Diana Palenzuela Rodrigo

Born and raised in the Basque Country in northern Spain, I moved to the United States in 2011 to continue my career as a language educator. What I imagined would be a new professional chapter soon became a place I have called home ever since.

I hold a Ph.D. in School Languages and Society and an M.A. in Multilingualism and Education from the University of the Basque Country, where I also earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Foreign Language Teaching and a B.A. in Translation Studies.

I am currently an Associate Instructional Professor of Spanish at the University of Chicago, where I teach courses across the Spanish language curriculum and enjoy creating learning experiences that connect language, culture, and real-world communication. I have co-designed courses such as Advanced Spanish through Latin American Food Culture and Introduction to Audiovisual Translation, both of which reflect my interest in bringing authentic cultural and professional contexts into the language classroom.

My research and professional interests bring together language pedagogy, sociocultural learning, translation, localization, and AI-enhanced language education. I am currently co-leading a project on AI-assisted placement testing that explores how emerging technologies can support more accurate and equitable language assessment. More broadly, I am interested in how translation studies and artificial intelligence can enrich language teaching while fostering meaningful intercultural learning and supporting the teaching of minority languages.

When I'm not teaching or working on research projects, you'll probably find me traveling, taking photographs, or discovering a new corner of the world. I believe that every new place, language, and conversation has something to teach us; and that curiosity is one of the most valuable qualities we can bring into the classroom.