I am a professor in the Department of Education at Concordia University where I teach classes and supervise students in the MA Applied Linguistics program and the BEd TESL program.
I joined the Concordia faculty in 2010 after having worked at Northern Arizona University (2004-2010) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2001-2004). I recently completed a 10-year term as a Canada Research Chair in Applied Linguistics. |
My main area of research is second language (L2) acquisition with a focus on how face-to-face interaction creates L2 learning opportunities and promotes L2 learning. I started my career working in the area of interactional feedback (e.g., clarification requests and recasts) and how English L2 speakers perceive and respond to various feedback moves. This area also included classroom research about peer interaction, such as how students discuss language and give each other feedback. The feedback research led me to projects about the use of structural priming as a tool for eliciting specific grammatical structures and promoting L2 development.
Keeping with my focus on face-to-face interaction, I then moved on to researching interactive writing tasks (e.g., collaborative writing, prewriting discussions, interactive revision) to explore the connections between student conversations and their written texts and writing development. My most recent work has been investigating the visual component of face-to-face conversation, such as identifying nonverbal cues that signal communication breakdowns. In addition to my main focus on the link between face-to-face communication and L2 development, I’ve also published research studies about individual differences (e.g., statistical learning, working memory, creativity, regulatory focus), collaborative dialogue and task engagement, input frequency and distribution, and integrated writing.
Keeping with my focus on face-to-face interaction, I then moved on to researching interactive writing tasks (e.g., collaborative writing, prewriting discussions, interactive revision) to explore the connections between student conversations and their written texts and writing development. My most recent work has been investigating the visual component of face-to-face conversation, such as identifying nonverbal cues that signal communication breakdowns. In addition to my main focus on the link between face-to-face communication and L2 development, I’ve also published research studies about individual differences (e.g., statistical learning, working memory, creativity, regulatory focus), collaborative dialogue and task engagement, input frequency and distribution, and integrated writing.
Before I became a professor, I taught English in the US and Thailand. I go back to Thailand regularly. For many years I was going back to do research, but now it’s more for pleasure. I used to travel quite a bit, but of course the pandemic has put the kibosh on traveling. Having been away from work-related travel for awhile, I’m starting to see travel as something I’d would like to do for fun rather than for work.
When I’m not teaching, I live in British Columbia with my husband and two cats. I spend my free time outside—kayaking, swimming, running, walking, biking, gardening, happy hour-ing, and even working in the backyard. Once the weather gets cold, I turn into a hermit spending the dark winters inside reading, streaming movies, sewing, baking, and only venturing outside to go to the gym. I used to enjoy watching hockey, but now the Red Wings are horrible and the Canucks aren’t much better. But a trip to the pub to watch a game does manage to get me out of the house even in the winter.
When I’m not teaching, I live in British Columbia with my husband and two cats. I spend my free time outside—kayaking, swimming, running, walking, biking, gardening, happy hour-ing, and even working in the backyard. Once the weather gets cold, I turn into a hermit spending the dark winters inside reading, streaming movies, sewing, baking, and only venturing outside to go to the gym. I used to enjoy watching hockey, but now the Red Wings are horrible and the Canucks aren’t much better. But a trip to the pub to watch a game does manage to get me out of the house even in the winter.
Projects
- Discrimination in academic settings at Canadian universities
- Linguistic and reverse linguistic stereotyping in a Canadian university context
- Effectiveness of awareness raising activities for helping business communication students avoid and navigate communication breakdowns
- Variation approaches to understanding genre and register differences in the disciplinary writing
Publications
Forthcoming and recent publications (2019-present) are listed under Publications. For citation statistics, see Google scholar.
