Shushan Karapetian

Director, 2023 – Present

Institute of Armenian Studies, University of Southern California

Deputy Director, 2019 – 2022

Institute of Armenian Studies, University of Southern California

Associate Director, 2018 – 2020

National Heritage Language Resource Center, University of California, Los Angeles

Adjunct Faculty, 2017 – 2020

Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Hindi and Urdu Language Pedagogy, Kean University, New Jersey

Lecturer, 2014 – 2019

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles

Program Director, 2014 – 2018

Center for World Languages/National Heritage Language Resource Center, University of California, Los Angeles

Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015 – 2016

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles

Ph.D., 2014

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

University of California, Los Angeles

Dissertation: “How Do I Teach My Kids My Broken Armenian?”:

A Study of Eastern Armenian Heritage Language Speakers in Los Angeles

Co-chairs: Professor S. Peter Cowe, Professor Olga Kagan

Graduate Certificate in TESFL,  2011

Department of Applied Linguistics

University of California, Los Angeles

M.A., 2009               

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

University of California, Los Angeles

B.A., 2004                    

Anthropology, cum laude

Minors – French and Armenian Studies

University of California, Los Angeles

Broadcasting Armenia(nness) via Vanity License Plates in Los Angeles

Key Topics: immigrants in Los Angeles, ethnic identity, minority language, pluricentric language, language in diaspora, language and identity, performativity, linguistic landscapes, vanity plates

Performing Masculinity: Language and Gender in Domain Resilience of Armenian in Diasporic Context

Key Topics: language and gender, language and identity, language in diaspora, codes of masculinity, machismo in immigrant contexts, transnationalism and migration, Soviet legacy, post-Soviet networks, performativity, urban youth culture and gangs in Los Angeles, heritage/minority/non-dominant languages, domain resilience, language use patterns, visual and linguistic codes – tattoos, colloquial vernaculars, macho street slang

Trauma and Resilience in Post 2020 War Armenia and Artsakh

Key Topics: historical trauma, intergenerational trauma, recycled trauma, transgenerational resilience, post-traumatic growth, war and trauma, conflict and resilience

Podcast: Language Therapy with Dr. K

June 2019 – Present

Description: Podcast that examines how sociolinguistic forces drive attitudes, decisions, and practices around language, especially in the Armenian world. We bring together language experts, cultural icons, artists, and regular people from all walks of life, and try to boil down nuanced language issues while offering some much-needed therapy and catharsis.

Role: Host, Creator, Producer, Content-editor

Total listens on all platforms: 11, 468

Educational Video Series: Word of the Day

November 2019 – February 2023

Description: YouTube and IG video series that teaches Armenian words (via English) in a fun, engaging manner, using etymologies, sociolinguistic norms, and current language practices.

Role: Creator, Host, Content-editor

Total views on all platforms: 88,000

Karapetian, Shushan. (2024). Performing diasporic resistance: (Re)claiming the heritage language. Brown Journal of World Affairs, 30(2), 185-198.

Karapetian, S. & Kouloujian, H. (2021). “Armenian in Greater Los Angeles:
Negotiating intralinguistic diversity in a diaspora epicenter.” (Eds.), C. Chik & M. Carreira. Multilingual La La Land. New York and London: Routledge.

Karapetian, S., Carreira, M., & Chik, C. (2019). “Project-based learning in the context of teaching heritage language learners.” (Ed.), A. Gras-Velázquez. Project-Based Learning in Second Language Acquisition: Building Communities of Practice in Higher Education. New York and London: Routledge.

Karapetian, S.  (2019). “Eastern Armenian speakers as potential Western Armenian learners: Reflections on second dialect acquisition.” B. Der Matossian & B. Der Mugrdechian (Eds.), Western Armenian in the 21^st Century: Challenges and New Approaches. Fresno, CA: The Press at Fresno State.

Karapetian, S. (2018). “The evolving role of language in the construction of Armenian identity in the diaspora.” In H. Berberian & T. Daryaee (Eds.), Armenian Identity Through the Ages. Mazda Publishers. 

