L2TReC is supported by a great team of dedicated teachers, researchers, and administrators.
Part of that team consists of our incredible Research Assistants, who provide much
needed support for work across the center's Learner Corpora, MuSSeL and CUDLI. Among
that team is Research Assistant, Ann Fillmore. Today, we are highlighting Ann, her
academic expertise, research interests, and contributions to L2TReC. Thank you, Ann,
for being a part of our team here at L2TReC!
Get to know Ann
My name is Ann Fillmore. I was born and raised in Utah but spent nearly two decades
in Oregon, where I completed my undergraduate and graduate studies. I hold a B.A.
in Spanish from the University of Oregon and an M.Ed. in TESOL from Concordia University.
I am currently enrolled in the M.A. program in Spanish Literature at the University
of Utah.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
I have been teaching writing at Salt Lake Community College for ten years, where I
am a tenured professor. This year, I have the opportunity to work with the L2TReC
program at the University of Utah as part of my sabbatical leave from SLCC while I
complete my M.A. in Spanish Literature. Over the past fifteen years, I have taught
ESL, English, and Writing, and there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.
What are your research interests?
I have a strong interest in second-language (L2) pedagogy, influenced by my experience
coordinating the SLCC Summer Bridge program for mostly multilingual, first-generation
students. As someone who is learning Spanish as a second language myself, I’m fascinated
by how people acquire a new language. Currently, I’m studying how English speakers
learning Spanish produce vowel sounds (especially diphthongs, or combinations of vowels
in one syllable), and the kinds of pronunciation interference that occur when English
influences Spanish as the target language.
Do you have any previous experience in doing any academic research? If so, tell us
a little bit about it.
My research experience stems from my work with SLCC’s Summer Bridge Program, where
I design and assess curriculum for multilingual, first-generation students. In 2023,
I completed a research project examining how explicit classroom instruction can build
confidence in writing. I developed strengths-based, culturally responsive instructional
activities, earned IRB approval, and collected data from almost 200 students, to compare
standard and targeted instruction. The findings showed measurable gains in writing
confidence and led to program-wide revisions to better support student success.
Do you have any prior knowledge/experience in Corpus linguistics? What is Corpus Linguistics
and why are you passionate about it?
I’m familiar with corpus linguistics and have used various databases for research
related to TESOL. I value corpus linguistics because it reveals how language is used
in real contexts. While grammar teaches us the formal structure of a language, corpus
data shows how people actually speak and write, helping us understand how language
functions in the real world.
Why did you choose to work for Second Language Teaching and Research Center (L2TReC)?
What’s your role as a research assistant at L2TReC? What do you do? What are you working
on? What excites you most about your work? What do you like about your research assistantship
at L2TReC?
As a full-time graduate student in the M.A. program in Spanish Literature, I am also
serving as a Research Assistant with the L2TReC program, where I transcribe audio
and written files for the Spanish corpora. The work is both interesting and challenging,
and I enjoy being part of a team dedicated to understanding how students use and apply
Spanish in this context. The data we gather will reveal where students are doing well
and where they may need more support, which will help to strengthen Utah’s Dual Language
Immersion programs for future students.
What have you been planning to achieve and do in 2025?
I hope to graduate with my M.A. in Spanish Literature in Spring 2026, continue improving
my Spanish proficiency and fluency, and apply what I’ve learned through my work with
L2TReC to future teaching and research.
What do you do when you are not working/studying? How do you like to spend your down
time?
In my free time, I enjoy hiking Utah’s beautiful mountains, downhill skiing, watching
movies with my family, cooking delicious foods, and playing with my dogs. I love learning
about folklore, true crime, and traveling. I hope to visit Italy in the near future!
