Chiara La Sala

Profile

I graduated in 1991 from the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' with a degree in Modern Languages and Literatures (English and German). I took an MA in Applied Linguistics at the University of Salford, and in 2004 completed a PhD at the University of Leeds on Minority Languages and Dialects in Modern Italy.

I was the LCS Residence Abroad Coordinator in 2014-17, the Director of Italian and the Deputy Director of the Leeds Centre for Excellence in Language Teaching in 2017-20.

I am now the Programme Manager, JH Modern Languages with English, History, Philosophy, Business/Economics, International Relations/Politics.

Responsibilities

• Programme Manager, JH Modern Languages with English, History and Philosophy, POLIS, LUBS

Research interests

Research interests:

My main research and scholarship interest are: error and transfer analysis in second language acquisition; language progress in ab initio and post-A level contexts in HE; integration of CEFR in HE; digital resources to enhance language learning during the Residence Abroad period and enhacement of the pedagogic practice in HE.

I have published on error analysis and transfer analysis, new methodologies and pedagogical techniques to teach grammar, digital resources to enhance SLA during the Residence Abroad Period, the integration of CEFR in the HE assessment criteria,  second language speaking skills and digital learning experiences in HE during COVID-19.

Publications:

Hermoso-Gomez, B., La Sala, C. and Martinho , S. (eds.) (2024) New Trends in the Learning and Teaching of Second Language Speaking Skills in Higher Education. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

La Sala M.C (2023) ‘Digital Learning Experiences and COVID-19: Insights and Perspectives from GTAs’ in Special Issue 2023, ed. by La Sala, Postgraduate Pedagogies, Vol 3, N. 2, https://journals.studentengagement.org.uk/index.php/gtateach/indexHermoso-Gomez, B., La Sala, C. and Martinho , S. (eds.) (2024) New Trends in the Learning and Teaching of Second Language Speaking Skills in Higher Education. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

‘Promoting the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for progression in language learning’, (forthcoming, December 2018) GENTES, on-line journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, https://www.unistrapg.it/it/ricerca/university-press/gentes-rivista-di-scienze-umane-e-sociali, available in the White Rose Repository, ISSN 2283-5946, http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/136211/

‘Enhancing written language skills during the year abroad through online independent learning’, in Using digital resources to enhance language learning – case studies in Italian, ed. by Rosalba Biasini and Anne Proudfoot, (Voillans: Research-publishing.net, 2018), pp.1-11. Republished in https://research-publishing.net/publication/chapters/978-2-490057-13-9/795.pdf

‘Gruesome grammar? Maybe not?’, Language Scholar, (July 2018), https://languagescholar.leeds.ac.uk/gruesome-grammar-maybe-not/; Issue 3

‘Errors committed by Anglophones learning Italian as a second language’, Lingua italiana. Storia, Strutture, Testi, (Roma: Fabrizio Serra Editore, 2015), pp.163-17

Online articles and resources:

‘Teaching Beyond the Classroom: Enhancing Pedagogy with PGR TAs’, LITE Fellowship Podcast: LITE Bites podcast channel, February 2025,  https://rss.com/podcasts/litebites/1874728/

‘Crafting Pedagogical Narratives: PGR TAs sharing teaching experiences during COVID-19 and publishing insights’, Leeds: Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence, 19 March 2024, Crafting Pedagogical Narratives_ PGR TAs sharing teaching experiences during COVID-19 and publishing insights-20240319_132029-Meeting Recording.mp4

‘How do we measure effective teaching? Designing a Teaching Observation Form, based on undergraduate feedback’ TIPS Article: 7 February 2023, https://student    eddev.leeds.ac.uk/news/how-do-we-measure-effective-teaching-designing-a-teaching-observation-form-based-on-undergraduate-feedback/

‘The Enhancement of the pedagogic practice at the University of Leeds through the engagement of Postgraduate Research Students in teaching’ Leeds: Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence, January 2021, https://teachingexcellence.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/89/2022/08/Chiara-La-Sala-snapshot.pdf 

PGR Teaching Experiences: What we can learn from them’, Leeds Doctorate Festival, Leeds: Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence, 8  July 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu6rtCXqk0k

Journey to becoming a teacher researcher (Blog), 10 July 2015, Higher Education Academy, https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/blog/journey-becoming-teacher-researcher
‘Teaching Beyond the Classroom: Enhancing Pedagogy with PGR TAs’, LITE Fellowship Podcast: LITE Bites podcast channel (forthcoming)

‘Introducing an Enterprise Activity as an Innovative Method in a Final-year Content Module’, paper presented to the Conference: Enhancing the Italian Studies Curriculum: Innovation and Development Conference, organised by the University of Manchester, Society for Italian Studies and Routes into Languages (Manchester, Friday 17 September 2010), http://italianstudies.org.uk/language-teaching/

