I am a researcher with a PhD in Applied Linguistics (University of Warwick, 2018-2023), trained in quantitative and qualitative research methods. My research interests include oracy education, mLearning, human-AI interaction, intercultural communication, embodiment, and (digital) space and place.

My research journey

Current

I am leading a team of student researchers to investigate student experience of campus libraries at the University of Warwick and Monash University, Australia, for which we have secured a competitive grant from the Monash-Warwick Alliance (2023-present).

In addition, I am a peer reviewer for Computers & Education (Elsevier) (2021-present), and Reinvention: An International Journal of Undergraduate Research (Monash-Warwick Alliance) (2023-present).

PhD

My PhD research explored the assessment of oracy (skills in spoken language) in children aged 4-6. My thesis applied an interactional sociolinguistics approach never before used in oracy research to generate a novel conceptualisation of oracy as the negotiation of embodied interactional norms and make recommendations for classroom oracy assessment.

Alongside my PhD, I worked as Project Officer for the Migration, Identity, and Translation Network (2019-2023) and volunteered as Group Leader in 'Education and Integration' for the Coventry City of Culture Resonate FestivalLink opens in a new window (2020-2021).

Bachelors

I achieved a First Class (Hons) in BA Language, Culture and Communication (University of Warwick, 2015-2018), within which I designed and conducted a number of assessed research projects.

Alongside my degree, I conducted two individual research projects on mobile technology use in face-to-face interaction in group learning and other social contexts, for which I secured two competitive grants from the Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS). I also collaborated within a student-led team to design and deliver the Research Skills Hub, a research skills eLearning resource for Warwick students consisting of a series of interactive webinars, for which we secured a competitive grant from the Warwick International Higher Education Academy.

Through these undergraduate projects, I gained my first experiences of exploring challenges and enablers in HE pedagogy. These experiences inspired my interest in pedagogy and have informed my teaching practices in designing and delivering module seminars and professional development workshops to students of all levels alongside my PhD. These projects also enabled me to develop my research skills commensurate to Masters level, on which basis I was approved to progress straight from BA to PhD.

Publications

Wall, H. H. & Angouri, J. (fc). Negotiating boundaries in the classroom. Article for Classroom Discourse.

Wall, H. H. (2020), Early years oracy assessment: Developing an assessment for implementation in classroom settings. Extended Abstracts from BAAL 2019. https://www.mmu.ac.uk/education/baal/highlights-from-baal-2019/

Wall, H. H. (2019), 'Perceptions of Professional Competence in the Context of an Office-Based Workplace', Reinvention: an International Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 12, Issue 1, https://reinventionjournal.org/article/view/429/386

Conference & Seminar Presentations

21 presentations for academic and public audiences in the UK, France, and Australia, including;

• EUTOPIA Multilingualism and Diversity Linguistic Landscaping Workshop, Cergy Paris Université (2021)
• Exploring Coventry's Linguistic Landscape, Resonate Festival, Coventry City of Culture (2021)
• Applied Linguistics Seminar Series, University of Warwick (2021)

Supervision

• Student research projects in the theme of global port cities, Warwick/Shanghai Jiao Tong University Global Challenge (2022, 2023, 2024)
• 'Linguistic barriers to refugee integration in England', Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (2021)
• 'Investigating language learning during Covid-19', Undergraduate Research Cluster, Migration, Identity, and Translation Network (2020)
• 'The linguistic representation of spirituality in Glastonbury Experience Courtyard', Undergraduate Research Cluster, Migration, Identity, and Translation Network (2020)

Research Assistantships

• Computer Science (2019-2020). Data analysis for developing a Learning Analytics tool.
• Joint Council & Senate Advisory Group (2019). Conducted focus groups and analysed and presented findings for internal reports.

Teaching

• Culture, Cognition and Society, BA Language, Culture and Communication and BA Linguistics with a Modern Language (2023-present)
• First Language Acquisition, BA English Language and Linguistics (2023-present)
• Intercultural Competence, Intercultural Training Programme (2022-present)
• Intercultural Awareness, Intercultural Training Programme (2019-present)
• Research Methods, PhD Applied Linguistics (2020)
• Research Methods, MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (2020)
• Research Methods, MSc Intercultural Communication for Business and the Professions (2019-2020)
• 'Dragons' Den', Capital Normal University Doctoral Development Programme (2019)
• Intercultural Pragmatics at Work, Hong Kong Open University Summer School in Intercultural Pragmatics (2019)

Dr Helena H. Wall

helena.wall@warwick.ac.uk

Office: S1.91, Social Sciences Building, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL