Hamish is the Course Director of the MSc Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching (ALLT). He lectures and supervises on the MSc Applied Linguistics & Second Language Acquisition (ALSLA) and the MSc Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching (ALLT).

He is director of the International Database of Education Systematic Reviews (IDESR.org), a database of published systematic reviews in Education and a clearinghouse for protocol registration of ongoing and planned systematic reviews. He convenes the REAL (research in EAL) group at the Department. He is co-director of the Oxford Education Deanery.

Hamish’s research interest centres on evaluation of pedagogical approaches to teaching children who use English as an Additional Language (EAL). In particular, his research focuses on the use of the first language as a pedagogical tool for multilingual learners in English medium classrooms. His methodological interest is in randomised trials and systematic reviews. He is also an advocate for user engagement in research and public understanding of science.

Hamish welcomes expressions of interest for doctoral study in the field of EAL, bilingualism and bilingual schooling, international schooling, and instructed language learning. He is particularly keen to hear from prospective students wishing to conduct systematic reviews and experiments in these areas.

Publications

Books

Journal articles

Book Chapters

  • Chalmers, H. & Murphy, V. (2022). Multilingual Learners, linguistic pluralism and implications for education and research. In Macaro, E., & Woore, R. (Eds.) Debates in Second Language Education. Abingdon: Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003008361-6.
  • Murphy, V. & Chalmers, H. (2022) The impact of language learning on wider academic outcomes. In K. McManus & M. Schmid (eds.), How special are early birds?: Foreign language teaching and learning, pp. 165-188. Berlin: Language Science Press. Doi: 10.5218/zenodo.6811470

Reports

Research

Book chapters
  • Murphy, V., & Chalmers, H. (2022). The impact of language learning on wider academic outcomes. In K. McManus & M. Schmid (Eds.), How special are early birds?: Foreign language teaching and learning (pp. 165-188). Language Science Press.
    https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6811470https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:dfa0e021-4df9-4a4f-a055-024cfddaf3aa

  • MURPHY, V. (2022). Myths and misconceptions in bilingual language development. In H. CHALMERS & T. Bennett (Eds.), The researchED guide to English as an Additional Language: An evidence-informed guide for teachers. John Catt.

  • Chalmers, H., & Murphy, V. (2021). Multilingual learners, linguistic pluralism and implications for education and research. In E. Macaro & R. Woore (Eds.), Debates in Second Language Education (pp. 66-88). Routledge.
    https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003008361-6https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:7cc73ea2-c80c-447e-9aad-0df02641ef21

  • Journal articles
  • Isaacs, T., & Chalmers, H. (2023). Reducing ‘avoidable research waste’ in applied linguistics research: Insights from healthcare research. Language Teaching, 1-18.
    https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444823000411

  • Chalmers, H., Faitaki, F., & Murphy, V. (2023). Setting research priorities for English as an additional language: what do research users want from EAL research?. Language Teaching for Young Learners, 6(1), 5-31.
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.00043.sethttps://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:e18e7581-8c66-4c20-83be-edeae2b5463c

  • Chalmers, H., Faitaki, F., & Murphy, V. (n.d.). Setting research priorities for English as an Additional Language: What do research users want from EAL research?. Language Teaching for Young Learners.

  • Huang, X., & Chalmers, H. (2023). Implementation and effects of pedagogical translanguaging in EFL classrooms: a systematic review. Languages, 8(3).
    https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030194https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:84e23758-a81b-410c-9ddb-b9f878d68fc6

  • Chong, S., Bond, M., & Chalmers, H. (2023). Opening the methodological black box of research synthesis in language education: where are we now and where are we heading?. Applied Linguistics Review, 15(4), 1557-1568.
    https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2022-0193https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:958a186b-51fe-4106-85aa-519d7fb66f08

  • Chalmers, H., Brown, J., & Koryakina, A. (2023). Topics, publication patterns, and reporting quality in systematic reviews in language education. Lessons from the International Database of Education Systematic Reviews (IDESR). Applied Linguistics Review.
    https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2022-0190https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:752a01c7-1a55-452b-97a4-bbbb343ec6e9

  • Jitpaisarnwattana, N., & Chalmers, H. (2021). Can I MOOC to catch up? The effects of using an LMOOC as a remedial tool for EFL students in Thailand. English Language Teaching, 15(1), 37-52.
    https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v15n1p37https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:f0e213b6-ab20-4d4e-895c-13ec4ebd038f

  • Hamilton, C., Schulz, J., Chalmers, H., & Murphy, V. (n.d.). Investigating the substantive linguistic effects of using songs for teaching second or foreign languages to preschool, primary and secondary school learners: a systematic review of intervention research. System.

  • Hamilton, C., Schulz, J., Chalmers, H., & Murphy, V. (n.d.). Investigating the substantive linguistic effects of using songs for teaching second or foreign languages to preschool, primary and secondary school learners: a systematic review of intervention research. System.
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:76786352-3b9c-4c89-a967-a454fd9635d9

  • Internet publication
  • Chalmers, H. (2016). Can education learn from evidence-based medicine?. Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:28bac2d8-0c15-4b9b-8251-e17200c7062c

  • Reports
  • Murphy, V., Arndt, H., Briggs Baffoe-Djan, J., Chalmers, H., Macaro, E., Rose, H., Vanderplank, R., & Woore, R. (2020). Foreign language learning and its impact on wider academic outcomes: A rapid evidence assessment. Education Endowment Foundation.
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:4e6f26ba-44b3-452c-b959-18150b9d4093

  • Other
  • Chalmers, H., & Crisfield, E. (2021). Drawing on linguistic and cultural capital to create positive learning cultures for EAL learners. In Impact (Issues 5, pp. 40-43). Chartered College of Teaching.
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:af79c70a-7b88-4925-93e3-fd8c10918768

  • Chalmers, H. (2019). Why all the fuss about randomised trials?. In researchED Magazine (Issues 3, pp. 12-13). John Catt Educational.
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:892e4abe-e18b-4595-a7f6-70669247cfc2

  • Chalmers, H. (2019). The role of the first language in English medium instruction. In ELT Position Papers. Oxford University Press.
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:19f2118e-21e9-4203-868c-45f347f9bfce

  • Müller, L.-M., Morris, A., Sharples, J., Chislett, J., Rose, N., & Chalmers, H. (2018). Assessing claims in education - The ACE concepts. In Impact (Issues 8, pp. 60-63). Chartered College of Teaching.
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:356f8a3c-5bec-44a2-a1ee-0b8f2906d966

  • Chalmers, H. (2017). What does research tell us about using the first language as a pedagogical tool?. In EAL Journal: Vol. Summer 2017 (Issues 3, pp. 54-58). National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC).
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:a35d9e01-6e02-422e-b11a-9f0846afe4b2

  • Chalmers, H. (2015). How to ... inspire EAL students. In Times Educational Supplement (Issues 5173, pp. 42-43). TES Global.
    https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:355eff25-c8e2-4c3b-881e-231b623e5242

  • Funded Research Projects

    • Evaluating inter-instrument reliability in the assessment of methodological trustworthiness in reports of experiments and quasi-experiments in education research
      March 2023 - April 2024
    • Foreign language learning and its impact on wider academic outcomes: A rapid evidence assessment
      Oct 2019 - Dec 2019
    • Setting Research Priorities for English as an Additional Language: What do stakeholders want from EAL research?
      July 2020 - July 2021