Dr. Emma Riordan

• Riordan, Emma, Earls, Clive, Furlong, Áine, Flynn, Colin, Benini, Silvia, Higher Education Language Educator Competences (HELECs), TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics, 27, 2020Journal Article, 2020, DOI
• Riordan, E., Earls, C., Furlong, Á., Flynn, C., Higher Education Language Educator Competences: A Framework of Competences for Higher Education Language Educators in Ireland, National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2021, 1 - 28Report, 2021, URL
• Emma Riordan, Language for Teaching Purposes: Bilingual classroom discourse and the non-native speaker language teacher, London, Palgrave, 2018Book, 2018, DOI , URL
• Toth, Patricia & Riordan, Emma, "My Polish is dying, and I'm really upset about it!": First language experiences of the 1.5 generation of immigrants in Ireland., Teanga: The Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics, 31, 2024, p119 - 141Journal Article, 2024, DOI
• Emma Riordan, Dragan Miladinovic, Sabine Manhartsbergerm Siobhán Mortell & Megan Dempsey, Exploring the challenges of making digital language learning materials accessible., All Ireland Journal of Higher Education Special Issue with AHEAD, 16, (2), 2024Journal Article, 2024, DOI
• Clive Earls, Emma Riordan, Aine Furlong, Colin Flynn & Silvia Benini, The Complex and Changing Face of Higher-Education Language Teaching in the Republic of Ireland., All Ireland Journal of Higher Education, 14, (3), 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI
• Riordan Emma, Language education for non-native speaker language teachers, TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics, 24, 2018, p44-55-Journal Article, 2018
• Emma Riordan, The policy and practice of teacher target language use in post-primary foreign language classrooms in Ireland., European Journal of Language Policy, 7, (2), 2015, p165 - 179Journal Article, 2015, DOI
• Emma Riordan, Factors affecting target language use in the post-primary classroom in Ireland, Yearbook of the German Studies Association of Ireland, 10, 2015, p109 - 124Journal Article, 2015
• Emma Riordan, Craig Neville & TJ O' Ceallaigh, Translanguaging in Irish-medium education: Balancing plurilingualism and language revitalization., Bridging Voices in Plurilingual Education: Policies, Research and Practices, Roma Tre University, University of Roma Tre, 23rd - 24th October, 2025Conference Paper, 2025
• Emma Riordan & Anne Marie Devlin, Developing Plurilingual Identities During Study Abroad., Association of German Studies Annual Conference, St John"s College, Oxford, September 1st-2nd, 2025Conference Paper, 2025
• TJ O Ceallaigh & Emma Riordan, A plurilingual approach to teaching modern foreign languages in Irish-medium immersion: Implications for teacher education and curriculum design., Irish Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference, Maynooth University, November 18th, 2023Conference Paper, 2023
• Emma Riordan, Dragan Miladinovic & Sabine Manhartsberger, Managing the complexity: enhancing accessibility of and engagement with digital language learning materials., Association of University Language Communities" annual conference, University of Edinburgh, 2023Conference Paper, 2023
• Emma Riordan, Codeswitching processes and practices in the non-immersion language classroom, Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée (AILA) World Congress, Groningen, 15th-20th August, 2021Conference Paper, 2021
• Emma Riordan, 50 Years of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics and TCD, Trinity Tongues, Trinity College Dublin, March 21st 2026, 2026Conference Paper, 2026
• Develin, Anne Marie; Riordan, Emma, Target Language Use and Development and Sociocultural and Psychological Adaptation during Study Abroad: A Systematic Narrative Review of Barriers and Facilitators, Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 38, (1), 2026Journal Article, 2026

• Emma Riordan, Anne Marie Devlin, Developing Plurilingual Identities During Study Abroad, Plurilingualism: Insights from Europe, University College Cork, 7 November 2025, 2025Invited Talk
• Riordan, Emma, Irish Association for Applied Linguistics Annual Conference 2024: Diversity and Identity in Applied Linguistics, IRAAL Newsletter, 2026Report

• Title

  Managing the complexity of digital language teaching materials to enhance accessibility and student engagement
  Summary

  This project addressed the growing challenge of managing digital learning resources for language students and the need to support more effective, accessible, and sustainable independent learning. Language learning is inherently multi"modal, requiring students to engage with written, audio"visual, and interactive materials. While classroom interaction remains essential for developing communicative competence and language"learner identity, students must also undertake substantial autonomous study to reach the proficiency levels expected in degree"level language programmes. The online environment offers significant opportunities to support this independent learning, yet the volume and variety of digital materials can overwhelm both students and teachers. Issues such as limited digital literacy, reliance on mobile devices, and inconsistent course layouts further reduce engagement and hinder students" ability to navigate resources effectively.
  
