Education

Lynda's research interests focus on the nature of language use across cultures, and how adult learners learn to interact in and use English, with a particular interest in workplace communication. Recent studies have included an investigation of the language use and pragmatics of native-speakers of Australian English and learners from a range of backgrounds, language learning and settlement experiences among newly-arrived immigrants to Australia, and intelligibility and pronunciation in spoken English. She has presented at a many international conferences on the problems adult learners experience in using pragmatic aspects of language successfully, and on cross-cultural variation in politeness norms.

Lynda has a strong interest in the professional development of teachers and offers sessions on pronunciation teaching and learning as well as on cross cultural issues in language learning. She recently developed and delivered a professional development course on-line, and has published a series of downloadable professional development fact sheets for teachers in a range of practical issues relevant to TESOL teachers.

She is currently engaged as a senior researcher in a major national project run by the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) Research Centre, and also has a role as Associate Dean (International) in the faculty.

Yates, L. (forthcoming). The not-so generic skills: Teaching employability communication skills to adult migrants, Sydney: NCELTR.

Yates, L. (forthcoming). Extending TESOL teacher repertoires: Research and evidence-based professional development, Sydney: NCELTR.

Yates, L. (2007). Professional development package on assessing intelligibility, Sydney: NCELTR. Professional development resource also downloadable from: http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/pdamep.

Yates, L. (2007). Teaching strategies – 8. Interactive style: Suppporting Dinka background speakers from southern Sudan. Professional development resource downloadable from: http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/pdamep.

Wigglesworth, G. & Yates, L. (2007). ‘Mitigating difficult requests in the workplace: what learners and teachers need to know’, TESOL Quarterly.

Yates, L. (2006). Teaching strategies – 7. Professional development through reflective practice projects. NCELTR. Professional development resource downloadable from: http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/pdamep.

Yates, L. (2006). Teaching strategies – 6. Working with continuous enrolment. NCELTR. Professional development resource downloadable from: http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/pdamep.

Yates, L. & Devi, S. (2006). Teaching strategies – 3. Different cultures of learning. NCELTR. Professional development resource downloadable from: http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/pdamep.

Springall, J. and Yates, L. (2006). Teaching Speaking: Teaching Issues Fact sheet, Sydney: NCELTR. Professional development resource downloadable from: http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/pdamep.

Yates, L (forthcoming 2005). Negotiating an institutional identity: individual differences in NS and NNS teacher directives. In Bardovi-Harlig, K. and Hartford, S., Interlanguage Pragmatics: Exploring Institutional Talk, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Yates , L & Wigglesworth, G (2005). Researching the effectiveness of professional development in pragmatics. In Bartels, N. (Ed). Applied linguistics and language teacher education, Amsterdam: Kluwer.

Yates, L. (2004). The ‘secret rules of language’: Tackling pragmatics in the classroom, Prospect: Journal of Australian TESOL, 19,1.

Yates, L (2003). The influence of prior learning. In Wigglesworth, G (Ed). The kaleidoscope of adult second language learning: learner, teacher and researcher perspectives, Sydney: NCELTR

Yates, L (2003). Comment-response mingle. In Bardovi-Harlig, K., & Mahan-Taylor, R. (Eds.), Teaching Pragmatics (pp. ???). Washington DC: US Department of State, Office of English Language Programs. Retrieved 8th January 2004 from http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching/pragmatics.htm

Yates, L (2003). Softening short requests. In Bardovi-Harlig, K., & Mahan-Taylor, R. (Eds.), Teaching Pragmatics. Washington DC: US Department of State, Office of English Language Programs. Retrieved 8th January 2004 from http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching/pragmatics.htm

Yates, L & A Williams (2003). Turning the kaleidoscope: Perceptions of learning and teaching in the AMEP. In Wigglesworth, G (Ed). The kaleidoscope of adult second language learning: learner, teacher and researcher perspectives, Sydney: NCELTR

Yates, L. (July 2007). Approaching the negotiation of requests in the workplace: An investigation of Dinka background speakers of English. Paper delivered to International Pragmatics Association Conference, Gotheborg, Sweden, 9th -13th July.

Yates, L., de Courcy, M. & Nicholas, H. (April 2007). The complex mix of social and cognitive influences in the course of English language development among three age groups of Iraqi refugees. Paper delivered to Social and Cognitive Aspects of Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference, Auckland, 12th -14th April.

Yates, L. (Mar. 2007). Dinka speakers Downunder: pitfalls for immigrants to Australia from Southern Sudan. Paper delivered to Pragmatics and Language Learning Conference, Hawai’I, Mar 26th – 28th.

Yates, L. (Sep. 2006). Assessing intelligibility: what are really doing? Paper delivered to TESOL Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Yates, L. & Wigglesworth, G. (Sep. 7th-9th 2006). ‘Mitigation and mateship: Negotiating difficult requests at work’. Paper delivered to British Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference, Cork, Ireland.

Yates, L., de Courcy, M. Nicholas, H. (July 2006). ‘Identity, community and English language development among three age groups of Iraqi refugees’. Paper delivered Pacific Second Language Research Forum, Brisbane.

Yates, L. & Wigglesworth, G. (2006). ‘Mitigation and mateship: Negotiating difficult requests at work’. Paper delivered to American Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference, Montreal, June 17th-20th.

Yates, L. (2005). ‘Continuous enrolment: highs, lows and strategies’ Workshop delivered to National AMEP Conference, Sydney, 2005.

Yates, L. (Sep. 2005). ‘Interpersonal pragmatics and language learning’. Chair invited colloquium. Applied Linguistics Association of Australia Annual Conference, Sydney.

Wigglesworth, G. & Yates, L. (July 2005). ‘Getting things done in the workplace: The challenge for non-native users of English’, International Pragmatics Association Conference, Riva Del Garda, Italy.

Nicholas, H., de Courcy, M. & Yates, L. (July 2004). ‘The cognitive and the social in the second language use/development of English by Iraqi Arabic speakers in a regional centre in Victoria’. Paper presented to ALAA 2004 Annual Congress 15th - 17th, University of South Australia.

Yates, L. (2004). ‘Intelligibility: What and who are we assessing?’ Paper to American Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Nicholas, H., Yates, L. & de Courcey, M. (2004). "Iraqi families learning English: social and cognitive factors". Paper presented to American Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Yates, L. (2004). ‘Teacher and non-teacher views of intelligibility’. Paper delivered to TESOL, Long Beach.

Yates, L. (2003). ‘Speaking with intent: Pragmatics in the AMEP.’ Featured speaker plenary at AMEP National Conference, Gold Coast, Queensland.

Yates, L. (2003). Title: Softly, softly: Teaching adults how to mitigate requests. Invited colloquium, CATESOL, Pasadena (April).

Yates, L. (2002). ‘Solidarity politeness: A forgotten dimension in interlanguage pragmatics’. Paper presented to AILA Congress, Singapore, (December).

Lynda has supervised theses by research and minor theses on a range of topics related many aspects of adult language learning and use, including intelligibility and pronunciation, cross-culture and interlanguage pragmatics, EFL writing and language curricula.