Pia SundqvistView profile
Professor
Pia Sundqvist is a Professor of English Didactics at the University of Oslo’s Department of Teacher Education and School Research. She previously held positions at Karlstad University (2014–2022) and has 15 years of secondary/high school teaching experience. Her work bridges applied linguistics and pedagogy, focusing on extramural English acquisition, gaming’s role in language learning, and multilingual classroom practices. Affiliations: University of Oslo, Swedish Association of Applied Linguistics (ASLA President 2022–2025), and international editorial boards. Education: PhD in English Linguistics (Karlstad University, 2009). Her research emphasizes informal English learning outside formal education, particularly through gaming and digital media. She co-developed the concept of 'Extramural English' and has explored its impact on vocabulary and oral proficiency. Key areas include: Teacher training in multilingual classrooms. Assessment of L2 oral proficiency. Technology integration in language education (e.g., Virtual Exchange initiatives). Policy implications of starting-age for formal English instruction. Recent trends in articles highlight synergies between in-class and extracurricular learning, reciprocal researcher-student collaboration, and multilingual pedagogy. Her work often bridges theory and practice, offering actionable insights for educators. Professional roles: Editor-in-Chief of ASLA Studies in Applied Linguistics, member of the Flemish Research Council’s Review College, and steering committee member for Nordic language-learning projects. She frequently delivers keynote addresses at global conferences, advocating for informal learning’s role in L2 acquisition. Supervision and grants: Advisor to 12+ doctoral and master’s students, with grants supporting projects like STAGE Flanders (starting ages of L2 instruction) and the ComplEExity Project (extramural activities and writing skills). Labs/teams: Leads the L-LATER (Language Learner and Teacher Research) and ROSE (Research on Subject-specific Education) groups, focusing on multilingual classroom dynamics and teacher-student collaboration.