'Liaison  Interpreting as a Teaching Technique for Italian', paper presented to the fourth biennial conference for languages in higher education, jointly organised by CILT,　the National Centre for Languages and the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies: 'Languages in Higher Education Conference 2008: transitions and connections' (York, 8 July 2008), https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/paper/3231.html

Invited conference and events papers:

‘Experiences of Professional Development at the University of Leeds: GTA perspectives’, GTA Developers Network, 21 June 2023, University of Manchester

Invited panelist at the event ‘Pedagogies of the Colloquial Register in Language Teaching and Learning’, 9 February 2022, University of Leeds

‘Professional Development and Community Building’, Student Education Conference 2022 'Belonging and Community', University of Leeds

Invited panelist at the round table ‘Language-learning in the Era of Translation & Speech-Recognition Technologies’, 25 September 2021, Istituto Italiano di Cultura-Mumbai, Goethe institute-Pune and Aliane francaise-Pune

‘Insights from a LITE Fellowship on Engaging Postgraduate Research Students in Teaching’, Leeds Doctorate Festival, 8 July 2021, University of Leeds

‘Developing language skills and intercultural competence in language classes: the novel In altre parole by Jumpa Lahiri’, Italian Conference Teaching Diversity in the Italian Classroom”, 30 June 2020, King’s College, London 

‘Storytelling for dual purposes: Jhumpa Lahiri's In altre parole, as a tool for reflection and language development for L2 learners’, 2019 SIS Biennial, 26 June 2019, University of Edinburgh

‘Studying ab initio languages in Higher Education’, London Teachers' Conference: 4 May 2017 and Teachers' and Advisors' Conference: 20 March 2017, University of Leeds. (Using BA Italian (Beginners) at Leeds University as a case study, my session explored the ab initio pathway, the course content, study abroad options and what it is really like for students to learn a language from scratch)

‘Teaching Grammar in the new syllabus’, (Power Point presentation), ‘Teaching the new A-Level syllabus in Italian’, University of Manchester, January 2017, http://italianstudies.org.uk/language-teaching

‘Promoting the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for progression from ab initio to degree challenges’, 15 January 2015, Workshop delivered in the Roundtable discussion ‘Internationalising Higher Education’, organised by the Higher Education Academy. The Power Point Presentation is available in https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events-conferences/event/internationalising-higher-education-creating-globally-interconnected

‘Becoming a Teacher-Researcher: Language@Leeds Teacher-Researcher Projects’, Modern Languages Teachers Conference, University of Leeds, June 2014.

Qualifications

• PhD in Italian Sociolinguistics (University of Leeds 2004)
• MA in Applied Linguistics, (University of Salford 1996)
• Laurea in Lingue e Letterature Straniere Moderne, University of Rome, 1991

Professional memberships

• Member of the editorial board of the Leeds Language Scholar Journal
• Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Italianistica.it, Franco Cesati Editore, http://www.francocesatieditore.com/
• UKPSF@ Leeds Senior Fellow
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Student education

Teaching and Leadership Roles

I am currently serving as the Programme Leader for Modern Languages & FAHC (English, History, and Philosophy) and Modern Languages & Other Faculties (Business and Politics). Previously, I held the positions of Subject Leader for Italian and Residence Abroad Coordinator for the School of Languages, Cultures, and Societies. Additionally, I have served as the School Widening Participation Coordinator.

Throughout my career, I have taught a wide range of modules, from Level 1 to MA level, demonstrating my commitment to high-quality, innovative student education and enhancing the student experience. Since 2008, I have been a personal tutor to students of all levels, providing guidance and support to help them achieve their academic goals.

Scholarship projects securing both internal and external funding:

These grants supported my work on HE pedagogical practice:

•    2023/24 LITE funding for the event ‘Crafting Pedagogical Narratives: PGR TAs sharing teaching experiences during COVID-19 and publishing insights’ .
•    2020-21 Full LITE Fellowship ‘Enhancement of the pedagogic practice at the University of Leeds through the engagement of PGR TAs’.

These grants supported my scholarship and second language acquisition projects:
•    2020-21 Laidlaw Scholarship Academic Project. Project title:  ‘The Italian book collection of The Leeds Library: mapping the circulation of Italian books between the eighteenth and nineteenth century in Leeds’.
•    2015-16 Erasmus Mobility Grant. I was invited by the Università G. d'Annunzio, Italy to lecture on the application of the CEFR in HE, both from a language teaching and intercultural mediation perspective
•    2013-14 ‘Promoting the Common European Framework of Reference for Language for progression from ab initio to degree challenges’. I was awarded a prestigious Individual Teaching Development Grant by the Higher Education Academy, which enabled me to study theoretical implications of my case and piloted the integration of CEFR in HE.
•    2009-10 ‘Developing innovative ways of promoting independent language learning’, funded by the Faculty of Arts. I developed the online resource ‘Independent Language Learning for Finalists’, currently in use at LCS.
•    2008-09 ‘Developing a model for sociolinguistic survey’, funded by the White Rose Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Enterprise.