Curriculum Vitae

Sandra Lee McKay

Adjunct Professor
School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences

Professor Sandra McKay is Adjunct Professor of the School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences,
Singapore University of Social Sciences. She graduated with a PhD in Applied Linguistics in 1971 from the
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. From there, she built an illustrious career in academia that has taken her
to over a hundred countries and has given her recognition as a world-renowned expert on sociolinguistics,
multilingualism, language teaching, second language teaching and English as an international language.
Currently, she is Professor Emeritus with the San Francisco State University and an Affiliate Member with the
Department of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawaii.

Professor McKay has held teaching positions in several established universities, such as San Francisco State
University and Stanford University. She has lectured in universities all over the world, including Thammasat
University, Thailand and Temple University, Japan. Outside of the classroom, she has taken part in several
projects such as investigating multilingual education in post-apartheid South Africa and developing a lecture
series on language minorities in the United States.

A prolific researcher and academic, Professor McKay has authored and co-authored several highly-cited
publications in her long career, such as International English in its Sociolinguistic Contexts: Towards a Socially
Sensitive Pedagogy (2008) and Researching Second Language Classrooms (2006). Her latest co-authored
book is Teaching and Assessing EIL in Local Contexts around the World (Routledge). She also held the position
of Editor with the reputable academic journal, TESOL Quarterly, from 1994-1999.

In 2002, Professor McKay won the Ben Warren International Book Award for outstanding teacher education
materials for Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches, Oxford
University Press, 2002. In 2004, she was the recipient of the University of Minnesota Outstanding Achievement
Award.

Currently, Professor McKay is a member of the Board of Trustee for the Center for Applied Linguistics. Previously,
she had also been a member of several recognised committees, including the TESOL National Organisation,
the English Composition Committee (San Francisco State), and the Fulbright Discipline Screen Committee in
TEFL/Applied Linguistics.
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Selected Publications
Books:
English as an international language classrooms: Teaching and assessment in a social context. With James
D. Brown. New York: Routledge, forthcoming. (An examination of the implications of teaching a global
language for second language pedagogy and assessment)
Teaching English as an International Language: Principles and Practices. Edited with Lubna Alsagoff,
Guangwei Hu, and Willy Renandya. New York: Routledge, 2012. (A collection of articles that examines
the pedagogical implications of the emerging role of English as an international language, 362 pages)
Sociolinguistics and Language Education. Edited with Nancy Hornberger. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters,
2010. (A collection of articles on current areas of interest in sociolinguistics with an emphasis on
language pedagogy, 571 pages)
International English in its Sociolinguistic Contexts: Towards a Socially Sensitive Pedagogy. With Wendy
Bokhorst-Heng. New York: Frances Taylor, 2008. (An examination of the social and sociolinguistic
context of present-day English education, 209 pages)
Researching Second Language Classrooms, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2006. (An introduction to
classroom-based research methods, 183 pages)
Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches. Oxford University Press,
2002. (An analysis of the characteristics of an international language and what these characteristics
suggest for the teaching of English. Winner of the Ben Warren International Book Award for outstanding
teacher education materials, 150 pages)
New Immigrants in the US: Readings for Second Language Educators. Edited with Sau-ling Wong.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. (A collection of readings on the immigration history,
language background, and culture of the largest and fastest growing immigrant groups in the US, 461
pages)
Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching. Edited with Nancy Hornberger. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1996. (A collection of introductory readings on selected areas of sociolinguistic research relevant
to language teachers, 484 pages)
Agendas for Second Language Literacy Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993. (An analysis of
conflicting agendas influencing second language literacy, 151 pages)
Teaching English Internationally: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, l992. (An examination of
social and educational issues affecting overseas English teaching, 155 pages)
Language Diversity: Problem or Resource? Edited with Sau-ling Wong. New York: Newbury House
Publishers, l988. (A collection of readings that provide social and educational perspectives on the major
language minority groups in the United States, 386 pages)
Teaching Grammar: Form Function and Technique. Oxford: Pergamon Press, l986. (A methodology text for
ESL/EFL grammar teachers, 144 pages)
At the Door. With Dorothy Petitt. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall l984. (A collection of cross-
cultural literary selections for ESL students, 142 pages)
Composing in a Second Language. Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House Publishers, l984. (A collection
of readings on L2 composition theory and practice, 168 pages)
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Fundamentals of Writing for a Specific Purpose. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, l983. (A writing
text for intermediate ESL students, 188 pages)
Verbs for a Specific Purpose. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, l981. (A computer-corpus-based
ESL text of common verbs, 270 pages)
Writing for a Specific Purpose. With Lisa Rosenthal. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, l980. (A
writing text for advanced ESL students, 160 pages)

Articles in Refereed Journals:

