Overview

Gabriela is an Associate Professor in Language Education. She has worked as a researcher, language teacher educator, and supervisor of masters and doctoral projects at the universities of Bath and Exeter (UK) since 2009. She has published in English, German and French in fields related to language education and multilingualism from perspectives such as social cohesion and social psychology. She is the author of publications such as a Case Study report on Multingualism in Vocational Education and Training (VET), a book on Languages and Social Cohesion (Meier & Smala 2022), Multilingual Socialisation in Education (Meier, 2018) and The Multilingual Turn as a Critical Movement in Education (Meier, 2017).

PhD supervision: I'd be happy to consider supervising PhD projects in fields related to the use and development of language skills in the workplace, e.g. as part of an apprenticeship (vocational education and training VET). See m-voc project and how to write a PhD proposal for details.

My roles in the university comprise, leadership of the MEd modules: “bilingual and multilingual approaches to language teaching and learning (EFPM292)” and “principles of language learning (EFPM266)”, as well as the co-ordination of the Language and Education Network.

Keywords: Vocational Education and Training (VET), multilingual education, bilingual, plurilingual repertoire, social cohesion, multilingual turn, multilingual socialisation, identities, language socialisation.

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Current projects

m-voc: Multilingualism in vocational education and Training (VET)

This project on the the role of languages in Vocational Education and Training from the perspective of apprentices and other stakeholders in Switzerland is a collaboration with bzbs (Berufsbildungszentrum Buchs Sargans, Switzerland).

The overall aim of the m-voc project (Multilingualism in Vocational Education) is to gain insights into the role of languages in internal and external relationships at work and in vocational school, as well as into the use and evaluation of languages in different professions. The project is guided by the following questions:

• What languages do learners bring with them to vocational education and training (VET)?
• How do learners develop and use their languages during VET?
• What role do languages play in the linguistic socialisation of learners in different occupations?
• What does appropriate language education look like in VET programmes?

We explore these questions using a case study in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

• Project duration: October 2021 - December 2023.
• Principal Investigator: Dr Gabriela Meier (University of Exeter)
• Co-Investigator: Esther Styger (bzbs)

Funded by Movetia International Cooperation Project

Languages and Social Cohesion

2017- 2022  Together with Simone Smala (University of Queensland) and Helen Lawson (University of Exeter), I devleoped a systematic literature review, which resulted in a body of literature (n=285). This is theorised, analysed and discussed in a book: Meier & Smala (2022). Languages and Social Cohesion a Transdisciplinary Literature Review. Routledge (available from 26 July 2021).

ENROPE: supporting early-career researchers

ENROPE is an international, cooperative project aiming to provide high-quality qualification and networking structures for professional development for junior researchers in the field of language education and plurilingualism. The ENROPE project works at the interface of language education research and language teaching. ENROPE promotes inquiry-based and research-related classroom development that is sensitive to the linguistic ecology of classrooms and their environments.

University of Exeter was a project partner in ENROPE (2018-21)

ENROPE group (2021) ENROPE European Network for Junior Researchers in the Field of Plurilingualism and Education. Website

Co-founded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

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Multilingual socialisation in education

(M-Soc self-study unit for educators open open for participation)

We have developed a self-study unit for educators at all levels and subjects that provides a structure to reflect on experience, practice and contexts, as well as to raise awareness of challenges and opportunities of using several languages in education. It takes about 30 mins to complete and works best on a bigger screen.

Study materials included: 1) a framework for reflection, 2) a downloadble PDF with your responses, 3) external URL links with teaching ideas, 4) a related article (Meier, 2018) free of charge.

Resource for teacher educators and for professional development: PDFs generated by the survey can be used for group discussions as part of pre-service and in-service training. However, participation should always be voluntary. The survey is based on an article that can act as alternative self-study material: Meier (2018).

What survey users say:

• “Wow, what an interesting unit! I really enjoyed it and it got me thinking.” (teacher educator, UK)
• “Very simple to use and a great audit tool.” (primary teacher, UK)
• “It really made me want to give multilingualism more/a space in my lessons”. (English teacher, vocational college, Switzerland)

Self-study unit designed by Gabriela Meier and Anita Wood (2019)

Completed projects

Evaluation of bilingual Wix Primary School/Ecole de Wix

This research project resulted in an evaluation of a English-French bilingual school in London (2010-12). The project was funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Full report

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Books: 

Meier, Gabriela & Smala, Simone (in press) Languages and Social Cohesion: A transdisciplinary literature review. Routledge Focus Series.