Karapetian, S. (2018). “Defective Armenian: The destructive impact of heritage language anxiety.” In S. Kresin & S. Bauckus (Eds.), Connecting across Languages and Cultures: A Heritage Language Festschrift in Honor of Olga E. Kagan. Bloomington, IN: Slavica.

Karapetian, S. (2017). “Challenges with institutionalizing a pluricentric diasporic language: The case of Armenian in Los Angeles.” In O. Kagan, M. Carreira, & C. Chick (Eds.), A Handbook on Heritage Language Education: From Innovation to Program Building. New York and London: Routledge.

Karapetian, S. (2017). “Buzz by Violet Grigoryan.” In T. Boyadjian (Ed.). Anthology of contemporary Armenian literature. Absinthe: Journal of World Literature in Translation. University of Michigan.

Karapetian, S. (2011). Armenian for heritage students: A student friendly textbook. Center for World Languages. UCLA. Los Angeles.

Karapetian, S. (2011). Curriculum for a high school Armenian heritage course. National Heritage Language Resource Center, UCLA. Los Angeles.

2018    Russ Campbell Young Scholar Award, National Heritage Language Resource Center

2015    Distinguished Dissertation Award for 2011-2014, Society for Armenian Studies

2014    Armenian Studies Postdoctoral Scholarship Recipient, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

2013    Dissertation Year Fellow, UCLA Graduate Division

2013    Nominated for Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award, UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

2012    Kaspar and Siroon Hovannisian Fellow, UCLA Graduate Division

2011    Karekin Der Avedisian Memorial Recipient, UCLA Graduate Division

2010    Mangasar M. Mangasarian Scholar, UCLA Graduate Division

2009    Karekin Der Avedisian Memorial Recipient, UCLA Graduate Division

2007    Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow for Russian, UCLA Center for European and Russian Studies

2023    “Between Cultural Preservation and Multicultural Awareness.” The Global Armenian Diaspora: Combining Thought and Action. Conference organized by the Pan Armenian Council of Western USA. Los Angeles, CA, April 29.

2022    “Diaspora schools and teaching Armenian language and culture in the Diaspora.” Global  Armenian Summit organized by the Office of the High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs. Yerevan, Armenia, October 29- 31.

2021   “Armenian Studies programs around the world.” ARPA Institute. Remote. November 20.

2019    “Pluricentric Armenian in a diasporic context: Reflections on second dialect acquisition.” University of Michigan, Armenian Studies Program. Ann Arbor, MI, September 18.

2019    “Promoting and cultivating Armenian in the diaspora.” GARS Academy. Glendale, CA, January 23.

2018    “Languages in a diasporic context.” National Language Service Corps. Studio City, CA, November 29.

2017    “Defective Armenian: The destructive impact of shaming heritage language speakers.” ARPA Institute Presentation. Merdinian School, Sherman Oaks, CA, June 15.

2016    “Out of the box: Challenging approaches to language transmission in the Diaspora.” Innovate Armenia. University of Southern California. Los Angeles, CA, April 2.

2015    “Shaming heritage speakers into (un)speaking Armenian.” Vahe & Armine Meghrouni Lecture Series in Armenian Studies. University of California, Irvine, School of Humanities. Irvine, CA, November 17.

2015    “How to preserve and enhance Armenian language, literature, and identity.” Educational Committee of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley. Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America. La Crescenta, CA, October 25.

2015    “The evolving role of language in the construction of Armenian identity in the diaspora.” Armenian Identity Through the Ages: An International Conference in Armenian Studies, University of California, Irvine. Irvine, CA, April 6-7.

2014    “Introduction to Armenian heritage language learners and the challenges of instruction.” Annual Professional Development Day, Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools, Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian School. Los Angeles, CA, November 8.

2013    “Best practices in heritage language instruction.” Startalk/National Heritage Language Resource Center, Heritage Language Teacher Workshop, University of California, Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA, July 24.

2012    “‘Who are Armenian heritage language learners?’: The future of Armenian language in the diaspora.” Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, Pasadena “Shahan Shahnour” Chapter. Los Angeles, CA, June 3.

