Chiara Cirillo

Dr. Chiara Cirillo is an Associate Professor at the University of Reading, affiliated with the School of Literature and Languages. She serves as Director of the Languages for All programme and Italian Language Lead, playing a key role in language education and academic staff development across the institution.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Italian Studies and an MA in Education from the University of Reading, as well as a Laurea in Lettere Moderne from the University of Pavia, Italy. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, reflecting her commitment to pedagogical excellence.

Her research and practice focus on second language education, teacher identity, interculturality, and holistic pedagogies. She is particularly interested in contemplative pedagogy, which fosters awareness, inquiry, and interconnectedness, and applies critical and emancipatory principles to language teaching and assessment. Her work integrates sociolinguistic perspectives on gender, discourse, and power, encouraging students to reflect on cultural representation and identity.

Although no recent publications are listed, her contributions to teaching and learning are extensive, including curriculum development in Italian language, cinema, and intercultural communication, as well as supervision of undergraduate research projects. She is actively engaged in advancing pedagogic practice through staff development workshops and leadership in national networks.

• Rewarding Excellence Award, School of Literature and Languages, University of Reading, 2020
• Rewarding Excellence Award, International Studies and Language Institute, University of Reading, 2019
• Reading Students' Union Excellence Award nomination, University of Reading, 2017

Dr. Cirillo supervises undergraduate research in areas such as intercultural communication, second language acquisition, and language policy. She is involved in multiple teaching and learning initiatives, including an intercultural learning project with local secondary schools and the development of a British Sign Language course for higher education professionals. She also contributes to national discourse through her role as Convenor of the Professional Development SIG at the Association of University Language Communities (AULC).

She is a member of the Contemplative Pedagogy Network (CPN), the Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism (CeLM), and the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB), underscoring her interdisciplinary engagement with education and language.