Charity Okpara

Charity Okpara is a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Originally from Nigeria, she holds a B.A. in English Education and an M.A. in English from the University of Port Harcourt and the University of Ibadan, respectively. She also earned a second M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) from Concordia University, Chicago.

With over a decade of experience teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), Charity has worked extensively with multilingual learners. Before relocating to the U.S., she taught Grammar & Composition, Structure of English, Semantics, and Introduction to Communication Studies at the University of Port Harcourt. Her exposure to widespread challenges in English proficiency among ESL learners in Nigeria, often attributed to ineffective teaching methods, sparked her interest in comparing ESL instructional practices in Nigeria and the United States.

Currently, her research focuses on the linguistic, racial, ethnic, and institutional challenges faced by multilingual and racialized international graduate students serving as teaching assistants and supervisors of pre-service teachers in U.S. universities. She employs Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy to analyze these experiences and advocate for more inclusive and equitable practices in teacher education and language instruction.

Publications & Presentations

Students’ Perception of Multicultural Competencies of Teachers in Nigeria EPS Conference, UW- Madison, 2025.

Politician’s Communicative Strategies: A case Study of Nigerian’s President Tinubu’s Acceptance and Inaugural Speeches, Christian Leadership Formation at Bethany Baptist Academy: A Sociocultural Analysis.