“Commentary: English-medium education in the global society – Findings and implications.” IRAL. 52,2
(2014) 221-228.
“Globalization, localization and language attitudes: The case of “foreign workers’ in Singapore.” Multilingual
Education. 3,1 (2013).
“‘Foreign workers’ in Singapore: Conflicting discourses, language politics and the negotiation of immigrant
identities.” (with R. Rubdy) International Journal of the Sociology of Language: Special Isse on Migration,
Language Maintenance and Shift. 22 (2013).
“English language education in East Asia: Some recent developments.” (with G. Hu) Journal of Multilingual
and Multicultural Development. 33,4 (2012) 1-18.
“Globalization and language learning in rural Japan: The role of English in the local linguistic ecology.” (with
R. Kubota) TESOL Quarterly 43, 4 (2009) 593-619.
“Enacting English language ownership in the Outer Circle: A study of Singaporean Indians’ orientations in
English norms.” (with R. Rubdy, L. Alsagoff, & W. Bokhorst-Heng) World Englishes 27, 1 (2008) 40-67.
“English language ownership among Singaporean Malays: Going beyond the NS-NNS dichotomy. (with W.
Bokhorst-Heng, L. Alsagoff, & R. Rubdy) World Englishes 26, 4 (2007) 424-445.
“Teaching the Pragmatics of English as an International Language.” Guidelines, 27, 2 (June, 2005) 3-9.
“EIL Curriculum Development.” RELC Journal. 34,1 (2003) 31-47.
“Toward an Appropriate EIL Pedagogy: Re-Examining Common ELT Assumptions.” International Journal of
Applied Linguistics 13, 2 (2003) 1-22.
“Teaching English as an International Language: The Chilean Context.” English Language Teaching Journal.
57, 2 (2003) 139-148.
“Positioning Learners in Post Apartheid South African Schools: A Case Study of Selected Multicultural
Durban Schools.” (with K. Chick) Linguistics and Education. 12, 4 (2001) 393-408.
“Teaching English in Multiethnic Schools in the Durban Area: The Promotion of Multilingualism or
Monolingualism?” (with K. Chick) South African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 19, 3-4
(2001) 163-178. (Winner of the Thomas Pringle Award for outstanding educational research in South
Africa)
“Teaching English as an International Language: Implications for Cultural Materials in the Classroom.”
TESOL Journal. 9, 4 (2000) 7-12.
“An Investigation of 5 Japanese English Teachers’ Reflections on their US MATESL Practicum Experience.”
JALT Journal, 22, 1 (2000) 46-68.
“Writing for Publication.” The Language Teacher. 21, 6 (1997) 15-18.
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“Multilingualism in the United States.” Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 17 (1997) 242-262.
“Multiple Discourses, Multiple Identities: Investment and Agency in Second Language Learning Among
Chinese Adolescent Immigrant Students.” With Sau-ling C. Wong. Harvard Educational Review.66, 3
(1996) 557-608.
“Developing ESL Writing Materials.” System. 22, 2 (1994) 195-204.
“English Literacy in the US: National Policies, Personal Consequences.” With G. Weinstein-Shr. TESOL
Quarterly. 27, 3 (1993) 399-420.
“L2 Composition Ideology: What We Might Learn from Literacy Education.” Journal of Second Language
Writing. 2,1 (1993) 65-81.
“Language Minority Education in Great Britain: A Challenge to Current U. S. Policy.” With S. Warshauer
Freedman TESOL Quarterly. 24, 3 (l990) 385-405.
“Language Teaching in Nativist Times: A Need for Sociopolitical Awareness.” Modern Language Journal.
72,4 (l989) 379-387.
“Literature in the ESL Classroom.” TESOL Quarterly. 16,4 (l982) 529-536.
“ESL/Remedial English: Are They Different?” English Language Teaching Journal. 35, 3 (l98l) 310-315.
“Developing Vocabulary Materials with a Computer Corpus.” RELC Journal. 11,2 (l980) 77-87.
“Teaching the Syntactic, Semantic, and Pragmatic Dimension of Verbs.” TESOL Quarterly. 14,1 (l980) 17-26.
“On Notional Syllabuses.” The Modern Language Journal. 64,2 (l980) 179-186.
“A Notional Approach to Writing.” English Language Teaching Journal. 34,4 (l980) 308-313.
“Communicative Writing.” TESOL Quarterly. 13,1 (l979) 73-81.
“An Inductive Approach to the Rules of Speaking.” The Modern Language Journal. 61,8 (l977) 415-418.

Articles in Edited Collections:

