Linda Visner is from the Seattle, Washington area of the United States. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Surrey, U.K., and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of York, U.K. Both degrees are in Linguistics/T.E.S.O.L. (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Linda has taught English as a second language in the United States for colleges, businesses and non-profit organizations. She has worked with a variety of learners, from students preparing for the TOEFL exam to learners who are unable to read or write in their first language.

This is Linda’s seventh year of teaching English in China. She taught in Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai before coming to Guangdong. She was privileged to spend a year working alongside countryside teachers in Qinghai and was much impressed by their hard work and sacrifices. She is currently gathering and preparing research for a Ph.D. in linguistics. She is particularly interested in the disparity between rural and urban educational systems, and hopes research can develop new methods and raise awareness to lessen the gap between them.

Linda’s research interests are in sociolinguistics and ethnography, second language acquisition, and education. She can speak some Chinese, and is still working on improving her knowledge of the language. In addition to Chinese and English, she speaks four other languages. She also enjoys both American and British literature. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, playing the guitar and singing. She is married with a two-year old son. She enjoys meeting both the students and the faculty of BNU.