Carol M. Archer was born and raised in the cotton fields of West Texas where she developed a passion for different languages and cultures along with a vivid imagination. She studied English and Latin American studies and began to teach English as a second language to international students at the University of Houston in 1975. This provided a foundation for her interest in cross-cultural communication studies. After living, working and studying in Argentina, Guatemala and Algeria, she began a 45 year study of Culture Bumps – those moments when we encounter a cultural difference that catches our attention. Her first academic publication was in 1986 with a chapter entitled “Beyond Culture Bump”, in Culture Bound, edited by Joyce M. Valdes, published by Cambridge University Press. An early ESL reader that introduces fictional characters from around the world who encounter and analyze their culture bumps, Living with Strangers in the USA is available on Amazon. She continues to publish about Culture Bumps and their value in forming human connections. Her latest is Culture Bump: 8 Steps to Common Ground.
She is also a poet with poetry published in the West Texas literary journal, Cenizo. In addition, she writes children’s stories and plays. One of her children’s stories, To Meet a Queen: More than Cousins, is available on Amazon.
Carol lives in Houston with two cats, Luci and Fiona, her nephew, Rodger and an ancient upright piano.
