DrStergiani Kostopoulou

I am an Assistant Professor in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at the UCD Centre for English and Global Languages. I direct the MA/GradDip TESOL Programme for Pre-Service teachers and coordinate UCD’s Pre-Sessional EAP Programmes and Pre-Master’s EAP modules. My role involves managing the recruitment, training, and mentoring of EAP tutors, alongside quality assurance. I recently developed the ProfCert in English for Academics, which supports academic staff with English as a second language in strengthening their academic language skills for delivering subject content in English-medium contexts.

I hold a PhD and MPhil in Applied Linguistics from Trinity College Dublin, a ProfDip in University Teaching and Learning from UCD, and a ProfDip in Creativity and Innovation for Education from UCD Innovation Academy. 

My research is situated within Applied Linguistics, with specialised expertise in TESOL pedagogy, English for Academic Purposes, Applied Corpus Linguistics, and innovations in feedback and assessment in higher education. My current research interests centre on Generative AI applications in (language) education, the development of AI literacy among learners and educators, and feedback and assessment literacy.  

My educational philosophy is grounded in the belief that learning is a transformative process of self-formation, where students are active agents in shaping their intellectual, personal, and ethical growth. I view education not merely as a means to acquire knowledge or prepare for a career, but as a journey of critical self-reflection, relational development and empowerment. In my teaching, I aim to create an environment that fosters autonomy, encourages curiosity and reasonable scepticism, and promotes lifelong learning. I believe in guiding students to think independently, engage meaningfully with diverse perspectives, and apply their learning to real-world contexts. Ultimately, I strive to empower students to become self-directed learners who contribute positively to society and embrace learning as an ongoing, evolving process.

 In 2022, I was honoured with the UCD Teaching and Learning Excellence Award, which formally recognizes the value and impact of my contributions to student learning.

I am a member of Una Europa’s University Language Centres Working Group focusing on collaboration in language and intercultural communication courses. I also contribute to the Irish Universities Association's EAP Working Group, where in partnership with colleagues from Irish Universities, I developed a sector-wide initiative addressing the language needs of Ukrainian students in Irish Higher Education Institutions and authored a report on the Duolingo English Test for university admissions. I served as an External Examiner at University College Cork from 2020 to 2023 and currently hold the same role at Munster Technological University Cork (2022–2026).