Elizabeth Erling

Elizabeth Erling is Professor of English Language Teaching Research and Methodology at the University of Education Upper Austria (Pädagogische Hochschule Oberösterreich) and an Elise-Richter Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Vienna. She directs the "Understanding Disparities in English Language Education" (Udele) project, which runs until 2026, working with Dr. Miriam Weidl. Her research investigates how language education can contribute to social justice and seeks practical solutions to improve students' experiences learning English in diverse educational settings.

Dr. Erling's research focuses on English Language Teaching with emphasis on educational equity in multilingual contexts. Her work examines how plurilingual pedagogies can address disparities in language learning outcomes, particularly for students from migration backgrounds. She investigates teacher beliefs and practices that either perpetuate or mitigate educational inequalities in Austrian secondary schools, while also exploring language education in international development contexts, especially Bangladesh.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on educational justice in language learning environments. Her research demonstrates how deficit discourses about multilingual learners can be replaced with "pockets of possibility" approaches that recognize students' diverse linguistic repertoires. The work spans both European educational systems and global development contexts, showing how language policies affect learning outcomes across different settings.

Dr. Erling has received the prestigious Elise-Richter Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship which supports her current Udele project. This competitive fellowship recognizes outstanding female researchers in Austria and enables her to conduct significant research on language education disparities.

As Principal Investigator of the Udele project, Dr. Erling leads a research team investigating why disparities exist in English language education outcomes in Austrian schools. Her work has secured substantial funding for examining how teaching approaches can be adapted for increasingly diverse student populations. She collaborates with educators across Austria and maintains international research connections, particularly with scholars working on language education in South Asia.

Dr. Erling works within the Department of English and American Studies at the University of Vienna and directs the Udele research team, which collaborates directly with schools to understand and address disparities in English language education. Her research has practical implications for teacher training programs and educational policy development in multilingual contexts across Europe.