AB

Anna
Becker

Founder & Director, International Scholars Alliance · Fargo, ND

I have lived and worked across Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and the United States, teaching languages, studying them, and questioning the systems that govern them. My research spans language, migration, identity, higher education policy, and the politics of knowledge, with a growing focus on AI, epistemic justice, and what it means to build equitable academic spaces for scholars on the move.

Anna Becker presenting
01

About

I am an educator and researcher in Applied Linguistics and Education, and the Founder and Director of the International Scholars Alliance — a nonprofit initiative supporting early-career, multilingual, and internationally mobile scholars through mentoring networks, writing support, and capacity-building programs based in Fargo, ND.

From 2023 to 2025, I served as an Assistant Professor and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow in the Department of Linguistics at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, where I led a Horizon Europe–funded research project on higher education, language policy, and international mobility. In 2024 I held a visiting scholar position at the Mercator European Research Centre (Fryske Akademy, Netherlands).

My research focuses on applied linguistics, multilingualism, international and comparative education, identity, migration and mobility, and power. I examine how language functions as a site of social reproduction, resistance, and transformation — in classrooms, institutions, and across borders.

I hold a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) and Master's degrees from the University of Mainz (Germany). I am a certified secondary school teacher and have taught German, English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish across multiple countries and educational levels.

Current Role

Founder & Director
International Scholars Alliance · Fargo, ND (Oct 2025–present)

Previous Position

Assistant Professor & Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow
Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (2023–2025)

Education

Ph.D. Education · University of Fribourg, 2022
M.A. Second Language Studies · University of Mainz, 2016
M.Ed. Teacher Education · University of Mainz, 2016
B.Ed. Teacher Education · University of Mainz, 2014

Research Interests

Applied linguistics · Multilingualism · Language policy · Identity, migration & power · Linguistic justice · EMI · International & comparative education · Autoethnography · Visual methods

Languages

German · English · Portuguese · French · Italian · Spanish

02

Awards & Fellowships

2023–2025
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship
European Commission and Polish National Science Center fellowship supporting international, interdisciplinary research. Co-funded through Horizon Europe.
2023
Elizabeth Sherman Swing Award
Recognized by the Comparative and International Education Society for outstanding contributions to research on language policy, multilingualism, and multiculturalism in Europe.
2022
Swiss National Science Foundation Open-Access Publication Grant
Competitive funding supporting open-access publication of doctoral dissertation on multilingualism in Swiss secondary schools.
2022
Innovative Curriculum Design Award
Honored by CIES for creating an open-access learning platform for school leaders featuring practice cases from seven countries.
03

