Michelle Zirkel

Curriculum Vitae

since January 2022: Lecturer and Research Assistant at the Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Fachdidaktik Englisch), University of Bamberg

2021: First State Examination (English and Spanish, Gymnasiallehramt); Bachelor of Arts with Distinction (Spanish, English and American Studies)

February 2021-September 2021: Teaching Assistant at Irish Studies Würzburg (ISWÜ) and Academic Tutor, involved in the project of “WueGlobal - Writing, Learning, Digital Connection”, University of Würzburg

April 2020-March 2021: Student Research Assistant at the Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, University of Würzburg

2019: Foreign Language Assistant at Glenstal Abbey School, County Limerick (Ireland)

2018-2019: Erasmus+ Term in Spain (Universidad de Zaragoza)

October 2017-January 2022: Academic Tutor at the Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, University of Würzburg

2017-2018: Erasmus+ project at Glenstal Abbey School in County Limerick (Ireland) and at Collège du Servois in La Chapelle-en-Serval (France)

2014-2021: Studies in English, Spanish and French for secondary school teaching, University of Würzburg

Research Interests

Learning with Digital Media (Focus: Virtual Reality)

Inter-, Transcultural and Global Education (Focus: Critical Environmental Literacy)

Irish Studies in the EFL Classroom

Interdisciplinary Teacher Education

Popular Culture in the EFL Classroom

Pragmatics in the EFL Classroom

Projects

DiSo-SGW 

PhD project (working title): The potential of virtual reality for English language education and the development of critical environmental literacy

Memberships

DGFF (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fremdsprachenforschung)

EFACIS (The European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies)

IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language)

ISWÜ (Irish Studies Würzburg)

Educators in VR

Klimabildung e.V.

Scientists for Future Bamberg

Publications

Zirkel, M. (forthcoming). Innovation in der Lehrkräftebildung: Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung und sprachliche Bildung durch immersive virtuelle Realität im Englischunterricht. In: Morek, M. & Meer, D. (eds.), Unterricht auf einem bedrohten Planeten. Perspektiven und Herausforderungen einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung im Unterricht der sprachlichen Fächer. Sprachlich-literarisches Lernen und Deutschdidaktik (SLLD-B).

Zirkel, Michelle (forthcoming). Immersive virtuelle Realität im Fremdsprachenunterricht: Virtuelle Welten, reale Lernerfolge. In: E. Thaler (eds.), Impulsgeber Fremdsprachen: Best Practice und Diskussionen aus der Tagung des Gesamtverbands Moderne Fremdsprachen Bayern. Cornelsen.

Schnellbögl, C., Zirkel, M., Bösendörfer, A. & Summer, T. (forthcoming). Foreign Language Teachers’ Perspectives on Global Education, Digital Media, and Extended Reality. In: Summer, T. & Gießler, R. (eds.), Digital Textualities and Spaces in ELT. Studies in English Language Teaching (SELT). Narr.

Summer, T., Zirkel, M., Fischer, P. & Krug, M. (2024). Exploring Poems and Song Lyrics in an Interdisciplinary Seminar with Pre-service English Teachers: Opportunities and Hurdles. In: Fischer, P. & Summer, T. (eds.), Impulses for Teaching Poetry and Song Lyrics: From Shakespeare to Pop Music (pp. 271-294). Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter.

Zirkel, M. & Summer, T. (2024). Empowering English Language Teachers to Use Immersive Virtual Reality for Global Citizenship Education. WorldCALL2023: Official Conference Proceedings. Nagoya, Japan: The International Academic Forum. 217-224. DOI: 10.22492 https://papers.iafor.org/wp-content/uploads/conference-proceedings/WorldCALL/WorldCALL2023_proceedings.pdf

Zirkel, M. & Grund, R. (2023). TaskCards im Englischunterricht: Sprachbewusstheit mit Fokus auf Diversität fördern. Englisch 5-10 63 (2023), 38-39.

Grund, R., & Zirkel, M. (2022). Leseverstehen mithilfe von song lyrics überprüfen: Grundlegende Überlegungen, Aufgabenformate und ein Beispieltest zum Song Hero of War der Band Rise Against. Englisch 5-10, 58. 30-32.

Judaschke, M. & Zirkel, M. (2022). This will get better: Mithilfe des Songs I Beg to Differvon Billy Talent das Thema mentale Gesundheit in den Fokus rücken. Englisch 5-10, 58. 10-13.

Zirkel, M. (2022). The potential of picturebooks in primary ELE: Fostering language skills and addressing pressing concerns of modern-day society. In: Böttger, H. & Summer, T. (eds.), English in primary education: concepts, research, practice. Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press. 117-140. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367334722_English_in_Primary_Education_Concepts_Research_Practice

Conferences, Guest Lectures, Presentations, and Workshops

The Potential of Immersive Virtual Reality for Teaching the SDGs in the Context of English Language Education (Talk). eLearning Africa 17th International Conference & Exhibition on Digital Education, Training & Skills Development, Kigali, Rwanda, 29.-31.05.2024.

The potential of immersive virtual reality for English language classrooms (Guest lecture). Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität München, 17.01.2024.

Virtual reality and global learning in English language education: innovations for English teacher education (Talk). WorldCALL Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 09.-13.11.2023.

Das Potenzial von Virtual Reality für den Fremdsprachenunterricht und Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (Talk). Arbeitstagung Unterricht auf einem bedrohten Planeten – Perspektiven und Herausforderungen einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung im Unterricht sprachlicher Fächer, Universität Duisburg-Essen, 03.-04.11.2023.

Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung und Fremdsprachenlernen in Immersive Virtual Reality (Talk). Gesamtverband Moderne Fremdsprachen (GMF)-Tagung, Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, 06.-07.10.2023.

Northern Irish songs in the EFL classroom (Guest Lecture). Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, 15.12.2022. Videocast available on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch

Songs in ELT: A survey on university students’ beliefs and their experiences in English lessons (Talk with Theresa Summer and Regina Grund). Anglistentag, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. 02.-05.09.2022.

Northern Irish songs in the EFL classroom: theoretical justification and practical suggestions (Talk). IATEFL 55th International Conference & Exhibition, Belfast. 17.-20.05.2022.