  During the pandemic, high"quality digital resources were rapidly developed to sustain engagement with the curriculum beyond the classroom. However, recent experience showed that students were not accessing these materials as frequently or effectively as intended. Feedback revealed that many struggled to manage the volume of content, while others expressed a desire for clearer guidance and more structured support. Students studying multiple languages faced an additional challenge: independently designed module layouts created inconsistency across courses, increasing cognitive load and reducing accessibility. Although diversity in pedagogical approaches is a strength across languages, some level of harmonisation in how digital resources are organised and presented would significantly enhance usability and student learning.
  In response, this project undertook a structured review and redesign of the digital learning environment for core first", second" and final"year language modules. Working collaboratively with students and instructional design specialists, the project team analysed existing course structures and developed a more coherent, intuitive architecture for each module.
  
  The aim was to ensure consistent navigation, clear resource pathways, and improved access to the full range of materials that support learner autonomy. This redesign enhanced the learning experience for all students while particularly benefiting those who were struggling with digital overload or managing multiple language courses simultaneously.
  A second aim of the project was to share this work more broadly with colleagues teaching other languages. The project gathered feedback from students on the redesigned modules and documented the process of evaluating and restructuring digital course spaces. These findings were disseminated across relevant teaching teams to identify common design principles that could be adapted across languages while respecting the distinctive pedagogical needs of each. By providing a practical template informed by student experience, the project contributed to a more cohesive and accessible digital learning environment for language students in general.
  Overall, the project strengthened the quality and accessibility of digital provision in language education, improved student engagement with independent learning, and supported the development of a more streamlined and sustainable approach to managing multi"modal resources. It has laid the groundwork for continued collaboration and consistency across language programmes, ultimately enhancing the student experience and supporting the development of greater learner autonomy.
  
  https://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/article/view/789
  Funding Agency

  Inclusive UCC
  Date From

  January 2024
  Date To

  September 2024
• Title

  Higher Education Language Educator Competences (HELECs)
  Summary

  This project addresses the goals of the national languages" strategy, Languages Connect, published in December 2017 by the Department of Education and Skills, which aims to improve the quality of language education provision and dramatically increase the number of students learning a foreign language in Higher Education Institutions by 2026. This will require the recruitment of many new language teaching staff and the upskilling of existing ones in a context of no universally recognised qualification for Higher Education language teachers.
  
  Through consultation with stakeholders, this inter-institutional (University College Cork, Dublin City University, Maynooth University, Waterford Institute of Technology) team of Applied Linguists and language teaching experts are investigating the range of language teacher competences needed in Higher Education. The purpose of the project is to develop an empirically informed spiky profile tool which:
  
  allows HE language teachers to self-asses their competences;
  directs teachers toward resources and initiatives which can support the development of specific competences;
  develops a digital badge system to allow teachers" professional training to be recognised;
  provides a framework for the professionalisation of the field of language teaching in Higher Education.
  This profile will be integrated with the National Forum"s framework for staff who teach in Higher Education and the criteria for the Disciplinary Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) awards.
  https://www.teachingandlearning.ie/project/a-profile-of-skills-for-teachers-of-language-in-higher-education/
  https://hub.teachingandlearning.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Report-Final-The-HELECs-Framework.pdf
  Funding Agency

  National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
  Date From

  February 2019
  Date To

  August 2021
• Title

  Preparing and supporting students to become outward-looking, plurilingual global citizens through international mobility
  Summary

  Reflecting the fact that we live in a highly connected world where intercultural contact in multicultural and multilingual environments cannot be ignored, international learning and teaching has become an increasingly important aspect of higher education. It provides benefits to both the university and individuals. It can lead to greater co-operation in the exchange of knowledge, a sense of global justice, empathy towards other cultures, a sense of citizenship that goes beyond national borders, and the expression of plurilingual identities. This in turn can result in the development of an outward-looking, plurilingual global identity whereby students can critically engage in and across a diversity of languages and cultures. UCC actively supports the integration of international, intercultural and plurilingual dimensions into the delivery of the educational experience. This is seen in many ways, for example in the Praxis Project (SDG4 Quality Education); and in the promotion of international mobility through the Erasmus+ programme and the UNIC Alliance. However, research has consistently shown that simply participating in international mobility is not always enough to guarantee that such developments will occur. Students require pre-departure preparation, support during their stay, and post-mobility opportunities to continue to engage in intercultural, multilingual and globalised learning.
  
