Sofia Martinho

Profile

I am Associate Professor of Portuguese, specialising in language education, pedagogical innovation and the scholarship of teaching and learning. My work focuses on developing research-informed approaches to language education, with particular interests in digital pedagogies, artificial intelligence, speaking skills, and pluricentric and decolonial approaches to language teaching.

My scholarship has influenced language teaching practices nationally and internationally, particularly through innovative approaches to oral proficiency, digitally enhanced learning and intercultural education. My work has been recognised through the University of Leeds Sustained Excellence Teaching Award (2024).

I am the founder and President of TROPO UK, the national Association of Teachers and Researchers of Portuguese, and a founding editor-in-chief of The Language Scholar, an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to pedagogical research. Through these initiatives, I have established platforms for advancing scholarship, professional development and collaboration in language education.

Advocacy is central to my work, reflecting my commitment to raising the profile of languages, celebrating linguistic diversity and widening participation in language learning. As part of this work, I founded and co-direct the Leeds City of Languages Festival, a major initiative which attracted over 10,000 participants in 2025 and received the University Community Impact and Innovation Award in recognition of its outstanding public engagement and civic impact. I also co-direct the Languages for All Leeds Hub, leading partnerships between schools, the university and employers to address barriers to language learning and expand educational opportunities for young people across Yorkshire.

At Leeds, as Director of Studies for Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, I provide strategic leadership in curriculum development, student education and internationalisation. I also direct the Camões Centre for Portuguese at Leeds, leading a longstanding partnership with the Portuguese Government that connects academic research, education and cultural diplomacy across the Portuguese-speaking world.

I have been a regular contributor to Cambridge Assessment International Education's Portuguese assessments at various levels since 2002.

Major awards and academic distinctions

• Community Impact and Innovation Award (2026), University of Leeds Partnership Award. Awarded in recognition of founding and co-leading the Leeds City of Languages Festival, celebrating its outstanding contribution to civic engagement, multilingualism and community partnerships across Yorkshire and internationally.
• The AHC Overall Partnership Award (2026), AHC Partnership Award, University of Leeds
• Community Impact and Innovation Award (2026), AHC Partnership Award, University of Leeds
• Promotion and Support of the Portuguese Language in the UK Award (2026), As Notícias/RadioTV Lusa. This award recognises individuals, organisations and projects that make a significant contribution to promoting the Portuguese language and strengthening Portuguese culture, education and community life within the Portuguese diaspora in the UK.
• Global Impact Award (2025), AHC Partnership Award, University of Leeds, awarded to Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies under my leadership.
• Sustained Excellence Teaching Award (2024), University of Leeds Teaching Award (ULTA), University of Leeds. Awarded for sustained excellence and leadership in student education, recognising outstanding contributions to pedagogic innovation, educational scholarship, technology-enhanced learning, and the development of national and international communities of practice.
• Personal Tutor Award (2023), Partnership Awards, University of Leeds. Awarded in recognition of an inclusive and sustained approach to personal tutoring that fosters belonging, progression and confident engagement beyond the degree.

Responsibilities

• Director of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
• Director, Camões Centre for Portuguese Language
• Academic co-lead, Languages for All Leeds Hub

Research interests

A central strand of my research explores digital innovation in language education, including technology-enhanced approaches to developing and assessing speaking skills, critical AI literacies, immersive technologies and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). My current international research projects investigate ethical and inclusive uses of AI to enhance language learning and intercultural engagement.

A second area of my research focuses on pluricentric and decolonial approaches to language education. My work challenges traditional, nationally centred models of language teaching by foregrounding the linguistic and cultural diversity of Portuguese-speaking communities worldwide. I am currently developing a textbook for teaching Portuguese as a foreign language to adult learners, adopting a pluricentric approach that reflects the language's global diversity.

More broadly, my scholarship contributes to language pedagogy and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), particularly through research on oral proficiency, assessment, experiential learning and internationalisation of the curriculum. I work with language teachers in the UK and internationally, designing and delivering CPD workshops that translate pedagogical research into classroom practice and promote innovative, inclusive approaches to language teaching.

I am also committed to making language education accessible beyond formal educational settings. This commitment is reflected in my latest publication, 50 Portuguese Coffee Breaks (John Murray Learning), which offers short, engaging and practical activities designed to make Portuguese language learning accessible to adult learners. Through this work, I aim to encourage lifelong engagement with languages.

My most recent publications:

• Martinho, S. (2026). 50 Portuguese Coffee Breaks: Short activities to improve your Portuguese. John Murray Learning.
• Martinho, S., Hermoso-Gómez, B., & Schneider, C. (2026). Celebrating languages, cultures and global connections: The power of working in partnership. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 17(3), 299–313.
• Hermoso-Gómez, B. and Martinho, S. (2026). Wonder Books in Wonder Languages: promoting multilingualism in the Early Years. In: Cortina Pérez, B., Andúgar, A. and Martínez León, N. (eds.) Early multilingual education: Research pathways from policy to practice. Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch.
• Hermoso-Gomez, B., Martinho, S., & Chiara La Sala. (2024). New Trends in the Learning and Teaching of Second Language Speaking Skills in Higher Education. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Professional memberships

• TROPO UK - The Association of Researchers and Teachers of Portuguese Language in the UK (President, 2017 -)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• ABIL - The Association of British and Irish Lusitanists
• APP – Associação de Professores de Português (Portugal)
• UCFL - University Council for Languages
• EUROCALL - European Association of Computer Assisted Language Learning
• ALT - Association for Learning Technology

Student education

I am the Coordinator of Portuguese and I teach Portuguese Language, with a focus on speaking skills, and Lusophone Literatures and Cultures at UG level. In 2024, I won the University of Leeds Sustained Excellence Teaching Award.

Research groups and institutes

• The Camões Centre for Portuguese Language
• Fusão
• Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American
• Portuguese
• Language pedagogy
• PRIA
• Language variation
• Language acquisition
• Language at Leeds
• Centre for Excellence in Language Teaching

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>