Jean Conteh and Gabriela Meier (2014) The multilingual turn in languages education: opportunities and challenges. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. Order for £15 instead of £34.95

Recent articles:

Ince, M. & Meier, G. (2023)

Meier, G. (2018). Multilingual socialisation in education: Introducing the M-SOC approach. In Language Education and Multilingualism: The Langscape Journal, Vol. 1, pp. 103-125.

Meier, G. (2017) The multilingual turn as a critical movement in education: assumptions, challenges and a need for reflection. Applied Linguistics Review. 8 (1): 131-161.

Bilingual Immersion Education Network - www.bien.org.uk

Qualifications

Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy

MA and PhD European Studies, University of Exeter (UK)

PGCE University of Plymouth (UK)

BA Translation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW, Switzerland)

Vocational degree in Business Administration (KV Zürich Business School, Switzerland)

Links

• Project web page: Evaluation of Wix Primary School:In what way has the introduction of the bilingual stream been a recipe for success?

Research group links

• Centre for Research in Writing
• Language and Education Network

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Research

Research interests

My reserach interests have been inspired by my own migratory, linguistic and academic biography and experiences, having studied, worked and lived in the German and and French part of Switzerland, Spain, and in the UK.

Perspectives: I use perspectives of social cohesion, social psychology and applied linguistics (multilingualism, plurilingualism, language identity, language socialisation, language policy and planning) to tackle over-arching questions such as:

• What role do language repertoires and societal multilingualism play in the life of individuals and societies?
• What role do language repertoires and societal multilingualism play in educational contexts?

Methodology: I adopt pragmatic critical approaches to research, guided by my research participants' concerns, contextual observations and reserach questions. I use a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, including mixed methods to collect and analyse data, such as inferential statistics and thematic analysis. I engage in primary research with participants, as well as in documentary analysis and literature reviews.

Supervision: I support masters and doctoral projects that overlap with my reserach interests. I welcome applications from prospective students who consider doing a doctorate in fields related to the use and development of language skills in the workplace, e.g. as part of an apprenticeship (vocational education and training VET). See m-voc project and how to write a PhD proposal for details.

Research projects

2022-23      Together with Esther Styger (bzbs Switzerland) I look into multilingualsim in vocational education and training (VET), in the framework of the m-voc project funded by Movetia, bzbs and University of Exeter.

2017 -        Together with Anita Wood, we have designed a self-study unit and research survey based on a multilingual socialisation framework (Meier, 2018). This is now open for participation. 

• For more information click here.
• To go directly to the M-SOC Self-Study Unit and Survey click here.

2017- 2022  Together with Simone Smala (University of Queensland) and Helen Lawson (University of Exeter), I devleoped a systematic literature review, which resulted in a body of literature (n=285). This is theorised, analysed and discussed in a book: Meier & Smala (2022). Languages and Social Cohesion a Transdisciplinary Literature Review. Routledge (available from 26 July 2021).

2016-2020 Together with Emese Hall (University of Exeter) and a group of postgraduate researchers (University of Exeter), we have developed and trialled collaborative drawing for literacy engagement and identity affirmation in multilingual settings and developed some guidance for practice and research. Gabriela Meier, Emese Hall, Xuying Fan, Jingya Liu, Tian Yan, Hamad Alshaikhi & Younis Al Shabibi (2019). The potential of collaborative drawing for literacy engagement and identity affirmation in multilingual settings: Guidance for practice and research. Tilburg Papers in Culture Studies (Paper 231).

2017-2018 I conducted a theoretical  review of publications related to monolingual norms and alternative multilingual approaches to understanding learning, to establish a framework to help reflect and develop multilingual socialisation approaches. (see Meier, 2018).

2016-2017 I conducted a documentary analysis of 21 book chapters to establish assumptions about language, language learners and languag elearning inherent in the 'multilingual turn'. (see Meier 2017).