- Dao, P., & McDonough, K. (2018). Effect of proficiency on Vietnamese EFL learners’ engagement in peer interaction. International Journal of Education Research, 88, 60–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2018.01.008doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2018.01.008
- Han, Y., & McDonough, K. (2018). Korean L2 speakers’ self-regulatory focus and oral task performance. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 56, 181–203. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2015-0116
- McDonough, K., De Vleeschauwer, J., & Crawford, W. (2018). Comparing the quality of collaborative writing, collaborative prewriting, and individual texts in a Thai EFL context. System, 74, 109-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.02.010
- McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (2018). Salience and novel L2 pattern learning. In S. Gass, P. Spinner, & J. Behney (Eds.), Salience in second language acquisition (pp. 147-164). Routledge.
- McDonough, K., Neumann, H., & Hubert-Smith, N. (2018). How accurately do EAP students use Academic Word List (AWL) words? BC TEAL Journal, 3(1), 77-89. https://doi.org/10.14288/bctj.v3i1.293 [PDF]
- García Fuentes, C., & McDonough, K. (2018). The effect of explicit instruction and task repetition on Colombian EFL students’ use of politeness strategies during disagreements. The Language Learning Journal, 46, 470-482. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2016.1167232 [PDF]
- Crawford, W., & McDonough, K. (2017). Text differences between individual and collaborative writing: A lexico-grammatical perspective. rEFLections, 24, 1-19. https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/reflections/article/view/112291 [PDF]
- Han, Y., & McDonough, K. (2018). Korean L2 speakers’ self-regulatory focus and oral task performance. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 56, 181–203. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2015-0116 [PDF]
- Foote, J., & McDonough, K. (2017). Using shadowing with mobile technology to improve L2 pronunciation. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 3, 34-56. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.3.1.02foo [PDF]
- Dao, P., & McDonough, K. (2017). The effect of task role on Vietnamese EFL learners’ collaboration in mixed proficiency dyads. System, 65, 15-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.12.012 [PDF]
- Kim, Y., & McDonough, K. (2016). Prime repetition and Korean EFL learners' comprehension and production of passives. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 54, 319–346. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2015-0028 [PDF]
- Fulga, A., & McDonough, K. (2016). The impact of L1 background and visual information on the effectiveness of low variability input. Applied Psycholinguistics, 37, 265-283. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716414000551 [PDF]
- McNaughton, S., & McDonough, K. (2015). Switches to English during French service encounters: Relationships with L2 French speakers’ willingness to communicate and motivation. TESL Canada Journal, 33(1), 22-40. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v33i1.1225 [PDF]
- Hernández González, T. & McDonough, K. (2015). The effect of instructor stance on ESL speakers' language production in a conversation group setting. System, 55, 21-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.08.002 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Foote, J. (2015). The impact of individual and shared clicker use on students’ collaborative learning. Computers and Education, 86, 236-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.08.009 [PDF]
- Lavallee, M., & McDonough, K. (2015). Comparing the lexical features of EAP students’ essays by prompt and rating. TESL Canada Journal, 32(2), 30-44. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v32i2.1206 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., Crawford, B., & Mackey, A. (2015). Creativity and EFL learners’ language use during a group decision-making task. TESOL Quarterly, 49, 188-198. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.211 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & García Fuentes, C. (2015). The effect of writing task and task conditions on Colombian EFL learners’ language use. TESL Canada Journal, 32(2), 67-79. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v32i2.1208 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Fulga, A. (2015). The detection and primed production of novel constructions. Language Learning, 65, 353-384. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12103 [PDF]
- Neumann, H., & McDonough, K. (2015). Exploring student interaction during collaborative prewriting discussions and its relationship to L2 writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 27, 84-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2014.09.009 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., (2014). Using structural priming tasks in an EAP context. Contact, 40(2), 51-67. [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Neumann, H. (2014). Using prewriting tasks in L2 writing classes: Insights from three experiments. TESL Canada Journal, 31(8), 132-143. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v31i0.1190 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., Crawford, B., De Vleeschauwer, J. (2014). Summary writing in a Thai EFL university context. Journal of Second Language Writing, 24, 20-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2014.03.001 [PDF]