Publications

= open access
Monographs
Edited Volumes
2026
jules, t. d., Salajan, F. D., Becker, A., & Scherrer, B.
Emerald
Edited Volume
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
2026
Becker, A.
Revista Brasileira de Linguística Aplicada, 26(1), e59747
Article★ Open Access
2026
Becker, A.
Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education, 10(1), 1–17
Article★ Open Access
2026
Pentón Herrera, L. J., & Becker, A.
TESOL Quarterly, 60(1), 446–462
Article
2026
Kéri, A., Şahin, B. B., Voda, A. I., Chelishvili, A., Becker, A., Eriçok, B., et al.
Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 38(1), 138–166
Article
2025
Salajan, F. D., & Becker, A.
Educația 21 Journal, 32, 16–27
Article★ Open Access
2025
Becker, A., & Salajan, F. D.
Journal of Educational Sciences, 26(2), 18–32
Article★ Open Access
2025
Pentón Herrera, L. J., Becker, A., & Uysal, H.
Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 13(3), 81–101
Article
2025
Zakharova, Y., & Becker, A.
Applied Linguistics Compass, 1(2), 1–19
Article★ Open Access
2025
Balancing acts: Polish language teachers navigating identity, language promotion, and multilingual education
Becker, A., & Zakharova, Y.
Journal of Education for Multilingualism, 2(2), 167–192
Article
2024
Agency and self-concept in Switzerland's multilingual classrooms
Becker, A.
Journal of Education for Multilingualism, 1(2), 225–257
Article★ Open Access
2024
Becker, A., & Salajan, F. D.
Research in Comparative and International Education, 19(4), 402–419
Article
2024
Becker, A.
Applied Linguistics, 45(2), 272–286
Article★ Open Access
2024
Magno, C., Becker, A., & Lötscher, S.
Critical Studies ⇔ Critical Methodologies, 25(3), 185–193
Article
2024
Salajan, F. D., Barnes, T., & Becker, A.
The Round Table, 113(1), 71–85
Article
2024
Magno, C., Becker, A., et al.
International Journal for Academic Development, 29(1), 34–47
Article★ Open Access
2024
Magno, C., & Becker, A.
Prospects, 54, 377–382
Article★ Open Access
2023
Knoll, A., & Becker, A.
International Journal of Multilingualism, 20(4), 1304–1318
Article★ Open Access
2022
Becker, A.
Zeitschrift für den interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht, 27(2), 207–224
Article★ Open Access
2022
Magno, C., Becker, A., & Imboden, M.
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(3), 740–756
Article★ Open Access
2022
Becker, A., & Knoll, A.
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(7), 2561–2572
Article★ Open Access
2021
Magno, C., & Becker, A.
Intercultural Education, 32(5), 578–582
Article
Book Chapters
IP
Beyond conclusions: Decolonizing comparative and international education – Toward pluriversal futures
Scherrer, B., & Becker, A.
In t. d. jules et al. (Eds.), The cultural turn in comparative and international education. Emerald
In Press
IP
The diffracted wave in comparative and international education: Toward pluriverse thinking, inclusion, and new conversations
Wong, W., Becker, A., & Magno, C.
In t. d. jules et al. (Eds.), The cultural turn in comparative and international education. Emerald
In Press
IP
English inside and outside of Swiss classrooms
Pfenninger, S. E., & Becker, A.
In E. Glaser et al. (Eds.), Sprachräume der Schweiz / Language spaces in Switzerland, Band II. Narr
In Press
2026
AI-powered multilingual assemblages in comparative and international education
Becker, A., & Salajan, F. D.
In F. Dervin & H. R'boul (Eds.), Lingua ex machina: AI, multilingualism, and interculturality (pp. 47–58). Routledge
Chapter
2025
Pentón Herrera, L. J., & Becker, A.
In M. N. Karimi et al. (Eds.), Teacher emotions as personal and professional development in applied linguistics (pp. 15–30). Multilingual Matters
Chapter
2025
My dissertation as an assemblage of identities, motivations, and experiences
Becker, A.
In L. J. Pentón Herrera (Ed.), More than a title. Brill
Chapter
2025
'You sound like from the CD' – An autoethnographic narrative about conducting multilingual research in multilingual Switzerland
Becker, A.
In Q. Zhang-Wu & B. Goodman (Eds.), Autoethnographic Explorations of Lived Raciolinguistic Experiences Among Multilingual Scholars. Multilingual Matters
Chapter
2024
(Inter)national mobility in Swiss higher education: Bilingual policies, multilingual students, and 'Englishization'
Becker, A.
In T. Mammadova (Ed.), International student mobility: Towards new goals and challenges (pp. 37–47). Routledge
Chapter
2023
Educational leaders becoming: A virtual community of practice as assemblage(s)
Magno, C., & Becker, A.
In F. D. Salajan & t. d. jules (Eds.), Comparative and international education (re)assembled (pp. 167–182). Bloomsbury
Chapter
2022
Cognitive migration through language: Capturing linguistic movement and barriers in language portraits
Becker, A., & Magno, C.
In C. Magno et al. (Eds.), (Re)Mapping migration and education (pp. 134–157). Brill
Chapter
Guest-Edited Special Issues
2025
Mammadova, T., Becker, A., & Arslan, S.
Current Issues in Language Planning, 26, 643–649
Special Issue
Other Publications
2025
Becker, A.
The Bilingual Review/La Revista Bilingüe, 37(2), 209–211
Afterword★ Open Access
2024
Becker, A.
Academia
Essay★ Open Access
2023
Engaging in a virtual teaching and learning lab
Magno, C., & Becker, A.
CIES Perspectives
Essay★ Open Access
04

