Staff Profiles
Dr Elaine Lopez
Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and TESOL
- Email: elaine.lopez@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6564
- Address: 1.38 KGVI
School of ECLS
Newcastle University
Newcastle
NE1 7RU
Background
Background
I joined Newcastle University as Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and TESOL in September 2016, having previously worked at the University of Leeds. My primary research area is formal linguistic (generative) approaches to Second Language Acquisition and the application of this research to the language classroom. I also do collaborative work on child language acquisition. I became interested in acquisition while working as an English language teacher abroad. On returning to the UK I spent a decade working and studying in Yorkshire before moving to the beautiful NE coast.
I am the Degree Programme Director (DPD) for the MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL, the co-convenor/chair of the Language and Cognition Research Group and a Senior Fellow of the HEA. I teach modules on Language Awareness, English for Academic Purposes and Research Methods on the MA ALT. I spend my spare time building sandcastles with my son, boxing, and listening to reggaeton and 90s hip hop.
Qualifications
PhD Linguistics, University of York 2015
LCTL DipTESOL 2011
MA Applied Linguistics with TESOL, University of Sheffield (pass with distinction) 2010
BA English Language and Linguistics, University of Sheffield (first class honours) 2009
Area of expertise
Second Language Acquisition of morpho-syntax
Previous Positions
Lecturer in TESOL, University of Leeds (January 2015-September 2016)
Associate Lecturer in TESOL (English for Academic Purposes), Sheffield Hallam University (2009-2013)
Various ELT roles in Indonesia, Mexico and the UK (2002-2009)
Google scholar: Click here.
Research
I research second language acquisition and language teaching, and my research is underpinned by two key questions: why is what is taught not what is learnt (and vice versa)? and why do learners make the errors that they make? Both of these questions arose when I worked as a language teacher, and after 12 years studying and now researching language acquisition they remain the questions that drive me.
In order to explore these questions I research formal linguistic (generative) approaches to the Second Language Acquisition (SLA) of morpho-syntax as well as more applied work around learning and teaching. My doctoral research was a teaching intervention which investigated the classroom application of generative SLA research. It connected theoretical research on acquisition of the English article system to instruction on articles for Chinese learners of English. Current projects include a corpus study of expletive subject use by Chinese, Spanish and German learners of English, and skills development in highly qualified refugees (funded by Erasmus ).
I am increasingly interested in how individual differences impact on acquisition and learning as well as child language development, both of which are areas I hope to explore more in the near future. I am also interested in how psycholinguistic research methods could be used as a measure of classroom-based learning.
Teaching
Module leader for
ALC8024 Language Awareness
ALC8020 Research Methods
I also teach/have taught on the modules ALC8033 English for Academic Purposes and ALC8026 Language Learning
Degree programme director for the MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Publications
- Lopez E, Sabir M. Article Pedagogy: Encouraging Links between Linguistic Theory and Teaching Practice. RELC Journal 2019, 50(1), 188-201.
- Lopez E. Teaching the English article system: Definiteness and specificity in linguistically-informed instruction. Language Teaching Research 2019, 23(2), 200-217.
- Lopez E. L2 language acquisition in the classroom: perspectives, problems and children’s lives. In: Walker-Gleaves C; Waugh D, ed. Looking After Literacy: A Whole Child Approach to Effective Literacy Interventions. London: Sage, 2017, pp.129-140.
- Lopez E. Bringing theoretical L2 acquisition research findings to the language classroom: a materials development challenge. In: Sheffield Linguistics Postgraduate Conference. 2014, University of Sheffield, UK: Track Changes: The Postgraduate Journal of the Arts and Humanities.