Sofiya Bodnar is a Lecturer in German. Her teaching focuses on integrating applied linguistics and innovative pedagogical approaches into the classroom. Before joining MIT, she taught extensively at Indiana University, where she is completing her Ph.D. in Germanic Studies with a focus on second language pedagogy and pragmatics.

Her research investigates the acquisition and instruction of discourse markers in German as a second language, with a particular emphasis on the use of drama pedagogy. Her dissertation examines how well performative (drama-based), explicit, and implicit teaching strategies foster conversational fluency. She has presented this work at conferences such as ACTFL and GLAC, and her broader interests include pragmatics, Germanic philology, and historical linguistics.  

Sofiya is interested in how creative performance and embodied learning can enhance second language acquisition. She creates learning activities that place language in real-world social contexts by drawing on drama pedagogy and drama grammar. Outside of the classroom, she is also committed to collaborative curriculum development and education abroad

Education:

Master of Arts, Germanic Studies, Indiana University Bloomington.

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