Talks & Presentations

2025
Training for integration: Addressing the 'quantitative–qualitative divide' in applied linguistics
Hybrid Symposium, Michigan State University [online] · October 2025
Effort without reward? Practice-based research under institutional pressure
Second Language Research Forum · Flagstaff, USA · September 2025
Language teachers and their multiple responsibilities: How to accommodate war-fleeing Ukrainian students in Polish language classes
CIES Annual Meeting · Chicago, USA · March 2025
Materializing global academic mobility: Insights from a U.S.-Romanian Erasmus+ program (with F. Salajan)
CIES Annual Meeting · Chicago, USA · March 2025
2024
English medium of instruction, language policies, and internationalization at Polish higher education institutions (with Y. Zakharova)
CEL/ELC Conference, Babeş-Bolyai University · Cluj-Napoca, Romania · November 2024
Intertwining narratives: Psychology and autoethnography in language teacher dissertations
Psychology of Language Learning (PLL5) · Madrid, Spain [online] · May 2024
'You sound like from the CD' – Autoethnographic explorations as a multilingual scholar
AERA Annual Meeting · Philadelphia, USA · April 2024
The diffracted wave in Comparative and International Education's cinematic spaces: Toward pluriversal thinking (with C. Magno)
CIES Annual Meeting · Miami, USA · March 2024
How to protest through language in times of unprecedented migration and (neo-)nationalist movements: Insights from Poland
CIES Annual Meeting · Miami, USA · March 2024
2023
(Inter-)national mobility in Swiss higher education: Bilingual policies, multilingual students and 'Englishization'
European Conference on Educational Research · University of Glasgow, Scotland · August 2023
'You sound like from the CD' – An autoethnographic narrative about conducting multilingual research in multilingual Switzerland
International Symposium on Bilingualism 14, Macquarie University Sydney [online] · June 2023
Swiss higher education language policy and practice between internationalization and local language promotion
AERA Annual Meeting · Chicago, USA · April 2023
Local action – global questions: More equity through a (virtual) multilingual community of practice
AAAL Annual Meeting · Portland, Oregon, USA · March 2023
"German is simply everything" – Globalization, traditions, and language hierarchies in Switzerland
CIES Annual Meeting · Washington D.C., USA · February 2023
2022
Higher education institutions as gatekeepers of language teachers' complex identities (with L. J. Pentón Herrera)
1st International Humanities, Society, Identity Congress · Warsaw, Poland · December 2022
"[English as a lingua franca] is absolutely out of question!" – Switzerland's struggle between globalization and tradition
EuroSLA · University of Fribourg, Switzerland · August 2022
Plurilingual identity expression, well-being, and symbolic violence in Switzerland's education system
Psychology of Language Learning Conference · Sydney, Canada · June 2022
Educational leaders becoming: A virtual community of practice as assemblage(s) (with C. Magno)
CIES Annual Meeting · Minneapolis, USA · April 2022
2019–2021
Cognitive migration through language – Capturing linguistic movement and barriers in language portraits
International Conference "Challenging borders" · University of Bern, Switzerland · November 2021
English yes, Polish no: Heritage languages and language hierarchies in German-English daycare centers (with A. Knoll)
International Conference "Beyond multilingualism" · University of Basel [online] · November 2021
Establishing multiple languages in early childhood (with A. Knoll)
Annual Meeting, Swiss Society for Early Childhood Research · Lausanne, Switzerland · November 2019
Introducing the Comparative Educational Leadership Lab: Capturing global knowledge (with C. Magno)
ADA 4th International Education Conference · Baku, Azerbaijan · June 2019
2025
Building an academic life in bi-/multilingual education research: A conversation with leading international scholars
Webinar, ICBERG [online] · May 2025
'You sound like from the CD' – Autoethnographic explorations as a multilingual scholar
AERA Book Launch and Author Talk [online] · April 2025
2024
English as mediator or troublemaker? An analysis of language ideologies in multilingual Switzerland
University of Bern, Switzerland [online] · November 2024
Language, migration, and politics: Insights from Poland
Fryske Akademy · Leeuwarden, Netherlands · April 2024
Introduction to phenomenology
University of Maryland, USA [online] · July 2024
2023
Phenomenology and critical language studies
College of Education, Michigan State University [online] · September 2023
Education in Europe and the European Union
School of Education, North Dakota State University [online] · July 2023
Language portraits: An innovative qualitative approach to capture linguistic movement and barriers
University of Fribourg, Switzerland [online] · November 2023
Improving research-practice relationships in second language learning and teaching
University of Warsaw, Poland · May 2023
Multilingualism and multiculturalism in diversity-engaged schools
University of Fribourg, Switzerland · June 2023
2020–2022
Local action – global questions: Toward suitable school leadership through a (virtual) community of practice
College of Education, San Diego State University · April 2022
Languages as (social) assemblages: Moving toward a rhizomatic understanding of multilingualism
Center for Language Evolution Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University · Toruń, Poland · March 2022
Early career scholars' working conditions in Switzerland
Dies Academicus, University of Fribourg · November 2022
Language and language education as human rights
University of Fribourg · April 2021 & April 2020
2025
CIES Language Issues SIG Fall Webinar (organizer)
[online] · November 2025
Comparative International Education Research: Unraveling Insights Across Borders By Threading Languages and Cultures (co-organizer)
CIES Annual Meeting · Chicago, USA · March 2025
2022–2023
International workshop on diversity-engaged school leadership (co-organizer)
University of Fribourg, Switzerland · June 2023
International workshop on research methodologies in the "new normal" (co-organizer)
University of Fribourg, Switzerland · March 2023
Workshop for doctoral students in education across Switzerland (co-organizer)
University of Fribourg, Switzerland · May 2022
Pre-conference workshop on educational leadership and the Comparative Educational Leadership Lab (co-organizer)
CIES Annual Meeting · Minneapolis, USA · April 2022
2019–2020
Leadership Summit 2020 (co-organizer)
University of New England · Armidale, Australia · January 2020
Comparative Educational Leadership Lab (CELL) Symposium (co-organizer)
University of Fribourg, Switzerland · September 2019
05

