Danijela Trenkic

Professor Danijela Trenkic holds a BA from the University of Belgrade, and MPhil/PhD from the University of Cambridge. She has served as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Reader in Education before becoming a full Professor at the University of York. Her primary affiliations include the Department of Education within the Faculty of Social Sciences, and she leads the MA Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching program. She has held roles in academic promotions panels, and served as President of the European Second Language Association (2015–2019).

• Education: BA (Hons) in English Language & Literature (Belgrade), MPhil/PhD in English & Applied Linguistics (Cambridge)
• Key Roles: MA Programme Leader, Academic Promotions Panel member
• Research Groups: Centre for Advanced Studies in Language and Education (CASLE)

Her research bridges psycholinguistics and education, focusing on:
1. Cognitive mechanisms of second language learning (e.g., cross-linguistic influences, bilingual cognition)
2. Language-literacy-academics interplay in higher education, particularly for international students
3. Second language segmentation and teaching methodologies

Her publications analyze bilingual language control, IELTS testing validity, and vocabulary disparities in higher education. Recent work highlights vocabulary knowledge as a critical factor in academic equity. She has supervised over 10 PhD students and served on editorial boards for journals like JESLA and EUROSLA Yearbook.

• Awards: Kenneth E. Naylor Prize (2002), VC Anniversary Lectureship (2005)
• Consultancy: Language policy advice for institutions like the Government of Nunavut

Current research explores how language experiences modulate bilingual control and investigates linguistic predictors of academic success. She actively recruits PhD candidates in these areas.