Staff Profiles

Dr Yiakoumetti's teaching responsibilities involve lecturing on topics such as language acquisition, bilingualism, linguistic human rights, globalisation and the dominant role of English, second-language pedagogies, critical discourse analysis, and quantitative research design. She teaches within the following courses:

Undergraduate

• BA English Language and Communication
  • Sociolinguistics (U700XX) (Module Leader)
  • Critical Discourse Analysis (U70071) (Module Leader)
  • Psycholinguistics (U70081) (Module Leader)

Postgradate

• MA TESOL
  • Language Acquisition and Development (P70016) (Module Leader)
  • Sociolinguistics (P700XX) (Module Leader)
  • Research Methods (P70129)
  • Dissertation (P70137)

Supervision

Research students

Dr Yiakoumetti supervises the research of doctoral students who investigate a diverse range of topics in multilingualism, language policy, nonstandard linguistic varieties, non-native Englishes, and indigenous mother tongues in education.

Dr Yiakoumetti welcomes enquiries from prospective research students who are contemplating a higher degree (PhD, EdD., MPhil, MA) that focuses on issues within the broad field of educational linguistics.

Dr Yiakoumetti is a linguist whose research focuses on regional and social variation within linguistic systems and, more specifically, on the implications of such variation for education. She is interested in sociolinguistic aspects of linguistic variation and works within the research fields of multilingualism, second-language acquisition, and language-teacher development. She has published on the topics of bidialectism, language attitudes, learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), and language-teacher training. She is a member of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain, the British Association of Applied Linguistics, the Association of Language Learning, and the British Educational Research Association. She is a regular reviewer for a number of academic and professional journals.

Books

• Yiakoumetti A, Multilingualism and Language in Education: Sociolinguistic and Pedagogical Perspectives from Commonwealth Countries., Cambridge University Press (2014)
  ISBN: 978-1107574311
  Abstract In today's world – one characterised by globalisation, transnationalism, transmigration and super-diversity – there exists an urgent need to critically examine language in education, language policies, the role of English and linguistic diversity. This volume explores language issues in the linguistically-diverse settings of Commonwealth countries, alongside supporting reports into the way these issues have been addressed in the United States. Countries within the Commonwealth provide some of the most instructive instances of language use as instruments of empowerment and oppression, cultural liberation, religious evangelism, and as a tool to unify, isolate and/or separate ethnic groups.

Journal articles

• Ayiomamitou I, Yiakoumetti A, 'Skewed Sociolinguistic Awareness of a Native Nonstandard Dialect: Evidence from the Cypriot Greek Writing of Greek Cypriot Students'
  Frontiers in Psychology 8 (2017)
  ISSN: 1664-1078
  Abstract Over the last 50 years, sociolinguistic research in settings in which a regional, social, or ethnic non-standard linguistic variety is used alongside the standard variety of the same language has steadily increased. The educational implications of the concomitant use of such varieties have also received a great deal of research attention. This study deals with regional linguistic variation and its implications for education by focusing on the Greek Cypriot educational context. This context is ideal for investigating the linguistic profiles of speakers of proximal varieties as the majority of Greek Cypriots are primarily educated in just one of their varieties: the standard educational variety. The aim of our study was to understand Greek Cypriot primary school pupils’ sociolinguistic awareness via examination of their written production in their home variety [Cypriot Greek (CG) dialect]. Our assumption was that, because written production is less spontaneous than speech, it better reflects pupils’ conscious awareness. Pupils were advised to produce texts that reflected their everyday language with family and friends (beyond school boundaries). As expected, students’ texts included an abundance of mesolectal features and the following were the ten most frequent: (1) palato-alveolar consonants, (2) future particle [enwww.frontiersin.orgá] and conditional [ítan na] + subjunctive, (3) consonant devoicing, (4) CG-specific verb stems, (5) final [n] retention, (6) [én/ éni] instead of [íne], (7) CG-specific verb endings, (8) [én/é] instead of [ðen], (9) elision of intervocalic fricative [ɣ], and (10) CG-specific adverbs. Importantly, in addition to the expected mesolectal features that reflect contemporary CG, students included a significant and unexpected number of basilectal features and instances of hyperdialectism (that are not representative of today’s linguistic reality) which rendered their texts register-inappropriate. This led us to conclude that Greek Cypriot students have a skewed sociolinguistic awareness of variation within their first dialect and a distorted impression of their own everyday language. We argue that the portrayal of CG in its basilectal form was performed intentionally by students in an effort to distance themselves from a socially constructed identity of a rural, uneducated, and stigmatized non-standard-dialect speaker. The study is of international relevance as it deals with sociolinguistic issues that pertain to all bidialectal speakers.Website 
• Lucas MW, Yiakoumetti A, 'Cross-linguistic awareness-raising practices can enhance written performance in EFL classes in Japanese universities'
  International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 22 (8) (2017) pp.958-973
  ISSN: 1367-0050 eISSN: 1747-7522
  Abstract In our globalised world, the desire for the acquisition of English has led to increased research into the appropriate pedagogical approaches for learning and teaching the language. This manuscript focuses on the use of learners’ mother tongue in the learning and teaching of English in an effort to identify ways in which cross-linguistic awareness-raising practices can be utilised to maximise EFL written performance. The study’s targeted grammatical features were articles and plural suffixes of countable nouns and the study’s EFL population was drawn from two Japanese universities. A quasi-experimental design was employed with an experimental group receiving cross-linguistic instruction and a control group continuing without cross-linguistic input. Statistical analyses demonstrate that the experimental group outperformed the control group. Although the empirical project is located within the context of Japanese tertiary education, the study is of international relevance as it deals with the perennial issue of how best to harness learners’ familiar L1 for the improvement of their L2 within the frameworks of cross-linguistic instruction and awareness-raising. Website 
• Yiakoumetti A, Mina M, 'The Influence of First-language Bidialectism in Foreign-language Classrooms: Observations From Cyprus'
  Language, Culture and Curriculum 24 (2012) pp.287-297
  ISSN: 0790-8318 eISSN: 1747-7573
  Abstract