Teaching

University-Level Teaching

University of Fribourg — School of Education & Linguistics
Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Teacher education; educational foundations; qualitative research methods; professional development; educational psychology; sociology of education; academic writing; sociolinguistics; German and English linguistics for preservice teachers; instructional methods; assessment; research ethics
  • Supervised BA and MA theses and student practicums; mentored in-service teachers and graduate students
University of Applied Sciences
Kaiserslautern, Germany
  • German as a second/foreign language (A1–C1); academic and technical writing; university exam preparation; cultural mediation; professional development
  • Created instructional materials; administered university's language admission exam; advised students on academic pathways
University of Mainz
Mainz, Germany
  • Introduction to German and English linguistics; discourse and power; academic writing; composition; creative writing; critical thinking and reading
  • Co-developed the university's academic writing program; supervised seminar papers in linguistics

K–12 & Community Teaching

Public Schools — Germany & Switzerland
Secondary & Upper Secondary (Grades 5–12)
  • Taught German, English, French, Italian, and Spanish across multiple schools
  • Integrated students' heritage languages and linguistic repertoires into classroom activities; adapted instruction to diverse proficiency levels
  • Participated in parent–teacher conferences; collaborated with language departments
SayHey Language School
Mainz, Germany
  • Developed customized curricula for German as a foreign language for refugees and asylum seekers
  • Supported language integration and literacy development for newly arrived learners
Goethe-Institut
Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Assessed language proficiency examinations (A1–C2); administered certifications for high school students

Courses Taught

Education

  • Educational Foundations
  • Professional Development
  • Organizational Theory in Education
  • Sociology of Education
  • Comparative & International Education
  • Multilingual & Diverse Classroom Management
  • Education Policy Analysis
  • Power in Education
  • Equity and Social Justice in Education

Methods & Theory

  • Field Methods in Language and Culture
  • Qualitative Research Methods
  • Action Research
  • Ethnography in Education
  • Community-Based Research
  • Phenomenology
  • Post-Qualitative Methods
  • Visual Methods & Language Portraits
  • Walking Ethnography
  • Linguistic Landscaping

Applied Linguistics

  • Language, Migration, and Globalization
  • Language and (Neo-)Nationalism
  • Language and Power
  • Multilingualism and Society
  • Language Ideologies
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Academic Writing (English & German)
  • German & English Linguistics
06