  With this in mind, the project takes a participatory research approach to explore the training and support needs of UCC students who experience international mobility during their degree programme. A participatory approach ensures that the proposers of the project and the students who participate collaborate as equal partners in the identification of training and support needs and the compilation of guidelines. We will collaborate with UCC undergraduate students from the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. The study focuses primarily on facilitators and barriers to the emergence of plurilingual global identities. We understand a plurilingual global identity as having the ability to adapt to and communicate across a range of social, cultural and linguistic borders in a just and equitable manner (SDG4). The project has two main aims:
  
  1. To understand the students" perspectives on how their plurilingual global identities develop and what we can do to support this process pre, during and post their stay
  2. To develop guidelines for training and support which could be expanded university wide
  
  To achieve these aims, in consultation with the students, we propose taking two separate but complementary data collection approaches.
  Funding Agency

  Office for the VP for Learning and Teaching UCC
  Date From

  September 2024
  Date To

  June 2025
• Title

  Reframing the debate on language separation in the modern language Irish-medium immersion classroom: Teachers" beliefs, perceptions and practices
  Summary

  Dar le García (2009) agus Baker (2017), tagraíonn trasteangú d"úsáid dhá theanga nó níos mó chun brí nó meabhair a léiriú, eispéireas a mhúnlú, agus teacht ar thuiscint agus ar eolas. Léirítear leis an gcoincheap go bhfeidhmíonn stór teanga iomlán an duine mar aon chóras comhtháite amháin (García, 2009; García & Li Wei, 2014). Áitíonn García (2009) nach rud nádúrtha é do dhaoine dátheangacha a gcuid teangacha a scaradh óna chéile, agus ba í a luaigh an trasteangú mar ghnáthchleachtas sóisialta i measc daoine dátheangacha den chéad uair. Tá forbairt ollmhór tagtha le dhá scór bliain anuas ar an tuiscint atá againn ar an gcaoi a dtéann daoine dátheangacha i mbun foghlama, próiseála agus cumarsáide sna teangacha atá acu. Léiríonn fianaise ó réimsí amhail an tsíceolaíocht chognaíoch, an néaraitheangeolaíocht, agus an tsochtheangeolaíocht go bhfuil baint chasta dhinimiciúil idir na teangacha agus i measc na dteangacha atá ag daoine dátheangacha agus ilteangacha. Ach níl trasteangú ag teacht le prionsabail an tumoideachais lán-Ghaeilge.
  
  Tá ceisteanna ann, mar sin féin, maidir le teangacha uile na ndaltaí a úsáid mar acmhainn d"fhoghlaim nuatheangacha sa tumoideachas. Tabharfaidh an tionscadal taighde seo faoin gceist taighde seo a leanas:
  
  " Cathain agus conas is féidir an úsáid is éifeachtaí a bhaint as teangacha eile in oideolaíocht na nuatheangacha san oideachas lán-Ghaeilge chun inniulacht chumarsáideach agus cruinneas gramadaí sa nuatheanga mar aon le hinniúlachtaí ilteangacha/breisteangacha a fhorbairt?
  Baileofar sonraí ó cheistneoir fairsing ar líne, breathnóireacht ranga, agallaimh aisghairme spreagtha le múinteoirí faoi oiliúint agus le múinteoirí nuatheangacha ag an mbun agus ag an iarbhunleibhéal sa chomhthéacs tumoideachais.
  
  Mar thoradh ar an taighde seo, cuirfear treoir mar aon le creat tacaíochta/sraith straitéisí taighde-bhunaithe, cleachtas-dhírithe ar fáil do mhúinteoirí nuatheangacha ar mhaithe le naisc thras-teanga a fhorbairt agus an trasteangú in úsáid mar chur chuige oideolaíochta chomh maith le spásanna cosanta agus tacaíocht a chur ar fáil go fóill do nuatheangacha sa seomra ranga agus sa chlár agus leibhéil arda forbartha sna nuatheangacha a chinntiú.
  Funding Agency

  An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gealscoilíochta
  Date From

  June 2024

Linguistics, Cultural Studies, Teacher education and professional development of educators, Language studies,

• Boyle Scholarship for German Studies, University College Cork 2005
• National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education seminar series funding 2023, 2019, 2017
• National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancement fund 2018
• Digital Inclusion microgrant UCC 2022
• Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund, 2024
• Postgraduate scholarship Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences 2010-2013
• Scéim Sparántachtaí Taighde: An Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscholaíochta 2023

• Member Cost Action ENIS European Network on International Student Mobility 2025
• Committee Member AILA Europe
• Secretary Irish Association for Applied Linguistics November 2024
• President of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics

• External examiner for German TU Dublin since 2024
• Member of the editorial board for Teanga 2016
• Convener of the conference 30 Years of Erasmus in Ireland: Study Abroad in research and practice, University College Cork, June 2017
• Chair Organising Committee Annual Conference of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics November 2024