OurÌýcommunity of teacher educatorsÌýconductsÌýresearch,ÌýteachesÌýandÌýadvocatesÌýin areasÌýrelated to language,Ìýliteracy andÌýcultureÌýacross theÌýentireÌýeducation system. We also research and teach children’s literature, multimodal digital literature and advocate for multimodal literacy education to prepare children for compelling literacy skills in the digital era. We have specific expertise in school-age education as well as adult, community and higher education.
We haveÌýaÌýrich experienceÌýgained fromÌýworking with diverse language and cultural groups,Ìýincluding linguistic minorities, immigrant and refugee communities, transnational students, EAL/D (English as an additional language/dialect) /EFLÌý(English asÌýforeignÌýlanguage)/ESLÌý(English asÌýsecondÌýlanguage)Ìýstudents, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples.ÌýWeÌýare acutely aware of the politics of colonisation and assimilation and issues ofÌýeducational disadvantage,ÌýandÌýour work seeksÌýto resist the disenfranchisement that these politics cause.
We exploreÌýhowÌýdeficit framingsÌý–Ìýset against dominant assumptions about educational background, linguistic heritage, affiliation and expertise, and student and family capacityÌý–Ìýcreate implicit and explicit barriers for engagement and success in multilingual educational communities in Australia and internationally.ÌýWe identify ways to empowerÌýstudents, teachers,Ìýteacher educators, curriculum developers and policymakersÌýwith critical awareness and resourcesÌýin response toÌýthe challenges associated with language,Ìýliteracy, literatureÌýand cultureÌýinÌýeducation.Ìý
Themes and signature projects
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Led byÌýAssociate ProfessorÌýHoaÌýNguyen,ÌýProfessor Andy Gao,ÌýDr Dennis Alonzo,ÌýEmeritus Professor Sue Starfield, Dr Lisa Gilanyi, Dr Hang Nguyen, Trang Hoang.
Publications from this project
Nguyen HTM; Nguyen HTT; Gilanyi L; Hoang TH; Gao X, 2025, 'Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): Teachers’ metacognitive understanding of pedagogical translanguaging', Learning and Instruction, 97, pp. 102085,
Nguyen HTM; Nguyen HTT; Gao X; Hoang TH; Starfield S, 2024, 'Developing professional capacity for Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) teaching in Vietnam: tensions and responses', Language and Education, 38, pp. 118 - 138,
Research team: who are we?
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Academic staffÌý
- Professor Andy Gao
- Associate ProfessorÌýHoaÌýNguyen
- Dr Troy McConachy (Research group convenor)
- Dr Thu Ngo
- Dr Lisa Gilanyi
- Dr Katrina Kemp
- Dr Jasper Hsieh
- Dr. Tanya Kwee
- Dr Luan Nguyen
Researchers
Expertise
Topics
Theoretical frameworkÌý
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Language Education Policy (e.g. medium of instruction, CLIL, language curriculum)
Ìý
Language Teacher Education
Ìý
Language Learning strategies (e.g. SLA)
Social cultural theory
Ecological perspectiveHoaÌýNguyen
Language Teacher Education & Professional Development Social cultural theory
Positioning theoryTroy McConachy
Intercultural learning in education, especially language teaching.
Ìý
Language teacher education (from an intercultural perspective)
Ìý
Language and literacy development
Ìý
L2 pragmatics & intercultural pragmatics
Ìý
Teacher and learner identity
Ìý
Internationalisation of the curriculum
- Theories of intercultural learning (e.g. intercultural competence, intercultural learning, intercultural adaptation etc.)
- Sociocultural theory
- Intercultural pragmatics
Ìý
ThuÌýNgo
Multimodal literacy: language, body language, image and sound
Ìý
Digital literacy: technology in language teaching & learning
Ìý
Language educationÌý
Ìý
Children’s literature
- Systemic Functional Linguistics/ Semiotics
- Literature studies
- Film studies
Lisa Gilanyi Language teacher education
Ìý
Language and literacy development
Ìý
Family language practices
Ìý
Communication skills
Ìý
Using interpreters/translators in qualitative research
- Bourdieu’s theory of capital
- Language investment
Jasper Hsieh Language Policy and Planning (e.g.
Ìý
Bilingual education, EMI, CLIL)
Ìý
Language teacher education
ÌýInternational students
Social cultural theory
TESOL, educational design and educational technology
Katrina Kemp Literacy pedagogy (especially creative, arts-informed strategies)
Ìý
Early literacy and language development
Ìý
HPGE and differentiation
Ìý
Curriculum change and impacts on teaching / learning (especially on literacy learning)
Phenomenology Tanya Kwee Language education
Ìý
Teacher training and professional development
Ìý
STEM education and education for sustainable development
Ìý Luan Nguyen Instructional design
Ìý
Teacher education and development
Ìý
Educational technology
Ìý Honorary staffÌý
- Professor Anne Burns
- EmeritusÌýProfessor Chris Davison
- EmeritusÌýProfessor Sue Starfield
- Associate Professor Pauline Gibbons
- Dr Michael Michell
- Dr Greg VassÌý
Casual staff
- Katherine Thompson
- David Coombes
- RubeeÌýMcManus
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- Professor Bonny Norton (University of British Columbia)
- Professor Jim Cummins (University of Toronto)
- Professor Constant Leung (King’s College London)
- Professor Jo Lo Bianco (University of Melbourne)Ìý
- Professor BrianÌýPaltridgeÌýUniversity of Sydney
- Professor Zhu Hua (University of Birmingham)
- ProfessorÌýYongyanÌýZheng (Fudan University)
- Dr Cathie Burgess (USyd)Ìý
- Associate Professor Neil Harrison (Macquarie)
- DrÌýMairinÌýHennebry-Leung (University of Tasmania)
- Dr Laura GrassickÌý(University of Leeds)Ìý
- Dr Hang Nguyen (Vietnam National University)
- Dr Lan AnhÌýTran (VietnamÌýNational University)
- Dr Obaid Hamid (University of Queensland)
- Professor Len Unsworth (Australian Catholic University)
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Ìý
Name
Thesis Topic
Supervisor 1
Supervisor 2
Research interests
Hengxi Wang
ESP teacher identity construction in China
Andy Gao
Jasper Hsieh
TESOL
Noryani Ahmad
The Implementation of Systemic Functional Linguistics in Enhancing Anakytical Wtiting Skills among ESL Engineering Undergraduates
Dennis Alonzo
Chris Davison
SFL, Second Language Acquisition
Muhammad Iqwan Sanjani
Family Language Policy, Translanguaging, Transnational Families, Migrants
Sally Baker
Andy Gao
Language Policy, Multilingualism, Translanguaging
Bita Dwi Rahmani
Teacher Feedback Literacy
Dennis Alonzo
Chris Davison
Feedback practices, language assessment, language testing, teacher professional development
Exploring language teachers and learners’ experience of online informal English language learningÌýin Indonesian higher education contexts
Andy Gao
Hoa Nguyen
Informal language learning, technology in language learning, autonomy in languageÌýlearning
Professional development for CLIL teachers
Hoa Nguyen
Tony Loughland
CLIL teacher professional learning Faisal Mustafa Language teachers’ TPACK in rural areas in Indonesia Hoa Nguyen Andy Gao English language education, technology in language teaching, language testing, and linguistics. Li Xu Language teacher engagement in research in China Hoa Nguyen Tony Loughland Teacher research, ESP Dewi Wardah Mazidatur Rohmah Mentoring conversation for language teachers in Indonesia Hoa Nguyen Andy Gao Mentoring and positioning theory Merlyn Nelloe AI in language education Hoa Nguyen Andy Gao Language education Yi Sun
The professional experience of return TESOL graduate teachers in China
Andy Gao
Jasper Hsieh
TESOL pedagogy; teacher education; teacher professional development; educational leadershipÌý
Minghao Chen
Dual roles of parent-teachers in the intersection of family language policy and language education policy
Andy Gao
Sue Starfield
Family language policy
Priyanka Bose
Understanding Family Language Policy Using Digital Communications Among Bengali Immigrants in Australia
Andy Gao
Sue Starfield
Sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, discourse analysis, thematic analysis, multimodal discourse analysis
Hui Wang
Language Maintenance and Shift in Ethnic Russian Families: A Transnational Study on the Russian Chinese Diaspora in China and Australia
Anikó Hatoss
Andy Gao
Sociolinguistics, language shift
Alice (shuting) Sun
ÌýInternational students' experiences of and responses to assessment and feedback in Australian universities
Andy Gao
Chris Davison
Assessment and feedback, Higher Education, International student experience
Rifki Irawan
Enhancing the teaching and learning of multimodal critical literature and literacy in preservice TESOL teacher program
Thu Ngo
Louise Ravelli
Andy Gao
Systemic Functional Linguistics, Social semiotics, film study, technology education
Fang Xia
An SFL perspective on tertiary EFL textbooks and Its implications in SFL oral communication teaching
Thu Ngo
Andy Gao
Louise Ravelli
Troy McConachy
Systemic Functional Linguistics, TESOL education, textbook design
Alisha Phonie
Understanding and improving the (multimodal) text comprehension and response outcomes of secondary students in Regional NSW
Thu Ngo
Louise Ravelli
Systemic Functional Linguistics, Literacy education, Differentiated Literacy instructions
Chintya Artilla
Investigating critical thinking in international students’ written tasks
Thu Ngo
Ìý SFL, critical thinking, writing
Ìý
Hien Tran
Vietnamese English language learners’ oral communication skills development
Ìý
Troy McConachy
Hoa Nguyen
Reflection, oracy, intercultural competence
Current activities
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Online, monthly (complemented by face-to-face seminars pre- and post-COVID19)
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Online monthly meetings includingÌýcollaboratorsÌýinÌýAustralia and overseas (complemented by face-to-face seminars pre- and post-COVID19)
Partners and collaborators
Courses andÌýprograms
- Master of Teaching, Bachelor of Education,Ìý
- Master of Education, Graduate Certificate of Education (TESOL)
- Master of Educational Leadership
- MEd (Research), EdD, PhD