wright, S. Boun, & O. Garcia (Eds.)听Handbook of Bilingual and听Multilingual Education听(319-335).听West Sussex, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Brisk, M.E. & De Rosa, M. (2014). Young Writers' Attempts At Making Meaning Through Complex Sentence Structures While Writing a Variety of Genres. In L. de Oliveira and J. Iddings (Eds.),Genre Pedagogy Across the Curriculum: Theory and Application in U.S. Classrooms and Contexts听(pp. 8-24). London: Equinox.
  • Danielo, F; Turgut, G., & Brisk, M. E. (2014). Applying Systemic Functional Linguistics to Build Educators鈥� Knowledge of Academic English for the Teaching of Writing in Mahboob, A. & Barret, L. (Eds.).听Englishes in Multilingual Contexts (pp. 183 - 204)听. London: Springer.
  • 听Brisk, M.E. (2012). Young bilingual writers鈥� control of grammatical person in different genres.听Elementary Education Journal,听112, 445-468.
  • Brisk, M. E. & Proctor, C.P. (2012). Challenges and supports for English language learners in bilingual programs.听Understanding Language: Language, Literacy, and Learning in the Content Areas. Stanford University. http://ell.stanford.edu/papers/policy
  • Brisk, M. E., Hodgson-Drysdale, T., O鈥機onnor, C. (2011).听 A study of a collaborative instructional project informed by systemic functional linguistic theory:听 Report writing in elementary grades.听听Journal of Education, 191, 1-12.
  • Brisk, M.E. (2011). Learning to Write in the Second Language: K 鈥� 5. In E. Hinkel (Ed.)听Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning volume II,听pp. 40 鈥� 56, New York: Routledge.
  • Clayton, C. & Brisk, M.E. (2011). It鈥檚 my responsibility! Teacher of bilingual learners in an English-immersion context.听 In B.B. Flores, R. Hern谩ndez Sheets and E. C. Clark (Eds.)听Teacher preparation for bilingual student populations: Educar para transformar听(pp. 182- 187). New York: Routledge.
  • Brisk, M.E. & Zisselsberger, M. (2011). 鈥淲e鈥檝e Let Them in on the Secret:鈥� Using SFL Theory to Improve The Teaching of Writing to Bilingual Learners.听 In T. Lucas (Ed.)听Teacher preparation for linguistically diverse classrooms.听 A resource for teacher educators, pp. 111-126, New York: Routledge.
  • Brisk, M. E. (2010).听 Learning English as a second language.听 In M. Shatz &L.C. Wilkinson (Eds.).听The education of English language learners听(pp.?). New York:听 Guilford Publications.
  • Homza, A., P谩ez, M., Brisk, M. E., & Proctor, P.听 (2008).听From language to literacy: Reading and Writing for English language learners in sheltered elementary classrooms.听 Chestnut Hill, MA: Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College. [Prepared for the Mass DESE]
  • Stevens, L. P., Jefferies, J., Brisk, M. E., & Kaczmarek, S. (2008). Linguistics and science learning for diverse populations: An agenda for teacher education. In K. Bruna & K. Gomez (Eds.), Talking science, writing science: The work of language in multicultural classrooms, pp.291-315. New York: Heinemann.
  • Brisk, M.E., Horan, D., & MacDonald, E. (2008).听 Scaffolding teaching and learning to write:听 The rhetorical approach.听 In L.S. Verplaetse & N. Migliacci (Eds.),听Inclusive pedagogy:听 Research informed practices for linguistically diverse students.听 Mahwah, N.J.:听 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) ELL Task Force (April, 2006).听听NCTE positions paper on the role of English teachers in educating English language learners (ELLs).听听Retrieved 5/10/06 from听
  • Wright, W.E., Brisk, M.E., Sanchez, M.T., & Commins, N.L. (2006).听 What are the state mandates for educating English language learners?听 In Hamanyan, E. & Freeman, R. (Eds.).听 English language learners at school:听 a guide for administrators (pp.10-15).听 Philadelphia:听 Caslon.
  • Costa, J. McPhail, G., Smith, J. & Brisk, M.E. (2005).听 Faculty first:听 The challenges of infusing the teacher education curriculum with scholarship on English language learners.听听Journal of Teacher Education, 56, 104-118.
  • Brisk, M.E. (2005).听 Bilingual Education.听 In Eli Hinkel (ed.).听听Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning.听 Mahwah, NJ:听 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • MacDonald, E. & Brisk, M. E. (2004). Planning for writing: Defining purpose, audience, and topic with English language learners.听School Talk, 9 (4), 2-5.
  • S谩nchez, M.T. & Brisk, M.E. (2004). Teachers' Assessment Practices and Understandings in a Bilingual Program.听NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2, 1, pp. 193-214.听
  • Pierce, M. S., & Brisk, M. E. (2002). Sharing the bilingual journey: Situational autobiography in a family literacy context.听Bilingual Research Journal, 26(3), 575-597.
  • Torres-Guzman, M.E., Abbate, J., Brisk, M.E., & Minaya-Rowe, L. (2002). Defining and documenting success for bilingual learners: A collective case study.听Bilingual Research Journal, 26 (1), 21-42.
  • Brisk, M.E. Dawson, M., Hartgering, M., MacDonald, E., & Zehr, L., (2002).听 Teaching Bilingual Students in Mainstream Classrooms.听 In Beykont, Z (Ed),听The power of culture.听听Cambridge, MA:听 Havard Education Publishing Group)
  • Brisk, M.E. (1998). Bilingual Education: From compensatory to quality schooling. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Guest Edited Journals

  • With C.P. Proctor. 听Special Issue: Educaci贸n y Biling眉ismo.听Mir铆ada Hisp谩nica,听Vol. 10, Spring 2015
  • Special Issue, Language Policy and Education, Part 1 (2005).听听Educational Policy, 19(4)
  • Special Issue, Language Policy and Education, Part II (2005).听听Educational Policy, 19(5).
  • Special Issue, Highlighting Success in Bilingual Education (2002).听听Bilingual Research Jorunal, 26(1).

Book Reviews

  • Brisk, M.E. (2008).听 Book Review. Xoan Paula Rodriguez-Yanez, Anxo M. Lorenzo Suarez & Fernando Ramallo, General Eds.听 Gabrielle Varro, F. Xavier Vila I Moreno & Angel Huguet Canalis, Partial Eds. Bilingualism and Education:听 From the Family to the School.听听International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 11(2).
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