Silvia Pessoa is a Ph.D. candidate in Second Language Acquisition at Carnegie Mellon University where she specializes in bilingualism, biliteracy, and the education of immigrant adolescents. Silvia has experience teaching elementary and intermediate courses in Spanish at both Carnegie Mellon and the University of Michigan. At both institutions Silvia has regularly used films to expose students to the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. In addition to her Spanish teaching experience, Silvia has taught ESL at various institutions in Michigan, including the English Language Institute at the University of Michigan where she has taught academic ESL. She has also participated in the Migrant… Outreach and Education Program at the University of Michigan developing bilingual materials to teach ESL to migrant workers. Originally from Uruguay, Silvia taught EFL for many years in her native country where she developed various materials to teach American culture through film. Silvia is an active member of ACTFL, TESOL, and AAAL and has presented at various national and international conferences.