Language, Literacies and Learning Research Group

The Surrey Language, Literacies and Learning Research Group is interested in the role of language and literacies in different learning contexts. 

Our research

Our research focuses on exploring and understanding how students and teachers use linguistic and interactional repertoires to develop conceptual understanding as well as how students and teachers develop literacies in a variety of contexts.

We examine the areas of linguistics and literacies in educational contexts including compulsory school contexts, higher education and teacher education. 

    Current projects

    • 2022-23 Discovering doctoral literacies: the emergence of new literacy events and relational doctoral practice: UKLA funded project
    • 2022-2023 Belonging to and beyond higher education in hybrid spaces: collaborative SRHE-funded project with Deakin University and Curtin University to examine how and in what ways educators can foster students’ sense of belonging and engagement in the digital university.
    • 2021 – 2023: Performing knowledge in spoken and written contexts: non-funded project based at the University of Surrey exploring PhD students’ experiences of confirmation viva
    • 2022 User experiences of a Whatsapp-supported appointment scheduling system: funded through ESRC Impact Accelerator
    • 2020 – 2021 Staff and Educational Development Society (SEDA) grant: Developing a dialogic teaching approach to teach critical thinking skills 
    • 2019 – 2021 British Academy grant: Supporting Exiled Syrian Academics in preparing journal articles from research 
    • 2020 – 2021 Collaborative project with University of New South Wales, Australia: Scoping study on oracy and equality 
    • 2020 – 2021 Collaborative project with Birkbeck University, UK: Translanguaging in collaborative research project meetings: linguistic repertoires and strategies of exiled Syrian academics 
    • 2019 – 2021 Collaborative project with Drake University and the University of Maine (USA), Maynooth University (Ireland) and the University of Edinburgh (UK): Writing beyond the University – an exploration of connections and transitions.

    Meet the team

    Directors

    Marion Heron profile image

    Dr Marion Heron

    Associate Professor in Educational Linguistics

    Doris Dippold profile image

    Dr Doris Dippold

    Senior Lecturer in Intercultural Communication

    Karen Gravett profile image

    Dr Karen Gravett

    Associate Professor in Higher Education; Associate Head (Research); Director of the PG Cert in Learning and Teaching in HE and AFHEA pathway.

    PhD students

    • Priyanki Ghosh
    • Ayesha Mudhaffer
    • Luke Draper
    • Jessica Marsh
    • Dominique Hopgood
    • Samaher Aljabri
    • Lingyu Wang
    • Hanaa Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
    • Adeeba Ahmad
    • Thiago Bogossian Porto
    • Raniah Kabooha
    • Fengmei Zhu
    • Asif Soofi
    • Gustavo Zomer
    • Razan Al Adwan
    • Bianca Sanfilippo
    • Beyza Uçar
    • Hebba Himdi
    • Dina Mousawa
    • Claire Seller
    • Mohammad Makram Mareye
    • Paul Fernandez
    • Lingyu Wang
    • Razan Abourabi Al-Adwan 

    Previous events

    Stay connected

    @LLL_research

    Twitter profile image for LLL_research
    Very much looking forward to hearing from @shelleuk at our research meeting today, on her research into Adventures… https://t.co/bRf3ZZdRNi
    Twitter profile image for LLL_research
    Fantastic discussions on linguistic ethnography and microanalysis of data. Thank you @HelenDonaghue Looking forwar… https://t.co/ifrDqoeqFr
    Twitter profile image for LLL_research
    We are really looking forward to hearing from @HelenDonaghue today at the LLL research group. She will be sharing h… https://t.co/fymwQBrdlp