“Literature as Content for ESL/EFL.” In In M. Celce-Murcia, D. M. Brinton, & M. A. Snow (Eds.), Teaching
English as a second or foreign language (4th ed.) Boston, MA: National Geographic Learning/Cengage
Learning. (2014) 488-500.
“Multilingualism as portrayed in a Chinese English textbook.” (with G. Hu) In J. Conteh & G. Meier (Eds) The
multilingual turn in languages education: opportunities and challenges for individuals and societies.
Series New Perspectives on Language and Education. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters (2013) 64-88.
“Teaching Materials for English as an International Language.” In A. Matsuda (Ed.) Teaching English as an
International Language: Principles and Practices. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. (2012) 70-83.
“English as an International Lingua Franca Pedagogy.” In E. Hinkel (Ed.) Handbook of Research in Second
Language Teaching and Learning, Volume 2. New York: Routledge. (2011) 122-139.
“English as an International Language, Multilingualism, and Language Planning. In A. Yiakoumetti.
Harnessing Linguistic Variation. Oxford: Peter Lang Publishing Group (2012).
“English as an International Language.” In J. Richards & A. Burns (Eds.) The Cambridge Guide to Pedagogy
and Practice in Second Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2012) 15-22.
“Whose English? Language ownership in Singapore’s English language debates” with W. Borkhorst-
Heng, R. Rubdy, & L. Alsagoff. In L. Lam, A. Pakir, & L. Wee (Eds.) English in Singapore: Modernity
and Management. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. (2010) 133-158.
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“English as an International Language” In N. Hornberger & S.L. McKay (Eds.) Sociolinguistics and Language
Education. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. (2010) 89-116.
“Introspection Techniques” In J. Heigham & R. Croker (Eds). Qualitative Inquiry in Applied Linguistics.
London: Palgrave Macmillan. (2009) 220-241.
“Pragmatics and EIL Pedagogy” In F. Sharifian (Ed.) English as an International Language: Perspectives and
Pedagogical Issues. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. (2009) 227-241.
“The Social and Sociolinguistic Contexts of Language Learning and Teaching” (With Rani Rubdy) In M. Long
& C. Doughty (Eds.) The Handbook of Second and Foreign Language Teaching. Blackwell Publishers
(2009) 9-25.
“Sociolinguistics and Language Education.” In N. Hornberger, (General Editor) Encyclopedia of Language
and Education. The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers. (2008). 17-28.
“Second Language Classroom Research” In J. Richards & Anne Burns (Eds.) Cambridge Guide to Second
Language Teacher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2009). 281-288.
“Sociolinguistics and Second Language Learning.” In E. Hinkel (Ed.) Handbook of Research in Second
Language Learning and Teaching. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers
(2004) 281-300.
“Reflections on Being a Gatekeeper.” In C. Casanave & S. Vandrick (Eds). Writing for Scholarly Publications:
Behind the Scenes in Language Education. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Publishers (2003) 91-102.
“Literature as Content for ESL/EFL.” In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.) Teaching English as a Second/Foreign
Language. New York: Heinle and Heinle (2001) 319-332.
“Grammar Teachers as Decision Makers.” In V.Prakasam & K.V.Tirumalesh (Ed.) Issues in English Grammar.
Hyderabad, India: Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (1997), 129-141.
“Sociocultural Factors in Teaching Composition to Pacific Rim Writers: An Overview.” In Mark Brock (Ed.)
Teaching Composition Around the Pacific Rim: Politics and Pedagogy. Clevedon, England: Multilingual
Matters (1993), 1-14.
“Variation in English: What Role for Education.” In M.L. Tickoo (Ed.) Language and Standards: Issues,
Attitudes, Case Studies. Anthology Series 26, Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre (l991)
42-50.
“Topic Development and Written Discourse.” In Donna Johnson & Duane Roens (Eds.) Richness in Writing.
New York: Longman (l989) 253-262.
“A Focus on Pre-Writing Strategies.” In Mary Hines & William Rutherford (Eds.) On TESOL ‘81. Washington
D.C.: TESOL (l982) 89-96.
“Some Limitations in Teaching Composition.” In Jean Handscombe et al. (Eds.) On TESOL ‘83. Washington
D.C.: TESOL (l983) 187-99.
“Towards an Integrated Syllabus.” In Kenneth Croft (Ed.) Readings in English as a Second Language.
(second edition) Cambridge: Winthrop Publishers (l980) 72-84.

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Articles:
“Western Culture and the Teaching of English as an International Language.” English Teaching Forum. 42,
2 (2004) 10-15.
“The Cultural Basis of Teaching English as an International Language.” TESOL Matters. 13, 4 (2003) 1-4.
“Using Plays to Develop Sociolinguistic Competence.” Guidelines 22, 2 (2000) 24-29.
“The Spread of English in Present-day Communist Countries: A Look at Vietnam and Cuba.” TESOL Matters.
January 1999, 1.
“Classroom Interaction Research: From Teacher Focused to Teacher Based.” PASAA Journal. 20, 1 (l990)
1-9.
“Using Literature to Illustrate Informal Varieties of English.” English Teaching Forum. 37, 2 (l989) 46-48.
“The Role of English in The Philippines, The United States and South Africa.” TESOL Newsletter. 32, 2 (l989)
21-22.
“Teaching Grammar: Form, Function and Technique.” Anglo-American Studies. 6,1 (l986) 5-18.
“Writing and Composition.” TESOL Newsletter. 33, 1 (l984).
“Using Films as a Pre-Writing Activity.” English Teaching Forum. 19, 3 (l981) 44-45.
Pre-Writing Activities.” TECFOR Newsletter. 4,3 (l98l) 1-3.
“Folktales: A Context for Developing Communicative Competence.” Cross Currents. 9, 2 (l982) 37-44.
“Situational Writing.” Cross Currents. 6, 2 (l979) 47-55.
“Syllabuses: Structural, Situational, Notional.” TESOL Newsletter. 12, 6 (1978) 11-12.

Updated on 27 February 2015

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