Professional Experience

Oct 2025 – Present
International Scholars Alliance
Fargo, ND, USA
Founder, Director & Consultant
  • Founded and direct a nonprofit initiative supporting early-career, multilingual, and internationally mobile scholars through mentoring networks, writing support, and capacity-building programs.
  • Develop partnerships, organize workshops, and curate resources promoting equitable access to global academic opportunities for scholars from underrepresented and semi-peripheral contexts.
  • Advocate for equitable institutional practices affecting international students and faculty; develop programming addressing belonging, professional development, and navigation of higher education systems.
Apr 2023 – Nov 2025
Polish Academy of Sciences | Institute of Slavic Studies
Warsaw, Poland
Assistant Professor & Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow
  • Principal investigator of a Horizon Europe / Polish National Science Center–funded research project on higher education, policy, and international mobility; oversaw project design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
  • Mentored international graduate students; supervised research assistants and doctoral dissertations.
  • Managed project budgets, timelines, ethics approvals, and compliance with EU and national research regulations.
  • Led community outreach activities including science festival events, workshops in public schools, media interviews, and public-facing articles.
Mar – Apr 2024
Fryske Akademy | Mercator European Research Center
Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Visiting Scholar (Research Secondment)
  • Conducted ethnographic fieldwork in multilingual daycare and preschool settings; carried out interviews with teachers, parents, and administrators.
  • Collaborated with local language revitalization organizations; prepared policy-oriented reports on multilingual provision for the Mercator Institute.
  • Engaged in public talks and community discussions on language, migration, and education.
Sep 2022 – Present
European Cooperation in Science & Technology (COST)
Brussels, Belgium
Consultant
  • Elected research expert in the European Network on International Student Mobility (CA20115), providing analysis and guidance on mobility trends, policy, and research collaboration in education.
May 2022 – Mar 2023
University of Fribourg | School of Education
Fribourg, Switzerland
Postdoctoral Scholar
  • Conducted international research projects in Comparative and International Education on educational leadership with partners from Azerbaijan, Kenya, South Africa, Mongolia, Australia, and Argentina.
  • Taught undergraduate and graduate seminars on professional development, research methodology, teacher education, organizational learning, and language in education.
  • Supervised seminar papers, BA/MA theses, student internships, and graduate assistant practicums.
Jul 2021 – Mar 2023
University of Fribourg
Fribourg, Switzerland
Co-President, Mid-Level Faculty Member Association (CSWM)
  • Represented and advocated for 1,000+ university mid-level faculty members across the university.
  • Mediated issues related to gender, power, discrimination, and workplace climate; served as the university's representative to the Europe-wide "Petition Academia" campaign.
  • Chaired meetings, engaged stakeholders, and developed the association's academic vision and programming; hired and supervised secretarial staff.
Oct 2018 – May 2022
University of Fribourg | School of Education
Fribourg, Switzerland
Graduate Teaching & Research Assistant
  • Conducted research projects in international educational leadership and shared governance with global partners.
  • Taught undergraduate and graduate seminars across educational leadership, research methodology, education policy, sociology of education, and action research.
  • Co-organized international research meetings, symposia, and workshops on educational leadership across multiple countries.
Jan 2023 – Feb 2024
Adam Mickiewicz University
Poznan, Poland
Associate Editor, Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching
  • Reviewed and evaluated manuscript submissions; managed peer-review, copyediting, and production workflow; provided English-language editing for accepted articles.
Aug 2014 – Jul 2017
University of Applied Sciences
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Instructor
  • Created instructional materials and curricula for German as a second/foreign language (A1–C1).
  • Taught German, composition, critical reading, and academic writing; administered the university's language admission exam for incoming students.
Jan 2013 – Present
Freelance
International
Translator & Interpreter
  • Deliver translation and simultaneous interpretation services for documents, websites, and live events, working from German into Portuguese, English, and French.
07

Service in Academia

Editorial Roles

  • Associate Editor, Forum for International Research in Multilingual Education (2025–present)
  • Section Editor, Language Awareness — "Focus on Practice" (2025–present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Language Awareness (2025–present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Springer Book Series on AI, Intercultural Communication, and Education (2025–present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Cambridge Elements in Language and Power (2025–present)
  • Advisory Board Member, Comparative Education Review (2024–present)
  • Managing Editor, European Education (2022–2025)
  • Associate Editor, Studies in Second Language Teaching and Learning (2023–2024)

Professional Leadership

  • Founder & Director, International Scholars Alliance (2025–present)
  • Elected Awards Chair, Language Issues SIG, CIES (2025–present)
  • Scholar–Researcher, ICBERG (2025–present)
  • Member, Elizabeth Sherman-Swing Award Committee, CIES (2024–present)
  • Consultant, COST Action CA20115 — European Network on International Student Mobility (2022–present)
  • Elected Co-Chair, Language Issues SIG, CIES (2023–2025)
  • Grant Proposal Reviewer, German Science Foundation (DFG)
  • Conference Abstract Reviewer, AERA and CIES
  • Social Media Manager, Language Issues SIG, CIES (2019–2021)

Ad-Hoc Peer Review

University & Outreach