About us
EFUOLC brings together 15 teachers and researchers from the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia and the University of Barcelona.
Principal investigators
Alba Ambròs Pallarès, PhD
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
She holds a PhD in Philosophy and Educational Sciences from the University of Barcelona. She is a qualified teacher, philologist, and specialist in language and literature education. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Language, Science and Mathematics Education at the Faculty of Education of the University of Barcelona. She teaches on the concurrent Early Childhood Education and Primary Education Bachelor’s degree programme. She also teaches on the Master’s Degree in Research in Language and Literature Education at the University of Barcelona and at the University of Jaén. She is a member of the DHIGECS-COM recognised research group.
Her research focuses on the oral competence in Catalan of pre-service teachers and primary and secondary school students, as well as on literary education.
Llorenç Comajoan-Colomé, PhD
Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
He holds a PhD in Linguistics, specialising in second language acquisition. He is a lecturer in the Department of Philology and Language and Literature Education at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). He teaches on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Teacher Education and Psychology, as well as on the Master’s Degree in Secondary Teacher Education. He coordinates the Doctoral Programme in Educational Innovation and Intervention (UVic-UCC and Mondragon Unibertsitatea) and the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching Catalan to Adults (UVic-UCC, the University of Barcelona, and the Autonomous University of Barcelona). He is the coordinator of Glossa – the Research Group on Applied Linguistics, Language Education, and Literature.
His research focuses on educational sociolinguistics, language education, and the acquisition of additional languages.
Research team
Vanesa Amat-Castells
Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
She holds a PhD in Language and Literature Education (Extraordinary Doctoral Award, 2016, UAB).
She carries out both teaching and research at the Department of Philology and Language and Literature Education at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). She teaches on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Teacher Education and is a researcher in Glossa, the Research Group on Applied Linguistics, Language Education, and Literature.
She has participated in ARMIF research projects aimed at improving initial teacher education, particularly in relation to school placements and the development of reading and literary competence. In terms of knowledge transfer, she is co-author of the report on oracy and reading aloud for the National Book and Reading Plan, has developed educational resources, and has advised schools on implementing initiatives to improve oral and written language and literature education.
Her publications, including journal articles and book chapters, focus on children’s literature, literary education, and the early development of reading and writing.
Glòria Bordons de Porrata-Doria
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
She holds a PhD in Catalan Philology and is Professor Emerita (UB).
She has carried out extensive research on the work of Joan Brossa and has edited several of his publications, including Prosa completa (2013), Poemes visuals (2014), the Catàleg raonat de poesia visual 1941–1970 (2019), and the first three volumes of his Complete Poetry (2021, 2022, 2023).
Her teaching and research have focused primarily on the teaching of the Catalan language and literature. She has published innovative teaching materials on the pedagogy of written texts and has led numerous research projects conducted by the POCIÓ research group on poetry and education (2017 SGR 1668; www.pocio.cat). More recently, her work has focused on the development of linguistic competence in Catalan, including the ARMIF 2023 00008 project.
Mariona Casas-Deseures
Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
She holds a PhD in Language and Literature Education (UAB)
She carries out both teaching and research at the Department of Philology and Language and Literature Education at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). She teaches on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Teacher Education and on the Master’s Degree in Secondary Teacher Education, and is a researcher in Glossa, the Research Group on Applied Linguistics, Language Education, and Literature.
She has participated in a number of nationally and internationally funded competitive research projects, including the longitudinal study Longitudinal Analysis of Oral Communication Competence and Its Educational Implications. Her publications focus on the teaching of writing and oracy in compulsory education, with particular emphasis on reflective language teaching from a plurilingual perspective. She is co-author of the outreach books on oral communication Els secrets de parlar en públic (2016) and L’oratòria a l’abast de tothom (2023).
Antonio Di Paolo
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
He holds a PhD in Applied Economics (UAB).
