Biography
Teaching Experience
Teresa Reber Bell joined the Department of German and Russian in 2013. She teaches courses in language teaching methods, language pedagogy, and German, and she regularly offers graduate seminars on topics such as teaching culture. She also supervises student instructors and students pursuing German teaching majors and minors and oversees the annual German Fair.
Before joining BYU, Bell served on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma from 2002–2013 and at the University of Pittsburgh from 2000-2002. She earned her PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching from the University of Arizona in 2001.
Research and Citizenship
From 2009–2024, Teresa Reber Bell taught the online methods course for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. She served as president of the Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers’ Association in 2007-2008 and as president of the Utah Foreign Language Association from 2024–2025. She has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching and teacher education, including the Longmire Prize for dedication to teaching and the scholarship of teaching, the Oklahoma Foreign Language Teacher of the Year Award, the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers’ Association, the Excellence in Post-Secondary Teaching Award from Southwest Conference on Language Teaching, and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Anthony Papalia Award for Excellence in Teacher Education in 2025.
Bell regularly presents at national, regional, and state conferences. Her research focuses on successful language teaching and learning and language teacher development. Since 2016, she has served as the ACTFL Program Review Coordinator for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
Her recent research can be viewed on ResearchGate.
Research Interests
teacher and student beliefs regarding language teaching, proficiency levels for teacher candidates, language teacher preparationTeaching Interests
German language and culture, the teaching of language and culture, language teacher preparationEducation
- Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching, , University of Arizona (2001)
- MA in German Literature, , Brigham Young University (1992)
- BA in German, Minor in Math, , Brigham Young University (1990)
Honors and Awards
- ACTFL Distance Learning SIG Outstanding Teaching Award, ACTFL (2022 - Present)
- Excellence in Teaching, ACTFL Teacher Development SIG (2024 - 2025)
- Excellence in Post-Secondary Teaching, Southwest Conference on Language Teaching (2018 - 2018)
- Excellence in Teaching, Oklahoma Foreigh Language Teachers' Association (2013 - 2013)
- Finalist, Southwest Conference on Language Teaching Teacher of the Year, Southwest Conference on Language Teaching (2012 - 2012)
- Oklahoma Foreign Language Teacher of the Year , State of Oklahoma (2011 - 2012)
- The Longmire Prize for Teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching , University of Oklahoma, College of Arts and Sciences (2009 - 2009)
Memberships
- Faculty Women Association (2013 - Present)
- Utah Foreign Language Association (2013 - Present)
- Central States Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (2008 - Present)
- Southwest Conference on Language Teaching (2002 - Present)
- American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) (1994 - Present)
- American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (1994 - Present)
- Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers' Association (2002 - 2013)
Professional Citizenship
- Adjudicator, World Languages Sterling Scholar Judge (2023 - Present)
- Board Member, LTI Higher Ed Educator Panel (2022 - Present)
- Committee/Council Chair, AP German Language and Culture Development Committee (2021 - Present)
- Board Member, AP German Advisory Board (2020 - Present)
- Committee/Council Member, AP German Language and Culture Reader (2018 - Present)
- Committee/Council Chair, ACTFL Program Review Coordinator for CAEP (2016 - Present)
- Board Member, Christkindlmarkt SLC (2016 - Present)
- Board Member, American Association of Teachers of German (2014 - Present)
- Other, Utah Foreign Language Assocication (2023 - 2026)
- Board Member, American Association of Teachers of German/Delta Phi Alpha Board (2024 - 2024)
- Committee/Council Chair, ACTFL/CAEP Standards Revision Task Force (2017 - 2023)
- Other, SWCOLT, Teacher of the Year Judge (2023 - 2023)
- Editorial Review Board Member, ACTFL, The Language Educator (2019 - 2022)
- Other, ACTFL, Conference Proposal Reviewer (2018 - 2022)
- Media Interview, US News and World Report Interview about Why People Should Learn German (2020 - 2020)
- Committee/Council Chair, ACTFL Wilga Rivers Award for Foreign Language Education (Post-secondary) Award Committee (2020 - 2020)
- Committee/Council Chair, ACTFL, Awards Committee (2020 - 2020)
- Member, ACTFL New Website Tester (2020 - 2020)
- Board Member, ACTFL Wilga Rivers Award for Foreign Language Education (Post-secondary) Award Committee (2019 - 2019)
- Other, SWCOLT, Teacher of the Year Judge (2019 - 2019)
- Committee/Council Member, ACTFL edTPA Task Force (2016 - 2019)
- Board Member, Hobble Creek Elementary PTA (2016 - 2017)
- Board Member, ACTFL-NYSAFLT Anthony Papalia Award for Excellence in Teacher Education Award Committee (2016 - 2016)
- Board Member, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation National Audit Team (2015 - 2016)
- Officer (specify in Other), ACTFL Teacher Development Special Interest Group (2014 - 2016)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (2008 - 2015)
- Committee/Council Member, Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (2013 - 2013)
- Committee/Council Member, Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation ACTFL Representative (2010 - 2013)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Program Review Advisory Board (2010 - 2013)
- Committee/Council Member, Oklahoma Foreign Language Chairpersons’ Council (2005 - 2013)
- Committee/Council Member, Foreign Languages in Elementary Schools Task Force (2003 - 2013)
- Other, NCATE Specialized Professional Association (SPA) program reports for French, German, and Spanish B.A. teacher preparation programs (2002 - 2013)
- Committee/Council Chair, Outstanding Intern Selection Committee Chair (2002 - 2013)
- Committee/Council Chair, Outstanding Senior Selection Committee Chair (2002 - 2013)
- Committee/Council Member, Citizens’ Advisory Council for the City of Norman and Norman Public Schools (2012 - 2013)
- Board Member, Staff Professional Development Committee, Norman Public Schools, Parent Representative (2012 - 2013)
- Officer (specify in Other), Roosevelt Elementary School Parent Teacher Association President (2012 - 2013)
- Guest Speaker, Volunteer German teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School for PreK-4th grades (2007 - 2013)
- Officer (specify in Other), Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers’ Association (2005 - 2009)
- Committee/Council Member, Southwest Conference on Language Teaching (2008 - 2009)
- Conference-Related Role, Southwest Conference on Language Teaching Annual Conference (2008 - 2009)
- Committee/Council Member, University of Oklahoma Ambassadors for Teacher Improvement Committee (2003 - 2008)
- Committee/Council Member, ACTFL-MLJ Pimsleur Award for Research in Foreign Language Education Selection Committee (2008 - 2008)
- Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, ACTFL Conference Proposal Reviewer (1999 - 2000)