2015-16 Together with Birgit Schumacher, I conducted a documentary analysis to understand the conditions that led to and enable the institutionalisation of the Berlin State-Europe Schools (Staatliche Europa-Schule Berlin) that offers bilingual education in nine different language combinations. (see Meier and Schumacher, 2016)

(2011-12) I conducted research in an English-French bilingual school project in London. This study was funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. I was interested in the cooperation between two school systems (French independent and English state school), the language communities, and the implications of this for learners and their school. See Meier (2012). Directory of bilingual education programmes in the UK and Australia: www.bien.org.uk

(2009-10) Assessment of the year abroad in modern language degrees. This included a survey among students and tutors at the University of Bath with the aim to review the assessment process of this particular largley autonomous learning experience. Based on one of my recommendations, I was involved in the follow-on debriefing pilot project (see Meier and Daniels, 2013) .

(2005-2009) I have conducted research in Berlin (Staatliche Europa-Schule) where about 6000 children and young people are taught in German and one other language throughout their schooling (13 years). These other languages are locally spoken languages, namely English, French, Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish. I found that this school system for instance benefits group cohesion and conflict resolution skills, and that it could serve as a model for other multilingual parts of Europe, including the UK. (See Meier 2009, 2010, 2014).

Research networks

LiVE Network - Languages in Vocational Education

ENROPE - Network for early-career reserachers working in the field of plurilingualism

Langscape - A European network of academics interested in plurlilingualism and identity in language education.

BAAL - British Association of Applied Linguistics

UACES - University Association of Contemporary European Studies

EEPN - European Education Policy Network

ALL - Association for Language Learning

NALDIC - The national subject organisation for English as an additional language (UK)

Research grants

• 2022 movetia
  The aim of the m-voc project (Multilingualism in Vocational Education) is to gain insights into the role of languages in internal and external relationships at work and in vocational school, as well as into the use and evaluation of languages in different professions.
• 2018 European Commission
  ENROPE is an international, cooperative project aiming to provide high-quality qualification and networking structures for junior researchers in the field of language education and plurilingualism. Website https://enrope.eu/
• 2016 University of Exeter Discretionary Fund
  Project title: Languages and Social Cohesion This project supported a transdisciplinary literature and systematic literature review, resulting in a book (Meier & Smala, 2022, Languages and Social Cohesion) and a data set (Meier, Smala & Lawson, 2022).
• 2016 University of Exeter Project Development Fund
  Project title: Languages and Social Cohesion This funding allowed us to enable Dr Simone Smala, the project partner, to come to Exeter as a visiting scholar to work on a systematic literature review, resulting in a book (Meier & Smala, 2022, Languages and Social Cohesion) and a data set (Meier, Smala & Lawson, 2022).
• 2012 University of Exeter Foundation
  This grant enables setting up a website: Bilingual Immersion Education Network (www.bien.org.uk) that brings together stakeholders who would like to learn more about this type of bilingual education in the UK, and to raise awareness of this potentially effective method of learning additional languages. It complements the project funded by Esm�e Fairbairn.
• 2011 Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
  This is an evaluation of a bilingual (English-French) two-way immersion project in London. This is the first such model in England. Data collection is based on observations, and research with children, staff and parents. It comprises quantitative and qualitative methods. The project outcomes will be impact-oriented, and will include a workshop and setting up a network for stakeholders in the UK and ultimately in Europe. Thus, I'd be interested to hear about any other two-way bilingual projects in the UK and in Europe.

Links

• Multilingualism in Vocational Education

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Publications

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Teaching

EFPM266 Principles of Language Learning

EFPM292 Bilingual and Multilingual Perspectives on Language Learning and Teaching

Office hours for MEd TESOL students: Wed 1-2pm (or by appointment)

Modules

2023/24

• EFPM266 - Principles of Language Learning for TESOL
• EFPM292 - Bilingual and Multilingual Perspectives on Language Learning and Teaching
• EFPM329 - Preparing for TESOL Inquiry and Dissertation

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Supervision / Group

Postgraduate researchers

Alumni

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Office Hours:

Office hours: Mondays mostly 2-3pm UK time

• 16.10.2023:  BC106 – 2-3pm
• 23.10.2023:  Teams – 2-3pm
• 30.10.3023:  BC106 – 2-3pm
• 6.11.2023:    Teams – 2-3pm
• 13.11.2023:  BC106 – 2-3pm
• 20.11.2023:  BC106 – 2-3pm
• 27.11.2023:  Teams – 1-2pm
• 4.12.2023:    send any questions per email
• 11.12.2023:  send any questions per email

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