Denise O'Leary

Assistant Professor in Psycholinguistics

Research Interests

My main area of interest is Language Education and in particular classroom based second-language learning/acquisition. My research to date has been policy-oriented and involved evaluation and monitoring of second-language teaching and learning in school settings. I am particularly interested in what learners are able to do with the language they are learning, and what kinds of factors shape their attitudes to languages and language use. My interests also include first language acquisition, in particular child language acquisition and bilingualism.

Selected Publications

• O’Leary, D. (2012) Scagadh beag ar dhearcaidh i leith na Gaeilge i measc maithreacha paisti atá no a bheidh ag freastal ar Ghaelscoileanna. (A small-scale exploration of attitudes to Irish among a group of mothers of children attending or due to attend all-Irish primary school.) in, editor Ó Broin, B., Thógamar le Gaeilge Iad. Taighde agus plé ar thógail clainne le Gaeilge. Dublin: Coiscéim, pp62 – 84.
• O'Leary, D. & Carson, L., Foreign languages in Irish post-primary education: Provision, participation and performance, LPLL Conference: Language Policy and Language Learning: New Paradigms and New Challenges, Limerick, June, 2009, 2009
• Harris, J. & O’Leary, D. (2009) A Third Language at Primary Level in Ireland: An independent evaluation of the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative in, editor(s)Nikolov, M. , Early Learning of Modern Foreign Languages: Processes and Outcomes, Clevedon, Multilingual Matters Ltd, pp1 – 12.
• Harris, J. & O’Leary, D. (2009) Modern Languages in Irish Primary Schools. Views and practices of Principals and Class Teachers. Report submitted to the Department of Education and Science. Dublin: Department of Education and Science. pp1-168 (plus Appendices).
• Harris, J. & O Leary, D. , Linguistic diversity at an earlier age: An independent evaluation of the Modern Language in Primary School Initiative in Ireland, Linguistic Diversity, Cork: University College Cork, Nov 4th-5th, 2005

Teaching/Supervision

Postgraduate (M.Phil.)
• Research methods, experimental design and statistics
• Language testing (finishing 2011)
• Bilingualism and the Maintenance of Irish (from 2012-2013 on)
• Postgraduate previous: Developing Language Skills
Undergraduate (CSLL; CSLS, Broad Curriculum):

• Statistics for Linguistics and Language Study (CSLL SF)
• Introduction to Language Transcription and CHILDES (CSLS JF)
• Language, the Individual and Society (Course Coordinator and lecturer) (BCLNG1; CSLS JF; CSLL JF)
• Language and Mind (Course Coordinator) (BCLNG2)

Denise O'Leary on the TCD Research Support System

Contact Details

Centre for Language and Communication Studies
Room 4037
Arts Building
Trinity College
Dublin 2.

Telephone: +353 1 896 3582
Fax: +353 1 896 2941
Email: olearyde@tcd.ie