I am an academic assistant in the Department of Translation, Interpreting and Communication (Faculty of Arts and Philosophy) at Ghent University. My position involves research (pursuing a PhD) and teaching activities (in the English section of the department).
My driving force for conducting research into language learning stems from my personal multilingual experiences both as a language learner (first language attrition, motivation to reactivate the first language, and language-use anxiety) and as a language teacher (designing activities and resources to manage learners’ language anxiety, and to increase their linguistic self-confidence and self-efficacy).
Before starting my role at Ghent University in 2020, I worked in the field of education for over 4 years, first at a national awarding organisation in the UK, and then at an education expertise organisation in Finland. Through these early career experiences, I had opportunities to gain insight into what constitutes high-impact, empowering education practices in terms of equity, inclusion, and relevance.
Now, my work at Ghent University brings together my unrelenting passion for language, my long-term aim of conducting doctoral-level pedagogy-driven research on the affective factors of language learning, and my desire to facilitate learner-centred education and embark on a shared learning journey with students.
