Maria Isabel KalbermattenFaculty

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” (Nelson Mandela)

Nelson Mandela’s quote captures my desired goal for teaching Spanish as a second language to my students. I want them to be able to reach the heart of the Hispanic people. It’s not an easy endeavor. But as a Second Language specialist and being a second language learner who has studied eight different languages (English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Latin, Swedish, and Uighur), I know that the process that students go through when learning a second language is as much social as it is cognitive. Because of that, in order to help them to become translingually and transculturally competent in Spanish (“Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World,” MLA, 2007), I have adopted a sociocultural approach for teaching my native language. In my classes, students collaborate with each other, receive help from me that is appropriate to their level, and use mediational tools (such as narratives, comic strips, advertising, etc.) in order to make sense of Spanish and progress in their language development. I strongly believe that through this kind of instruction, I become more familiar with each student’s level, and I am able to provide more effective support for his or her language development.

SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES
My research interests are centered in two areas: the first is Discourse Analysis, involving the use of verbal irony, sarcasm, parody, humor and gender in real conversations, as well as political humor and manipulation. My second scholarly focus is Applied Linguistics (First and Second Language Acquisition), developing strategies to help students to improve their writing and reading skills in Spanish. The research I have been doing has allowed me to participate in national and international conferences (México, Spain, Uruguay, USA, France, Ireland, Colombia, Portugal, Greece), and write articles about the use of verbal irony in conversation, humor, gender and interactional units in Spanish. Please visit my Gustavus Website or my ResearchGate page to learn more about my scholarship.

BOOKS

• Kalbermatten, M.I. (ed.) En busca de una caracterización de la ironía verbal en español (Submitted for publication)
  
• Kalbermatten, M. I. (Verbal) Irony in Conversation. Toward a Dialogical Analysis of (Verbal) Irony in Conversation Between Relatives and Friends (In Progress)
• Simón, E., Kalbermatten, M. I. and Ramondelli, S. 1997. Ortografiando. Un desafío a la enseñanza de la ortografía. Para docentes de la E.G.B. Buenos Aires (Argentina): Ameghino Educativa. 

BOOK CHAPTERS

• Kalbermatten, María Isabel (2024). La co-construcción del mensaje irónico en conversaciones entre familiares y amigos de Santa Fe, Argentina. (Submitted for publication).
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel (2024). Depicting "La Grieta:” The Role of Political Satire and Humor in Argentinean Polarization. \ In: Feldman, O. (eds) Communicating Political Humor in the Media. The Language of Politics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-0726-3_13
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel, and Ocampo, Alicia (2024). Tato Bores, Monólogo 2000: sátira política, carnaval y destrucción de la autoridad. "Humor bajo autoridad," ed. Francisco Ocampo, Hispanic Issues On Line Debates 12 (2024): 119–152. Web.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel (2022). "Teaching Political Humor and Manipulation in Times of COVID-19," Teach Foreign Language With a Sense of Humor: Why (and How to) Be a Funnier and More Effective Foreign Language Teacher and Laugh All the Way to Your Classroom, ed. Kishor Vaidya. The Curious Academic Publishing
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel, and Ramsburg, James (2018). “La Argentina real” vs. “La Argentina mediática” in Cristina Kirchner's Political Discourses from 2007 to 2015. (Under Review).
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel (2018). "The Role of Verbal Irony in Conflict Talk Among Relatives and Friends from Santa Fe, Argentina," Closeness and conflict. The discourse of domestic discord across English and Spanish-speaking communities, eds. Diana Boxer and María Elena Placencia. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 6:2, 297 - 317.  
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel (2015). "Humor político y manipulación en dos diarios argentinos," Os sentidos do humor: posibilidades de análise do comico, des. Lucía Aranda and Thaís Leão Vieira. São Paulo (Brasil): Verona.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. (2015). "Marcas e indicadores de la ironía en conversaciones entre familiares y amigos de Santa Fe (Argentina)." ALFAL 50 Anos. Contribuções para os estudios linguísticos e filológicos, eds. Dermeval da Hora, Juliene Lopes R. Pedrosa, and Rubens M. Lucena. João Pessoa: Ideia. 2071 - 2114.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. (2014). “Prejuicio, orgullo y humor en chistes étnicos sobre argentinos,” Perspectivas del Humor: Estudios del humor luso-hispánico, eds. Louis Imperiale and Thaís Leão Vieira. São Paulo (Brasil): Verona
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. (2013). “Análisis discursivo de las funciones de la ironía verbal en conversaciones entre familiares y amigos.” Perspectivas teóricas y experimentales sobre el español de la Argentina, eds Laura Colantoni and Celeste Rodríguez Louro. 523-536.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. (2010). “La ironía verbal como una categoría prototípica en español: un análisis discursivo.” Lingüística e hispanismo, eds. Sueiro Justel, J., M. Cuevas Alonso, V. Dacosta Cea y M.ª R. Pérez Rodríguez. Lugo: Axac. 325-341
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. (2010). “Humor in Verbal Irony.” Dialogue in Spanish: Studies in functions and contexts, Eds. Dale Koike and Lidia Rodriguez-Alfano. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. (2009). “Análisis discursivo de la ironía y la parodia verbal como formas de humor conversacional.” Ironizar, parodiar, satirizar: Estudios sobre el humor y la risa en la lengua, la literatura y la cultura, ed. Eduardo Parrilla Sotomayor. Monterrey, México: Eongraf. México.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. (2009). “La resolución de consignas en situación de exámen y sus problemáticas. Incidencia de lo cognitivo, de lo socio-cultural y de las consignas del docente.” Lenguas Modernas. Universidad de Chile.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. (2009). “Aires de familia entre la ironía, el sarcasmo y la parodia en la conversación entre argentinos.” Revista Iberoamericana de Lingüística, 4, 69-111.

