UH Hilo Associate Professor of English Francis Dumanig receives tenure and promotion
From classroom to island community to global connections, Associate Professor Dumanig shows his students the world of English language and literature most often through an international lens.
By Susan Enright.
This story is part of an ongoing series on faculty who have recently received tenure.
Associate Professor of English Francisco Perlas Dumanig, program coordinator for the certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, has received tenure and promotion. The UH System announced the 2023 tenure and promotion list on June 20.
“Tenure at UH Hilo represents a significant milestone in my career, providing me with job security and stability,” says Dumanig. “It also signifies recognition of my dedication, expertise, and commitment to teaching.”
Dumanig received his master of arts in English from Philippine Christian University, and his doctor of philosophy in linguistics-sociolinguistics from the University of Malaya. His areas of expertise are in teaching English as a second or foreign language, Southeast Asian Englishes, discourse analysis of language and identity, language planning and policy, and sociolinguistics.
Before coming to UH Hilo in 2018, he was a senior lecturer of languages and linguistics at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and other universities in the Philippines, Malaysia, Middle East, and the U.S.
Teaching and service: From classroom to island community to the world
From classroom to island community to global connections, Associate Professor Dumanig shows his students the world of English language and literature most often through an international lens.
He teaches several Department of English courses including classes on writing for science and technology (ENG 225), second language acquisition theory (ENG 350), global Englishes (ENG 388), English as a second language (ESL) teaching practicum (ENG 422), and ESL materials and methods (ENG 484). He also teaches composition with tutorial, composition with non-native tutorial, and Filipino language and culture.
In tandem with much of his teaching, he is program coordinator for the certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Dumanig says one of his most important projects within that program is to create opportunities for TESOL students to teach English in countries where English is not widely spoken. “Through partnerships with universities in the Middle East and the Philippines, our TESOL practicum students gain valuable teaching experience,” says Dumanig.
Closer to home, in a highly successful effort to connect his students to the local community, Associate Professor Dumanig is the founding president of the Hawaii Association of Filipino Educators (HAFE), a non-profit organization of Filipino educators and researchers working in the state of Hawai‘i. Dumanig says that through the group, he actively bridges the gap between the community and UH Hilo. “Through collaborative events and initiatives, we strengthen the connection between HAFE members and UH Hilo students, promoting cultural understanding and community engagement.”
Additionally, Dumanig organizes the Hawai‘i International Conference on English Language and Literature Studies, or HICELLS, every two years (see story on the 2023 HICELLS). The conference is hosted by UH Hilo and held on campus with a cadre of experts attending from around the world. “This conference brings together scholars worldwide, creating a platform for knowledge exchange and fostering a vibrant academic community at UH Hilo,” explains Dumanig. “Faculty, staff, and students can present their research and attend the conference for free.”
Kirsten Møllegaard, a professor of English and chair of the department at UH Hilo who served on the planning committee for the 2023 HICELLS event, says Dumanig recognizes the value of offering UH Hilo students the opportunity to present in a professional venue, generously waiving the registration fee for students.
“(It’s) a golden conference opportunity for UH Hilo students,” says Møllegaard. “It provides them with a professional, international academic platform for presenting their analytical, argumentative research papers. It is a marvelous opportunity for students to gain conference presentation experience without having to leave the island.”
The creation of the conference came during Dumanig’s first year at UH Hilo when he noticed that only few international conferences were organized on campus. “For faculty and students to present their studies they have to travel to other islands, states, or countries. (But) traveling to other places to present is expensive and it limits the number of faculty and students to participate. I thought that organizing an international conference particularly in English language studies and literature would give our faculty and students opportunities to participate for free,” he says.
Dumanig explains that the mission of the conference is to make UH Hilo a place to gather international scholars in the fields of English language teaching and literature studies to share their scholarly works and discuss among themselves the new trends in research and pedagogy in English language and literature.
In addition, he says, “the event communicates to an international community that the UH Hilo English department is taking the lead in enhancing research and teaching in English language and literature studies.”
Research and publications
Dumanig’s current research focuses on family language policy of Filipinos in Hawai‘i, education and language in the Philippines, and caregivers’ interaction with elderly patients in adult residential care homes. He is well published in peer-reviewed journals such as Cambridge Language Teaching Journal, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, World Englishes, Multilingua, Language Policy, and International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.
His most recent book publication is Education and Language in the Philippines (Lexington, 2022), a comprehensive overview of the critical role of education and language development in the Philippines co-written with Lorraine Pe Symaco, a professor of education at Zhejiang University, China.
Empowering students, serving the community
Dumanig says the most significant contribution of his work as an educator is “empowering my students to thrive in the real world by equipping them with the essential knowledge, skills, and values.” He says that as an educator, he also has the privilege of using his knowledge and skills to serve as a leader and active member of the local community.
Looking to the future, the associate professor plans to continue the projects he has initiated, such as expanding the TESOL practicum partnership with universities in the Middle East and the Philippines.
“I also aim to pursue further research and publications, organize the Hawai‘i International Conference on English Language and Literature Studies every two years, and strengthen the collaboration between UH Hilo and the community through partnerships with the Hawaii Association of Filipino Educators.”
Susan Enright is a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