2024    “Performing Ethnolinguistic Masculinity.” Paper presented for Armenian Studies: Evolving Connections and Conversations conference organized by the Society for Armenian Studies and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. Harvard University, Boston, MA, September 13-15.

2024    “No Longer Post-Genocide: Claiming Armenian as Act of Resistance.” Paper presented for Genocide and Survivor Communities: Agency, Resistance, Recognition conference organized by the International Network of Genocide Scholars (INoGS),
co-organized and hosted by the USC Dornsife Center for Advanced Genocide Research. USC, Los Angeles, CA, June 23-26.

2023    “Narratives of Masculinity: From Thieves in Law to Armenian Power.” Paper presented for the 55^th Annual Convention of the ASEEES for a special panel entitled “Soviet Legacies of Marginalization: Complicating Identity Narratives of (De)colonization in Multipolar Armenian Contexts.” Philadelphia, PA, November 30-December 3.

2023    “Imposed Armenianness in the Process of Becoming American.” Paper presented for the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting: Transitions for a special panel entitled “Armenianness in Flux: Identities in Transition or Transitions in Identities?” Toronto, Canada, November 15-19.

2023    “Transplanted Masculinity: Heritage Armenian in Los Angeles.” Paper presented for The Soviet Experience in Armenia and Its Legacy conference organized by the University of Michigan and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Republic of Armenia. National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, June 13-15, 2023.

2023    “Performing Diasporic Resistance: (Re)Claiming the Heritage Language.” Paper     presented at Fourteenth Heritage Language Research Institute for a special panel entitled “Languages in the War Zone: Armenian.” UCLA Luskin Center, Los Angeles, CA, June 5-8.   

2023    “Heritage Armenian as Dominant Code of Performing Masculinity.” Poster presented at Fourteenth Heritage Language Research Institute. UCLA Luskin Center, Los Angeles, CA, June 5-8.   

2022    “Performing masculinity: Codes of manhood.” Paper presented at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting for a special panel entitled “The Condition of Being After: Thinking with and through the ‘Post’ in Armenia.” Via Zoom, November 12.

2022    “Growing up with war: Historical trauma and resilience” and “Stewards of trauma: Weighing the impact on the oral historian.” Panelist on two panels at the Oral History Association 2022 Annual Meeting. Los Angeles, October 12-22.

2022    «Արականության դրսեւորումն ու կատարումը հայերենով Լոս Անջելեսի համայնքում» / “Performing masculinity: Domain resilience in Armenian.” Paper presented at UCLA Armenian Studies Workshop «Հայոց լեզվի ծագումը, ինքնությունը և արդիական խնդիրները» / Armenian language: Origins, Structures and Contemporary Questions. Los Angeles, CA, June 3-4.

2019  “Digital solutions and challenges for Armenian as a heritage language.” Paper presented at the Digital Armenian Conference. National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO). Paris, France, October 3-5.

2018    “Defective Armenian: The Destructive Impact of Heritage Language Anxiety.” Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Heritage/Community Languages. National Heritage Language Resource Center. UCLA. Los Angeles, CA, February 17.

2017    “Eastern Armenian speakers as potential Western Armenian learners: Reflections on second dialect acquisition.” Paper presented at Transmitting Western Armenian to the Next Generation. Society for Armenian Studies. Washington D.C., November 18.

2015    “The problem with language as moral obligation.” Paper presented at Innovation in Education: Challenges in Teaching Western Armenian in the 21^st Century. Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales. Paris, France, September 21.

2015    “Language as victim: The burden of language as a moral obligation.” Paper presented at a conference dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide – The Armenian Genocide: Accounting and Accountability, California State University, Northridge. Los Angeles, CA, January 31.

2014    “Access denied: A linguistic identity crisis among Armenian heritage learners.” Paper presented at the Second International Conference on Heritage/Community Languages. UCLA. Los Angeles, CA, March 7.

2013    “New strategies and methodologies for teaching of modern Armenian language.” Roundtable presentation at the Middle East Studies Association 2013 Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA, October 11.

