Dr Susanna Nocchi,
Technological University Dublin
As someone who has been actively involved in language education policy, research, and advocacy in Ireland for over two decades, I am committed to advancing the goals of the AULC, supporting collaboration between member institutions, and representing Irish perspectives at a national and European level. Over the years, I have been actively involved in One Voice for Languages (2011-2024), a grass-roots umbrella group set up to promote the importance and benefits of language learning for Ireland. OVFL represented all levels of the education system and all its partners. As a secretary of OVFL for 7 years, I have worked to raise awareness of the value of multilingualism in Irish society and education.
Further, as President (2017-2021) of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics, I have led initiatives to connect researchers and practitioners in language education across the country and within Europe. Also, since 2019, I have served within the AILA (Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée) Executive Committee. My active participation in AILA has given me valuable insight into international best practice and strengthened my network within the global applied linguistics community.
Currently, I lecture and research in TU Dublin, where I have contributed to curriculum innovation, digital pedagogy, and the promotion of plurilingual approaches. I am also deeply committed to strengthening language learning pathways from post-primary to tertiary levels, with a longstanding collaboration with Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI), which has allowed me to participate in projects supporting language uptake and multilingual competencies among younger learners.
As Vice-Chair (Ireland), I would establish a sub-committee to include colleagues with diverse perspectives across key areas such as Irish language education, support for Asian, Less Widely-Taught and Heritage languages, multilingual education in primary and secondary schools, and use of technology. We would focus on the following priorities:
- Strengthening communication and collaboration among Irish member institutions;
- Promoting the value of AULC and CercleS membership to other Irish Higher Education Institutions;
- Innovating in the provision of Language Learning models for multidisciplinary Higher Education communities;
- Ensuring that Irish language education is well represented in AULC dialogue and that developments specific to the Irish context are communicated effectively to the Executive Committee;
- Fostering cross-border and international links;
- Representing Ireland at the CercleS Coordinating Committee, contributing to a unified vision for language education while advocating for Irish perspectives.