Dr. Daniel Woolsey
Professor of Spanish, Department Chair![Profile photo of Dr. Daniel Woolsey](https://hope.edu/graphics/prportraits/DanielWoolsey.jpg)
Daniel Woolsey was raised and educated in Santiago, Chile, where his parents served as missionaries for more than 25 years. He joined the Hope College faculty in 2005 and works in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. Daniel has taught all levels of Spanish language and culture, as well as advanced courses in linguistics, teaching methods and senior seminar. He has also coordinated a number of co-curricular programs to help participants improve their language skills: student-led Spanish conversation groups, a community-facing ESL program, and reciprocal Spanish-English conversation hours. Daniel directed the Spanish Immersion Continuation Program from 2016 to 2021, and he now serves as the academic advisor for high school students who take Hope language courses through the college’s dual enrollment program.
As chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures, Daniel oversees language programs and curricula. He enjoys working on creative solutions to address challenges faced by departments of world languages. He led the DWLC through an external review in 2023–24, and has served as an external reviewer for other institutions.
Daniel and his wife Lisa (who teaches part-time in the Department of Biology) are working to establish a Hope College May Term program to northern Spain; participants will walk sections of the Camino Francés of the Way of Saint James.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Daniel specializes in foreign language education (FLE) and classroom second language acquisition (SLA). He has presented and published on the SLA of the Spanish verb estar with adjectives and has given talks on a variety of topics in FLE. Daniel has worked on the design and implementation of curricular materials, academic courses and major/minor programs, and he is especially proud of Ritmos and Rostros, a first- and second-year Spanish curriculum that emphasizes oral proficiency and cultural competency, and explores big ideas in the history, literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking world.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., foreign language education, Indiana University, 2006
- M.A., educational ministries, Wheaton College, 1998
- B.A., modern languages: French, Wheaton College, 1996
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Rostros: Intermediate Spanish Language and Culture, with C. Casarez-Heyda, L. Forester, D. Antoniuk and J. Douma, Live Oak Multimedia, 2019
- Ritmos: Beginning Spanish Language and Culture, with L. Forester and D. Antoniuk, Live Oak Multimedia, 2012
- Second Language Acquisition of the Spanish Verb ESTAR with Adjectives: An Exploration of Contexts of Comparison and Immediate Experience, LINCOM EUROPA, 2009
View more of Dr. Woolsey’s publications on his CV
OUTSIDE THE COLLEGE
Daniel loves anything fútbol: playing, coaching or watching his beloved Arsenal or the Chilean national team. Sometimes you can catch him testing his (aging) skills against Hope students on the IM field! He also loves walks with Lisa and their two doodles, hanging out with his son, and going to the movies with his daughter. Daniel enjoys hikes and bicycle rides, well-written TV series and playing through RPG video games during the winter months (his favorite thus far is Elden Ring).
![Profile photo of Dr. Daniel Woolsey](https://hope.edu/graphics/prportraits/DanielWoolsey.jpg)
616.395.7269
woolsey@hope.eduMartha Miller Center-Room 228 257 Columbia Avenue Holland, MI 49423-3615![A map showing the location for Dr. Daniel Woolsey](http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=340x280¢er=Martha Miller Center-Room 228 257 Columbia Avenue Holland MI 49423-3615&zoom=15&markers=scale:3%7Cicon:http://hope.edu/_resources/img/icn-map-marker.png%7CMartha Miller Center-Room 228 257 Columbia Avenue Holland MI 49423-3615&sensor=false&style=saturation:-100&scale=2&key=AIzaSyCSiJ175npSXzwXV5DXyOt_MAiV0HMYVUg)