  The sociolinguistic phenomenon of bidialectism can significantly influence foreign-language learning. This study provides empirical evidence (drawn from the Greek Cypriot bidialectal community) for this influence and it supports the recommendation that foreign-language educators be trained in language-variation issues. The study's methodological basis consisted of observations of lessons in which English is taught as a foreign language and of students' written tests in the Passive Voice (PV). The findings revealed that, despite the policy that the standard variety (Standard Modern Greek) should be the only first-language variety used, the nonstandard variety (the Greek Cypriot dialect) is also commonly used alongside English by teachers. This usage was adopted by students who then tended to form the PV erroneously because they systematically avoided grammatical aspects (such as the Perfect aspect) which do not occur in the grammar of their nonstandard variety. The study contributes to the emerging realisation that first-language bidialectal issues need to be addressed in foreign-language classes.

  Website 
• Trajtemberg C, Yiakoumetti A, 'Weblogs: a tool for EFL interaction, expression, and self-evaluation'
  ELT Journal March (2011)
  ISSN: 0951-0893
  Abstract The use of blogs in EFL learning and teaching has recently attracted a great deal of research attention. Previous research has demonstrated that blogs foster development of EFL skills. This study, which takes a sociocultural approach, focuses on EFL interaction. Specifically, the study aims to identify the interaction strategies that bloggers employ by exploring both teacher-initiated and student-initiated interactions. An EFL undergraduate class at the University of Chile serves as the vantage point for discussion. Bloggers" posts and comments are thematically analysed for the purposes of this study. It is demonstrated that blogs promote EFL interaction, self-expression, self-evaluation, and a sense of language progress. The study may be of interest to educationists around the world who are interested in identifying how blogs can best be harnessed within foreign language education for the benefit of learners.Website 
• Yiakoumetti A, Mina M, 'The influence of first-language bidialectism in foreign language classrooms: observations from Cyprus'
  Language, Culture and Curriculum 24 (3) (2011) pp.287-297
  ISSN: 0790-8318 eISSN: 1747-7573
  Abstract

  The sociolinguistic phenomenon of bidialectism can significantly influence foreign-language learning. This study provides empirical evidence (drawn from the Greek Cypriot bidialectal community) for this influence and it supports the recommendation that foreign-language educators be trained in language-variation issues. The study's methodological basis consisted of observations of lessons in which English is taught as a foreign language and of students' written tests in the Passive Voice (PV). The findings revealed that, despite the policy that the standard variety (Standard Modern Greek) should be the only first-language variety used, the nonstandard variety (the Greek Cypriot dialect) is also commonly used alongside English by teachers. This usage was adopted by students who then tended to form the PV erroneously because they systematically avoided grammatical aspects (such as the Perfect aspect) which do not occur in the grammar of their nonstandard variety. The study contributes to the emerging realisation that first-language bidialectal issues need to be addressed in foreign-language classes.

  Website 
• Ng K-Y, Yiakoumetti A, 'Analogy-based phonics for Hong Kong ESL learners'
  Academic Exchange Quarterly 14 (3) (2010) pp.196-200
  ISSN: 1096-1453
  Abstract P h o n i cs instruction in f i r s t - l anguage educ a t ion has received cons ide r able research a t t ent ion. A plethora of empirical s tudi es demons t r a t es the advant ages of such ins t ruc t ion. Howeve r, little is k n own a b o ut t he e f f e c ts of p h o n i cs on s e cond- l anguage r e ading. T h is study pr e s ents s ome initial f i n d i n gs r e g a r d i ng such e f f e c t s. It demons t r a t es that s t r a t egic ana logy-ba s ed phoni cs instruction can e n h a n ce E SL l e a r n e r s' ability to read new wo r ds whi ch sha re rimes with w o r ds l e a rne rs a l r e ady k n ow. T he s tudy sugge s ts that t h is type of instruction de s e rves a placc in the ESL c u r r i c u l um.

Book chapters

• Yiakoumetti A, 'Language policy and practice in multilingual Britain: perspectives from mainstream and complementary linguistically-diverse classrooms.' in English Language Education in a Global World: Practices, Issues and Challenges, Nova Science Publishers (2015)
  ISBN: 9781634834971
  
• Yiakoumetti A, 'Language education in our globalised classrooms: recommendations on providing for equal language rights.' in Solly M, Esch E (ed.), Language Education and the Challenges of Globalisation: Sociolinguistic Issues, Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2014)
  ISBN: 978-1443858137
  
• Yiakoumetti A , Esch E, 'Educational Complexities inherent in Bidialectal Communities and the Potential Contribution of the Common European Framework of Reference to Second-dialect Development' in Language Learner Autonomy: Policy, Curriculum, Classroom, Peter Lang International Academic Publishers (2010)
  ISBN: 9783039119806
  Abstract This volume offers a collection of essays addressing contemporary issues in foreign and second language education. In particular, it addresses language learner autonomy, both as a theoretical construct and in relation to areas of application such as the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the European Language Portfolio (ELP), teacher training, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and minority language provision. The contributors - well-known researchers, policy makers, teachers and teacher trainers - provide a multi-faceted insight into an innovative and influential approach to language education. David Little, to whom the volume is dedicated, was Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Head of the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences at Trinity College Dublin. He is recognised worldwide as a leading proponent of the theory of language learner autonomy, and has been a driving force behind many influential language education initiatives internationally.

Further information

• http://www.purl.org/yiakoumetti