BOOK REVIEW

• Kalbermatten, M. I. 2005. Review: Understanding Reading: A Psycholinguistic Analysis of Reading and Learning to Read: Frank Smith. Linguist List: Vol-16-374.

HONORS AND GRANTS

• Curriculum Development and Revitalization Grant. 2022. Kendall Center. Gustavus Adolphus College.
• Mansergh-Stuessey Foundation Grant. 2022. Spanish for the Mayan Community: Building Connections and Community.
• Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) Mini-grant. 2021. Kendall Center. Gustavus Adolphus College.
• Presidential Faculty-Student Collaboration Grant 2017-2018. Professor María Isabel Kalbermatten and James Ramsburg (18). Project: “Manipulation and Representation of Reality in Cristina Kirchner’s Political Discourses from 2007 to 2015.”
• Summer Block Grant Dissertation Fellowship. Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, University of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 2005.
• Summer Block Grant Dissertation Fellowship. Verbal Irony as a Prototype Category in Spanish: a Discoursive and Phonological Analysis. Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, University of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 2004.

CONFERENCES

• Professor Francisco Ocampo, Professor Ana Forcinito (Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Minnesota) and I were responsible for the organization of  XII Annual Conference of the International Society for Luso-Hispanic Humor Studies that was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota in fall of 2010.

1. Invited Speaker

• De teorías monologuistas a un análisis dialógico de la ironía en la conversación. Hispanic & Luso-Brasilian Linguistic Association, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Minnesota, March, 2021.
• ¿Por qué nuestros alumnos no entienden las consignas en situaciones de exámenes? III Jornadas Pedagógicas. Colegios Intervida, Quetzaltenalgo, Guatemala, November, 2005.
• Estrategias para mejorar el proceso de escritura de textos. III Jornadas Pedagógicas. Colegios Intervida, Quetzaltenalgo, Guatemala, November, 2005.

2. Papers and Presentations

• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "El poder del humor político: Estimulando el pensamiento crítico en estudiantes de español en una universidad estadounidense." XXXVI Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (CILH), San Sebastián, Spain, June 26-28, 2024.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "Teaching Political Humor and Manipulation in Times of COVID-19." 2023 International Humor Conference of the International Society of Humor Studies, Boston, MA, July 3-7, 2023.
  
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "En busca de una caracterización de la ironía verbal en español." XXXII Congreso Internacionale de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (CILH), Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, March 9-11, 2023.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "Análisis dialógico de la ironía en la conversación." XXVIII Congreso Internacionale de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (CILH), Virtual, June 24-26, 2021.
  
