Joan DebrahInstructor, French

Joan Debrah

1st year and 2nd year French; French conversation
Office: Moore Hall 452  | Phone: (808) 956-4179
Email: joand@hawaii.edu

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Joan grew up in Tennessee, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Guam before moving to Hawaii in 1977. She double-majored in French and Spanish, earned her secondary teaching credentials, then graduated with an M.A. in French from UH Manoa.

She teaches and coordinates first- and second-year French, as well as well as upper-level courses including conversation, advanced conversation, composition, reading, and culture. She has served as study abroad resident director numerous times in Angers, Annecy, and Paris, France. She is the advisor for Pi Delta Phi (National French Honor Society) and the French club, is the current présidente of AATF, and has been active in HALT and coordinating high school visits. She teaches and coordinates first- and second-year French, as well as well as upper-level courses including conversation, advanced conversation, composition, reading, and culture. She has served as study abroad resident director numerous times in Angers, Annecy, and Paris, France.

She is the advisor for Pi Delta Phi (National French Honor Society) and the French club, is the current présidente of AATF, and has been active in HALT and coordinating high school visits. Extra-curricular interests include kempo karate, hiking, reading, and walking the dog. Her love of language learning dates from first learning to count in Japanese at age 3 from her dad, coming home from elementary school to teach her little brother colors in Spanish, continuing with Spanish and then Latin in high school, and then adding French and Japanese as a freshman at the University of Guam. See more