Bio
Fernando Casanova is originally from Asunción, Paraguay, and has a passion for cooking, music, and linguistics. He began his culinary training in Paraguay before moving to Florida, where he continued his culinary education at McFatter College. In addition to his culinary interests, he has a deep appreciation for music and has played classical guitar since the age of 12, a lifelong passion that continues to shape his creative pursuits. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran, and his military service provided opportunities to travel extensively, fostering a lasting appreciation for languages, cultures, and people.
Fernando earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish, with a minor in Philosophy, from the University of San Diego. He later completed a master's degree in Spanish at San Diego State University, where he wrote a thesis on motivation of Spanish heritage speakers to enroll in upper-level Spanish classes. His academic and research interests focus on linguistics, particularly heritage language speakers, languages in contact, bilingual development, language teaching methodologies, curriculum development, and educational ideologies.
Specialization
Iberian Linguistics