Leanna Fry Balci, an English Language Fellow in Turkey from 2008-2010, is an assistant professor in the Information Literacy Program at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Leanna’s fellowship experience completely changed the trajectory of her career and established her research interest in the language acquisition process of Turkish ESL students. As a current doctoral candidate in the Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology, Leanna’s research heavily focuses on the information literacy skills of English major students in Turkey.
As an English Language Fellow, Leanna enjoyed teaching students with a genuine desire to learn English and witnessed how their improved language skills benefited them academically and professionally. Since the completion of her fellowship, she has maintained ties with her host institution and has collaborated with colleagues to conduct research, develop presentations and papers. “The English Language Fellow Program is an excellent opportunity to grow personally and professionally and to contribute to the English language community. I highly recommend the program to anyone with a sense of adventure and a desire to serve, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”