Organization of ELLRA

The image shows the ELLRA governing committees, how they nest within the membership, and their interdependency. 

1. General Assembly of Members 

ELLRA members in good standing represent this committee.

2. Executive Committee

This committee includes three members elect: the Chair, Treasurer and Events Coordinator. They oversee the Association with five co-opted members: the Vice-Chair, Membership Officer, Communications Director, Secretary and Community Outreach Coordinator.

3. Finance Committee

This commitee provides oversight of ELLRA’s finances and is supported by the Treasurer and a certified accountant.

4. Committee of the General Assembly

This committee presides over the General Assembly and coordinates the electoral process every three years.

ELLRA Governing Committees
(2023 - 2026)

Executive Committee

Executive Committee Elect

CHAIR

Sandie Mourão

Sandie Mourão (PhD) is a Senior Researcher at CETAPS, Nova University of Lisbon, Portugal. Her research interests include foreign languages in early childhood education and care, intercultural learning, picturebooks in language education and classroom-based assessment.

Treasurer

Nayr Ibrahim

Nayr Ibrahim (PhD) is an Associate Professor of English Subject Pedagogy at Nord University, Norway. Her research interests include early language learning, learning to learn, bi/multilingualism, multiple literacies, language and identity, children’s literature, children’s language rights.

Events coordinator

Caroyln Leslie

Carolyn Leslie (PhD) is an Assistant Professor in Foreign Language Didactics at the Modern Languages, Cultures and Literatures Department, Nova University of Lisbon, Portugal. Her research interests include spoken interaction in early foreign language learning, language assessment and teacher education.

Co-Opted Members

Vice-Chair

Joanna Rokita Jaśkow

Joanna Rokita-Jaśkow (PhD) is an Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics at the Institute of English Studies, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Poland. Her research interests include early foreign language learning, language teacher education and development, multilingualism at school environment.

Membership Officer

Melanie Ellis

Melanie Ellis (PhD, postdoctoral habilitation) is an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at the Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland. Her research interests include early reading in foreign language English, education of teachers of primary EFL learners and design of materials for teacher learning. 

Communications Director

David Valente

David Valente is a Teaching and Learning Specialist at the American University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His doctoral study explores the intersection of early language learning, children's literature and interculturality within the context of transnational primary teacher education. 
 
SECRETARY

Eva Jakupčević

Eva Jakupčević (PhD) is a Senior Teaching and Research Assistant at the Teacher Education Department, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split, Croatia. Her research interests include pragmatics, classroom discourse, and textbooks for young language learners. 
 

Committee of the General Assembly

Chairperson

Sue Garton

Sue Garton is Professor of Applied Linguistics (TESOL) at Aston University, UK. Her research interests include teaching young learners, language teacher education, primary language policy and classroom discourse. 

Committee Member

Danijela Prošić-Santovac

Danijela Prošić-Santovac (PhD) is Head of the Centre for Languages in the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. Her research interests include teaching English as a foreign language at pre-school and early primary school and using children's literature in teaching, with a focus on fairy tales and nursery rhymes.

Committee Member

Serdar Tekin

Serdar Tekin (PhD) is an Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics at the Department of Foreign Language Teaching, Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University, Türkiye. His research interests include teaching English to young learners, translanguaging, technology-enhanced language learning, and teacher education.

Finance Committee

Chairperson

Nils Jaekel

Nils Jaekel (PhD) is Professor of Second Language Acquisition at the University of Hildesheim, Germany and a Research Fellow at the University of Oulu, Finland. His research interests include early foreign language learning, Content and Language Integrated Learning, multilingualism, and individual differences.
Committee Member

Karen Glaser

Karen Glaser (PhD) is an Associate Professor of Teaching English in Primary School at Leipzig University, Germany. Her research interests include early language learning in institutional contexts, L2 pragmatics, classroom interaction research, and teacher professionalization.

Committee Member

María del Pilar García Mayo

María del Pilar García Mayo is Full Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the University of the Basque Country, Spain. Her interests include the study of English morphosyntax (generative perspective) and the role of interaction and attention to form in L2 learning (cognitive-interactionist approach).