Faidra is a Senior Departmental Lecturer in Second Language Acquisition, and the Course Director of the MSc Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching (ALLT) at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. Faidra convenes the Creative Approaches to Teaching English (CreATE) Group, which explores the relationship between language learning and the arts.
Faidra’s research programme focuses on three interconnected areas of second language acquisition, examining (1) how young multilingual learners develop their second language knowledge, (2) how that knowledge can be measured, and (3) how it can be enhanced through pedagogical intervention. First, Faidra investigates how young learners acquire a second language, with particular interest in the role of crosslinguistic influence in second language learning. Second, she examines how young learners’ second language knowledge can be assessed, including through the development and evaluation of oral language measures for multilingual learners. Third, she explores how second language development can be enhanced through creative approaches to learning and teaching. To this end, Faidra is currently developing and trialling a drama-based intervention designed to support young learners’ linguistic, communicative, and socioemotional development.
Prior to joining the Department as a Lecturer in 2021, Faidra received a BA in Linguistics from UCL, as well as an MSc in Applied Linguistics & Second Language Acquisition and a DPhil in Education from the University of Oxford. Furthermore, she has a CELTA from UCL’s Centre for Languages and International Education and possesses experience of teaching English to adults and children in diverse educational settings. Faidra is also an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
Doctoral Applications
Faidra accepts DPhil applications, and welcomes informal contacts from students who are interested in one or more of the following broad topics:
- Second language development in young learners.
- Measurement of second language knowledge in young learners.
- Creative approaches to second language learning and teaching for young learners, with particular focus on drama-based pedagogies.