2013    “‘Where is the line of retreat?’: Challenges facing Armenian schools in Southern California.” Paper presented at the NHLRC Conference: Challenges and Achievements in Community Language Schools. Los Angeles, CA, April 13.

2012    “Challenges and recommendations for a community heritage language school seeking higher proficiency results: A case study of Chamlian Armenian School in Los Angeles.” Paper presented at the 15th Annual NCOLCTL Conference: Promoting Advanced Language Proficiency and Intercultural Competency in LCTLs. Madison, WI, April 28.

2012    “‘How can I teach my kids my broken Armenian?’: The impact of language ideology on language use.” Paper presented at the 2012 Graduate Student Colloquium in Armenian Studies. Los Angeles, CA, February 17.

2011    “Symbolic role of the Armenian language for heritage learners.” Paper presented at the Public Conference: Language and Migration, Department of Applied Linguistics, UCLA. Los Angeles, CA, November 4.

2010    “The unique case of Armenian in the National Heritage Language Learner Survey.” Paper presented at the “The Real California Gold” Indigenous and Immigrant Heritage Languages of California, Second Language Acquisition Institute, UC Davis. Davis, CA, May 8.

2010    “Service learning at the service of Armenian heritage language learners.” Paper presented at the 2010 Western Consortium Middle East Language Workshop: Language Beyond the Classroom: Developing and Maintaining Advanced Proficiency, University of Arizona. Tucson, AZ, April 17.

2009    “William Saroyan’s ‘The Hungerers.’” Paper presented at the Third Annual Conference on Armenian Writers, UCLA. Los Angeles, CA, November 7.

2009    “The drama and dramatist in Hovhannes Tumanian.” Paper presented at the Graduate Student Workshop in Armenian Studies, University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI, April 16.

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Institute of Armenian Studies – Instructor

MDA 330: The Armenian Heritage: History, Arts, & Culture (Spring 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

MDA 333: Colloquium in Armenian Studies (Fall 2020, 2022, 2024)

University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Armenian Studies – Course Developer and Instructor

Language in Diaspora: Armenian as Heritage Language (Winter 2016, Spring 2017, 2018)

Armenian as an Immigrant/Heritage Language in the US (Fall 2015)

Beginning Eastern Armenian (Spring 2009-2018)

Department of Slavic, East European & Eurasian Languages and Cultures – Instructor

Teaching and Learning of Heritage Languages (Fall 2017-2019)

Center for World Languages/National Heritage Language Resource Center- Course Developer and Instructor 

Armenian for Armenian Speakers (Summer 2010-2015)

Writing Programs – Instructor

Conversation & Interaction for Academic Purposes (Summer 2012-2015)

Public Speaking for Academic Purposes (Summer 2012-2014)

Department of History – Teaching Assistant

Introduction to Oral History (Spring 2007, 2008)

Kean University, Nathan Weiss Graduate College, NJ

Hindi and Urdu Language Pedagogy – Course Developer and Instructor

Language Acquisition: Theory and Research (Fall 2018)

Hindi and Urdu Community and Heritage Language Learners: Theory and Practice (Fall 2017,

2019)

Glendale Community College, Glendale, CA – Instructor

Basic Conversation in Armenian (2005-2007, 2008-2011)

Armenian for Native Speakers (2005-2007, 2008-2011)

20^th and 21^st Century Armenian Literature (2007)

National Heritage Language Resource Center, Advisory Board Member (2020 – Present)

Society for Armenian Studies, Executive Board Member, Treasurer (2020 – Present)

Journal of the Society of Armenian Studies, Editorial Board Member (2019 – Present)

Armenian General Benevolent Union Education Task Force (2017 – Present)

Gulbenkian Foundation Western Armenian Education Workshop (2016 – Present)

Armenian Language Revitalization Committee of the Western Prelacy (2014 – Present)

Armenian Task Force of the Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools (2013 – Present)

Saroyan Project, Chamlian Armenian School (2011 – 2015)

Eastern Armenian – Native/Fluent

Western Armenian – Fluent

Classical Armenian – Advanced

French – Advanced

Russian – Advanced

German – Reading knowledge