Dean Domingo

Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures

Dean Domingo of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures at UH Mānoa did not initially have it in his plans to be a teacher. He was drawn to Ilokano as it was “a language at home, as is the case of many Ilokano families whose children are born local but are deprived of their heritage, including the language of their parents and their ancestors.” After only teaching a few classes, though, he “found that thing they call “psychic reward…with each student’s life being revealed subtly in their writings and how they express themselves during class discussions.” Professor Domingo is very well versed in the intricacies of language teaching; he competently utilizes highly effective instructional strategies and tools such as game-based and content-based lessons, show-and-tell sessions, roleplays, rubrics, and many more to provide “meaningful learning environment in the classroom” for all his students. It is evident that teaching Ilokano is a labor of love for Prof. Domingo and his students appreciate that he is “eager to share about Philippine Culture as it is a piece of his identity.”