- Neumann, H., & McDonough, K. (2014). Exploring the relationships among student preferences, prewriting tasks, and text quality in an EAP context. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 15, 14-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2014.05.002 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Nekrasova-Becker, T. (2014). Comparing the effect of skewed and balanced input on EFL learners’ comprehension of the double-object dative construction. Applied Psycholinguistics, 35, 419-442. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716412000446 [PDF]
- Di Loreto, S., & McDonough, K. (2013). The relationship between instructor feedback and ESL student anxiety. TESL Canada Journal, 31(1), 20-41. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v31i1.1165 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & De Vleeschauwer, J. (2012). Prompt type frequency, auditory pattern discrimination, and EFL learners’ production of wh-questions. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 34, 355-377. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263112000113 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Hernández González, T. (2012). Whole-group interaction during conversation groups: What language production opportunities do ESL conversation groups provide? Contact, 38(2), 90-109. [PDF]
- Kim, Y., & McDonough, K. (2011). Using pre-task modeling to encourage collaborative learning opportunities. Language Teaching Research, 15,183-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168810388711 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Chaikitmongkol, W. (2010). Collaborative syntactic priming activities and EFL learners’ production of wh-questions. Canadian Modern Language Review, 66, 817-841. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.66.6.817 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Sunitham, W. (2009). Collaborative dialogue between Thai EFL learners during self-access computer activities. TESOL Quarterly, 43, 231-254. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2009.tb00166.x [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Kim, Y. (2009). Syntactic priming, type frequency, and EFL learners’ production of wh-questions. The Modern Language Journal, 93, 386-398. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2009.00897.x [PDF]
- Kim, Y., & McDonough, K. (2008). Learners’ production of passives during syntactic priming activities. Applied Linguistics, 29, 149-154. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amn004 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Mackey, A. (2008). Syntactic priming and ESL question development. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 30, 31-47. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263108080029 [PDF]
- Kim, Y., & McDonough, K. (2008). The effect of interlocutor proficiency on the collaborative dialogue between Korean as a second language learners. Language Teaching Research, 12, 211-234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168807086288 [PDF]
- McDonough, K., & Chaikitmongkol, W. (2007). Teachers’ and learners’ reactions to a task-based EFL course in Thailand. TESOL Quarterly, 40, 107-132. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2007.tb00042.x [PDF]
- McDonough, K. (2006). Interaction and syntactic priming: English L2 speakers’ production of dative constructions. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 28, 179-207. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263106060098 [PDF]
- McDonough, K. & Mackey, A. (2006). Responses to recasts: Repetitions, primed production and linguistic development. Language Learning, 54, 693-720. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2006.00393.x [PDF]
- McDonough, K. (2006). Action research and the professional development of graduate teaching assistants. The Modern Language Journal, 90, 33-47. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2006.00383.x [PDF]
- McDonough, K. (2005). Identifying the impact of negative feedback and learners’ responses on ESL question development. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 27, 79-103. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263105050047 [PDF]
- McDonough, K. (2004). Learner-learner interaction during pair and small group activities in a Thai EFL context. System, 32, 207-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2004.01.003 [PDF]
- Mackey, A., Polio, C., & McDonough, K. (2004). The relationship between experience, education and teachers’ use of incidental focus on form techniques. Language Teaching Research, 8, 301-327. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168804lr147oa [PDF]
- Mackey, A., McDonough, K., Fujii, A. & Tatsumi, T. (2001). Learners’ reports about the L2 classroom. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 39, 285-307. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.2001.006 [PDF]
- Mackey, A., Gass, S., & McDonough, K. (2000). How do learners perceive implicit negative feedback? Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 22, 471-497. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100004010 [PDF]
- McDonough, K. & Mackey, A. (2000). Communicative tasks, conversational interaction and linguistic form: An empirical study of Thai. Foreign Language Annals, 33, 82-92. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2000.tb00893.x [PDF]
PRESENTATIONS
- Michaud, G., & McDonough, K., (March, 2025). Impact of individual differences on immediate and delayed written corrective feedback in L2 French learners. American Association for Applied Linguistics, Denver, Colorado.
- McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (January, 2025). Creating an instrument for eliciting university students’ experiences with discrimination. Hawaii International Conference on Education. Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Corrigan, J., McDonough, K., Neumann, H., & Jimenez, M. (Sept, 2024). Predicting students’ critical online resource evaluation (CORE) performance in the Canadian context: The role of individual and classroom variables. European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction. Valencia, Spain.
- Zheng, C., Bodea, A., Trofimovich, P., & McDonough, K. (July, 2024). Metaperceptions of L1 and L2 English speakers during interaction: The role of individual difference. EuroSLA, Montpellier, France.
- Le, N., McDonough, K., & Hernández González, T. (June, 2024). Service learning in TESL: Is it mutually beneficial for both university students and the community? Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Montreal, Canada.
- Bodea, A., Trofimovich, P., McDonough, K., & Sato, M. (June, 2024). Is acculturative stress related to university students’ communicative performance? Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Montreal, Canada.
- McDonough, K., & Michaud, G. (June, 2024). Task-based language writing and collaboration. Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Montreal, Canada.
- McDonough, K., Johnson, C., & Neumann, H. (Oct, 2023). The role of source use in the evaluation of business essay exams. Second Language Writing Symposium, Tempe, AZ.
- Sato, M., McDonough, K., Lindberg, R., Sitges, S., & Trofimovich, P. (Sept, 2023). Exploring Chilean pre-service EFL teachers’ reactions to lecturers under different face/voice conditions. Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching. W. Lafayette, IN.
- Le, N., Trofimovich, P., McDonough, K., & Sato, M. (Sept, 2023). How do immigrants perceive each other’s heritage language? Examining the perceptions of Canada- and Vietnam-born speakers in a dyadic conversation. Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching, W. Lafayette, IN.
- Bodea, A., Trofimovich, P., McDonough, K., & Sato, M. (Sept, 2023). How much does my partner like me and my pronunciation? Linguistic measures predict L2 speaker perceptions in interaction. Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching. W. Lafayette, IN.
- Uludag, P., & McDonough, K. (June, 2023). Assessing paired oral interactions: Designing, validating, and refining an analytic rubric. Language Testing Research Colloquium, New York, NY.
- Michaud, G., & McDonough, K. (June, 2023). Writing corrective feedback within a task: A question of timing? Task-based Language Teaching, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
- Zheng, C., Lindberg, R., Trofimovich, P., & McDonough, K. (May, 2023). Do they like me? Why some L2 international students are reluctant to interact with L1 speakers. Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Toronto, Canada.
- Le, N., Lindberg, R., Trofimovich, P., & McDonough, K. (May, 2023). Feelings of acceptance between co-ethnic immigrants: Canada-born Vietnamese and newcomers. Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Toronto, Canada.
- Corrigan, J., Jiminez, M., Forzani, E., Neumann, H., & McDonough, K. (April, 2023). “The publisher is biased”: Evaluating a teacher-led intervention to improve students’ online evaluation practices. American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
- Lindberg, R., Tekin, O., Trofimovich, P., & McDonough, K. (March, 2023). English L2 international students’ challenges with French in Montréal. American Association for Applied Linguistics, Portland, OR.
- Michaud, G., & McDonough, K. (March, 2023). Written corrective feedback: does timing matter? American Association for Applied Linguistics, Portland, OR.
- McDonough, K., Trofimovich, P., Kim, Y., & Liu, C. (March, 2023). Visual cues of nonunderstanding: Do observers know what they’re seeing? American Association for Applied Linguistics, Portland, OR.
- Kim, Y., Liu, C., Trofimovich, P., & McDonough, K. (March, 2023). Do visual cues matter for perceived fluency during L2 conversations? American Association for Applied Linguistics, Portland, OR.