He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Econometrics, Statistics and Applied Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Barcelona, where he currently serves as Vice-Dean for Research. His main area of research is the economics of language and language policy. More specifically, his research focuses on the impact of language policies on the education system, the effects of language courses for adults on labour market outcomes, and the economic value of bilingualism.
Dr Di Paolo has led two competitive research projects on language policy funded by the Institute for Self-Government Studies and the Catalan School of Public Administration, respectively. He has also led a knowledge transfer project in collaboration with the UGT trade union, examining language use in workplaces across Catalonia.
Avel·lí Flors-Mas
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
He holds a PhD in Advanced Studies in Catalan Language and Literature (UB).
He is a sociolinguist and holds a degree in Catalan Philology. He is a tenure-track lecturer in sociolinguistics in the Department of Catalan Philology and General Linguistics at the University of Barcelona. He is also a researcher and member of the Executive Board of the CUSC – Centre for Research in Sociolinguistics and Communication at the University of Barcelona.
His research focuses on the sociolinguistics of youth and migration, demolinguistics, and language policy in educational and family contexts. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Language and Law (Revista de Llengua i Dret) and has served on the Executive Board of the Catalan Society of Sociolinguistics (SOCS), a branch of the Institute of Catalan Studies, since 2019. He has been its Secretary since 2022.
Mia Güell Devesa
Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
She holds a PhD in Translation, Languages and Literatures (UVic-UCC).
She is a philologist and lecturer in the Department of Philology and Language and Literature Education at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). As a researcher, she is a member of Glossa, the Research Group on Applied Linguistics, Language Education, and Literature. Her publications stem from research on literary geographies, literature education, and the use of literature as a resource for language learning. She is the co-author of books, book chapters, and journal articles in these fields, and the author of the illustrated picture book Què dius?, which explores linguistic diversity.
She has participated in a number of nationally and internationally funded competitive research projects, including Zoom Out – Approaching Children’s Literature from an Intersectional Perspective. She teaches on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Teacher Education, the Master’s Degree in Secondary Teacher Education (UVic-UCC), and the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching Catalan to Adults (UVic-UCC, the University of Barcelona, and the Autonomous University of Barcelona).
Cristina Lopez-Mayan Navarrete
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
She holds a PhD in Economics (CEMFI).
She is a Serra Húnter tenure-track lecturer in the Department of Econometrics, Statistics and Applied Economics at the University of Barcelona and a member of the AQR-IREA research group. Her research focuses primarily on the economics of education, as well as experimental and behavioural economics.
Her research has been published in leading international journals, including Experimental Economics, Economics & Human Biology, Economics of Education Review, Journal of Human Capital, Journal of Economic Psychology, and The Journal of Economic Education. Her work examines, among other topics, risk-taking behaviour among secondary school students, the factors that influence academic achievement in primary and secondary education, and how to communicate evidence from economics to the public in order to counter misinformation and false beliefs.
Her expertise includes experimental design, data analysis, and the use of quantitative methods for policy evaluation. She has participated in numerous nationally and internationally funded competitive research projects and regularly presents her work at national and international scientific conferences.
M. Amor Montané March
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
She holds a PhD in Language Sciences and Applied Linguistics (UPF).
She carries out both teaching and research in the Department of Language, Science and Mathematics Education at the University of Barcelona. She teaches on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Teacher Education and on the Master’s Degree in Research in Language and Literature Education. As a researcher, she is a member of the Research Group on Intonation and Speech (GREP) and the Teaching Innovation Group Teaching Innovation Dynamics for Language Learning (DIDAL).
She led a funded research project on the implementation of Catalan terminology, the results of which were published as a monograph. She is currently involved in several research projects, including the development of an AI writing assistant for producing specialised and plain-language texts in Catalan (arText), the improvement of oral discourse in Catalan, the prosodic analysis of speech, and the development of basic school terminology, among others.
Pere Quer Aiguadé
Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
He holds a PhD in Catalan Philology (UAB).
He carries out both teaching and research in the Department of Philology and Language and Literature Education at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) and is a member of Glossa, the Research Group on Applied Linguistics, Language Education, and Literature. His research has covered a wide range of fields, from medieval historiography, textual transmission, and translation to the educational applications of literary heritage, which is currently his main area of research. He has also worked on the reception of foreign literatures in Catalonia, the history of publishing, and cultural transfer.
He is the author of more than 25 publications, including journal articles, books, and book chapters. Alongside his research, he has held a number of academic leadership roles, serving, among other positions, as Head of Department and Vice-Rector at different stages of his career.
Agnès Rius-Escudé
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
She holds a PhD in Language and Literature Education (UB).
She carries out both teaching and research in the Department of Language, Science and Mathematics Education at the University of Barcelona. She teaches on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Teacher Education, the Master’s Degree in Secondary Teacher Education, and the Master’s Degree in Research in Language and Literature Education. As a researcher, she is a member of the Research Group on Intonation and Speech (GREP) and the Teaching Innovation Group Teaching Innovation Dynamics for Language Learning (DIDAL).
Her research focuses on spoken language, particularly the pronunciation of speech sounds in spontaneous speech and voice training. She is the co-author of books, book chapters, journal articles, and teaching materials that propose strategies for improving the pronunciation of the sounds of Catalan and Spanish.
Irene Solanich-Sanglas
Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
She holds a PhD in Translation, Gender and Cultural Studies (UVic-UCC).
She carries out both teaching and research in the Department of Philology and Language and Literature Education at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) and is a member of Glossa, the Research Group on Applied Linguistics, Language Education, and Literature. Her research focuses on language and literature education, as well as on the reception of contemporary literary texts. She has published several journal articles on crime fiction and literature education.
She is also an editor at Llibres del Delicte and Spècula, publishing houses specialising in popular fiction in Catalan. In addition, she is the author of several collections of short stories (published by Edicions Xandri and Llibres del Delicte), a chapter in Apunt 4 (PAM), and the essay Matar impunement (La Magrana, Penguin Llibres).
Eva Tresserras Casals
Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
She holds a PhD in Social Sciences (UB).
She is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Communication at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). She teaches on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Journalism and Audiovisual Communication, as well as on the Master’s Degree in Secondary Teacher Education. As a researcher, she is a member of Glossa, the Research Group on Applied Linguistics, Language Education, and Literature (UVic-UCC), and PLURAL, the Research Group on School Plurilingualism and Language Learning (University of Barcelona).
She has participated in numerous national and international research projects focusing on the learning of Catalan, language learning in multilingual contact settings, plurilingualism, and linguistic and cultural diversity. She has also undertaken several international research stays as part of her academic career. Her publications, which include articles in leading international journals as well as outreach books, reflect these areas of research and promote critical reflection on plurilingualism.
Berta Vila
Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
She holds a PhD in Educational Innovation and Intervention (UVIC-UCC/Mondragón
Unibersitatea).
She teaches on the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Teacher Education and on the Master’s Degree in Montessori Pedagogy. As a researcher, she is a member of Glossa, the Research Group on Applied Linguistics, Language Education, and Literature. She is also the coordinator of the Teresa Buscart Classroom, the Early Childhood Education Training and Research Laboratory at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC).
She is a teacher educator on professional development courses for teachers at the Rosa Sensat Teachers’ Association and at various Educational Resource Centres (CRPs) in Catalonia and across Spain. She has delivered professional development lectures for teachers at conferences and educational events, as well as for parents’ associations and the Institutes of Education Sciences (ICEs) of the Universities of Girona, Lleida, and Barcelona.
She has participated in several nationally and internationally funded competitive research projects, including Communities for Sciences: Towards Promoting an Inclusive Approach in Science Education and Improving Early Childhood Education and Care Services (ECEC) for Inclusion, Equity, Community Participation and Climate Justice.