Professor Elizabeth Bernhardt-Kamil (deceased), John Roberts Hale Director of the Stanford Language Center and Professor of German Studies

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Elizabeth Bernhardt-Kamil

Founding Director of the Language Center (1995-2024)
Department:
German Studies
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Second Languages and Cultures Education (1984)
M.A., University of Pittsburgh, German (1978)
B.A., College of Wooster, German (1976)
Language Center Title
Founding Director of the Language Center (1995-2024)

Elizabeth B. Bernhardt, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota), is the John Roberts Hale Director of the Stanford Language Center and Professor of German Studies at Stanford University. A distinguished scholar and educator, Dr. Bernhardt is renowned for her contributions to second-language acquisition, particularly in the field of second-language reading and literacy.

Dr. Bernhardt has authored several pivotal works, including Reading Development in a Second Language (1991), which earned her the Modern Language Association's Mildenburger Prize and the Edward Fry Award from the National Reading Conference. Her 2011 book, Understanding Advanced Second Language Reading, published by Routledge, further cemented her status as a leading voice in the field. Most recently, her methodological guide, Conducting Second-Language Reading Research (2022), has been highly regarded by scholars and educators alike.

Her research and insights have shaped foreign- and second-language education worldwide, influencing policy, teacher education, and classroom practices. She has published extensively in journals such as the Modern Language Journal, Applied Linguistics, and Reading Research Quarterly. Additionally, she has contributed to the Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education and UNESCO's efforts to enhance global second-language education.

Throughout her career, Dr. Bernhardt has been honored with numerous accolades, including the 2014 Distinguished Service to the Profession Award from the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages (ADFL) and the 2018 Wilga Rivers Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education (Postsecondary). In 2015, she was elected an Honorary Member of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG).

Professor Elizabeth Bernhardt-Kamil remembrance page

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