- Uludag, P., McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (March, 2023). The effect of text difficulty on L2 students’ oral summaries. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Portland, OR.
- McDonough, K., Lindberg, R., Kim, Y. L., & Trofimovich, P. (September, 2022). Using corpus materials to promote recognition of visual cues of nonunderstanding. American Association of Corpus Linguistics, Flagstaff, AZ.
- Lindberg, R., McDonough, K., & Ammar, A. (March, 2022). The sociocognitive functions of English use during L2 French collaborative writing tasks. American Association for Applied Linguistics, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Kim, Y. L., Uludag, P., Liu, C., McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (March, 2022). Investigating behavior matching and rapport in L2 interaction. American Association for Applied Linguistics, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Tekin, O., & Trofimovich, P., & McDonough, K. (June, 2021). An interactional take on comprehensibility: Moving from what L2 speakers “say” to what they “do”. Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching (PSLLT) Conference, Brock University. (virtual)
- Tsunemoto, A., Lindberg, R., Trofimovich, P., & McDonough, K. (2021, June). Effects of nonverbal cues in L2 pronunciation assessment. Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching (PSLLT) Conference, Brock University. (virtual)
- Tsunemoto, A., Lindberg, R., Trofimovich, P., & McDonough, K. (March, 2021). Visual cues and L2 speech comprehensibility and comprehension. American Association for Applied Linguistics. (virtual)
- Uludag, P., McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (October, 2020). Individual and shared assessment of paired oral interactions: A focus on verbal and non-verbal features. Second Language Research Forum, Nashville, TN. (virtual)
- Liu, C., McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (October, 2020). Verbal and nonverbal disagreement in an ELF academic discussion task. Second Language Research Forum, Nashville, TN. (virtual)
- Chen, T., McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (October, 2020). The relationship between interactional fluency measures and L2 speakers’ perceptions of peer fluency. Second Language Research Forum, Nashville, TN. (virtual)
- Lindberg, R., McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (October, 2020). Investigating verbal and nonverbal indicators of physiological response during L2 peer interaction. Second Language Research Forum, Nashville, TN. (virtual)
- Tsunemoto, A., Isaacs, T., & McDonough, K. (August, 2019). Examining the acoustic and temporal measures underlying self- and other-assessment of accentedness. New Sounds, Tokyo, Japan.
- Uludag, P., Lindberg, R., Payant, C., & McDonough, K. (June, 2019). Investigating L2 writers’ source-use behavior in an integrated writing test. Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Vancouver, BC.
- McDonough, K., & Trofimovich, P. (June, 2019). Exploring the visual signature of interactional feedback. Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Vancouver, BC.
GRANTS
- Current and previous grants are listed under Projects
invited talks
- McDonough, K. (July, 2024). Task-based language teaching. Teaching Methods for the EAL Classroom: Scholar-Practitionership in Action Panel. University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia.
- Crawford, W., & McDonough, K. (March, 2023). Teachers’ identification of errors when evaluating L2 English student writing. Invited presentation. TESOL, Portland, OR.
- McDonough, K. (February, 2023). Recognizing the meaning of nonverbal behaviors during face to face interaction. Invited workshop. Canadian Armed Forces Language School, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC.
- McDonough, K. (December, 2022). Using prewriting tasks in L2 classrooms. Invited workshop. Second Language Teaching Symposium, Andres Bello University, Santiago, Chile.
- McDonough, K. (October, 2022). Triangulating eye movements and other measures in interaction research. Invited presentation. [virtual] Eye tracking research symposium, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
- Melki, H., Sellami, A., Lindberg, R., Ammar, A., & McDonough, K. (2021). L'écriture collaborative en français langue seconde. Formation gratuite offerte aux enseignants de français langue seconde. Continuum, Université de Montréal.
- McDonough, K. (2020). Exploring the visual component of interactive learning opportunities. Graduate Student Association invited talk, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ.