Chiara La Sala

Chiara La Sala is Professor of Italian and Higher Education Pedagogy at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. She serves as Programme Manager for joint honors degrees in Modern Languages with English, History, Philosophy, and other faculties. Her leadership roles include former Director of Italian and Residence Abroad Coordinator.

Her research centers on second language acquisition and higher education pedagogy, with key interests in error analysis, language progress in ab initio learners, integration of the CEFR in HE, and digital resources for language learning. She explores pedagogical innovation, especially through the engagement of postgraduate research students in teaching and the enhancement of teaching practices during and after the pandemic.

The most recent publications reflect a strong trend in digital learning, teacher development, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Her work emphasizes reflective practice, student engagement, and the use of technology to support language acquisition and teaching effectiveness in higher education.

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• UKPSF@ Leeds Senior Fellow
• Individual Teaching Development Grant (HEA, 2013-14)
• LITE Fellowship (2020-21)
• LITE funding for pedagogical events (2023/24)

She has led multiple funded scholarship projects on pedagogical innovation and second language acquisition, including LITE Fellowships and HEA grants. She mentors postgraduate teaching assistants and promotes collaborative scholarship. She has also supervised curriculum development projects and supports PhD candidates in applied linguistics and language education.

She is actively involved in academic communities through editorial roles (e.g., Leeds Language Scholar Journal, Italianistica.it) and organizes events that foster professional development and community building among educators.