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “La (re)producción del orden de género a través del humor en conversaciones entre mujeres.” XIX Congress of International Society for Luso-Hispanic Humor Studies. UABCS campus La Paz, La Paz, BCS, México, November 19-22 2019.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “ 'La Argentina real' vs. 'La Argentina mediática' in Cristina Kirchner's Political Discourses from 2007 to 2015.” 2018 KFLC: The Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Conference, Lexington, Missouri, April 19-21 2018.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "¿Es la ironía verbal una categoría prototípica o una categoría ejemplar?" XVIII Congreso Internacional de la Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de América Latina. (ALFAL). Bogotá, Colombia, July, 24-28 2017.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "Conversational Humor, Gender, and Ideology in Talks Among Female Friends." 2016 International Humor Conference of the International Society of Humor Studies, Dublin, Ireland, June 27-July 1, 2016.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "¿Es la ironía verbal una categoría prototípica? Relectura desde un enfoque dialógico." 4th International  Conference Language and Literature, Santander, Spain, June 20-22, 2016.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "Argentina’s Economic Situation through the Optic of Tabaré’s Diogenes y el Linyera." 2015 International Humor Conference of the International Society of Humor Studies, Oakland, CA, June 29-July 3, 2015.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "El uso de intensificadores como indicadores y/o marcas de la ironía en conversaciones informales." XVe Colloque international de linguistique ibéro-romane. CILIR2015. Libéro-Association Française de Linguistique Ibéro-Romane. Université de Rouen, Rouen, June, 3-5 2015.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “Humor político y manipulación en tres diarios de Argentina.” XV Congress of International Society for Luso-Hispanic Humor Studies. University of Hawaii, Manõa, October, 16-17 2014.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “Marcas e indicadores de la ironía en conversaciones entre familiares y amigos de Santa Fe (Argentina).” XVII Congreso Internacional de la Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de América Latina. (ALFAL). João Pessoa, Brasil, July, 14-19 2014.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “Prejuicio, orgullo y humor en chistes étnicos sobre argentinos.” XIV Congress of International Society for Luso-Hispanic Humor Studies. Kansas City, Missouri, October, 17-19 2013.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “Is Verbal Irony always Funny?” 6th Annual International Conference on Linguistics. ATINER. Athens, Greece, July, 8-11 2013.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “Faceboom vs. Facebook. Humor, ironía y parodia en una visión crítica de la red social más popular del mundo.” XIII Congress of International Society for Luso-Hispanic Humor Studies. Lisboa, Portugal, October, 17-19 2012.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “Ideología, género e ironía verbal: La (re)producción del orden de género a través del uso de la ironía verbal en conversaciones entre mujeres de Santa Fe (Argentina).” XVI Congreso Internacional de la Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de América Latina. (ALFAL). Alcalá de Henares, España, June, 6-9 2011.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “Why are Men More Ironic Than Women? Gender differences in the Use of Verbal Irony in Conversation.” PAMLA (Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association), Chaminade University of Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii, November, 13-14 2010.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel y Ocampo, Alicia. “De mujer a mujer: Una invitación a reír y reflexionar sobre nosotras mismas desde la mirada incisiva de Maitena". XII Congress of International Society for Luso-Hispanic Humor Studies. Minneapolis, USA, October, 22-24 2010.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “¿Por qué los hombres son más irónicos que las mujeres? Diferencias de género en el uso de la ironía en la conversación”. Hispanic Linguistics Symposium & The Conference on the Acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese as First and Second Languages, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, October, 21-24 2009.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel, and Nieto, Shirley. "Podcast for Language Learning." 11th Biennal Northeast Regional Meeting of the AATSP, Boston, New Hampshire, October, 9-12 2009.
• Nieto, Shirley, and Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "Tips from Students for Students." MCTLC Fall Conference, Eagen, Minnesota, October, 16-17 2008.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “¿Por qué usamos la ironía verbal en lugar del lenguaje directo?” XV Congreso Internacional de la Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de América Latina. (ALFAL). Montevideo, Uruguay, AUGUST, 18-21 2008.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. "La ironía verbal como una categoría prototípica en español: un análisis discursivo." III Congreso Internacional de Lingüística Hispánica Jóvenes investigadores en Lenguas y Lingüística. Vigo, Spain, October 18-20 2007.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. “Yo nunca fui irónico y no lo volveré a ser”. La incompatibilidad o incongruencia entre dos interpretaciones simultáneas como generadora del humor en la ironía verbal. Conference on Spanish and Portuguese Dialogue Studies. Austin, Texas, April 19-20 2007.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. La ironía y la parodia verbal como formas de humor conversacional. X Congress of International Society for Luso-Hispanic Humor Studies. Monterrey, Mexico, October 2006.
• Kalbermatten, María Isabel. La ironía verbal como una categoría prototípica en español: un análisis discursivo. XIV International Congress of Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de la América Latina (ALFAL) Monterrey, México, October, 2005.
• Kalbermatten, M. I. and Simón, E. Dialectal Problems, Bad Linguistic Habits, or Language Anomalies? XII International Congress of Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de la América Latina (ALFAL) Santiago de Chile, Chile, August 9th – 14th, 1999.
• Kalbermatten, M. I. and Simón, E. Linguistic Training of Spelling for Teachers in Rural Schools Through Distance Learning. IX International Congress on Technology and Distance Learning. Consorcio Red de Educación a Distancia (CREAD), Universidad Estatal a Distancia de San José de Costa Rica (UNED) San José, Costa Rica, November 2nd – 5th, 1998.
• Kalbermatten, M. I. and Simón, E. Dialectal Problems, Bad Linguistic Habits, or Language Anomalies? International Workshop of Applied Linguistics. University of La Habana, College of Foreign Languages. La Habana, Cuba, December 12th, 1997.
• Kalbermatten, M. I. and Simón, E. Linguistic Training of Spelling for Teachers in Rural Schools Through Distance Learning. International Workshop of Applied Linguistics. University of La Habana, College of Foreign Languages. La Habana, Cuba, December 12th, 1997.
• Kalbermatten, M. I., Simón, E., and Ramondelli, S. Dialectal Problems, Bad Linguistic Habits, or Language Anomalies? I Meeting of CelSul (Circolo de Estudos Linguísticos do Sul). Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro do Comunicaçao e Expressao, CelSul. Florianópolis, Brazil, November 13th – 14th, 1995.
• Kalbermatten, M. I., Simón, E., and Ramondelli, S. Linguistic Training of Spelling for Teachers in Rural Schools Through Distance Learning. I Meeting of CelSul (Circolo de Estudos Linguísticos do Sul). Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro do Comunicaçao e Expressao, CelSul. Florianópolis, Brazil, November 13th – 14th, 1995.

Courses Taught