Professor Julia Gillen
Professor of Literacy StudiesProfile
I am Professor of Literacy Studies in Linguistics and English Language, School of Social Sciences and Co-Director, .
My most recent ESRC funded research project is 0-3-year-old children's language and literacy learning at home in a digital age aka (ES/W001020/1 ) June 2022-December 2024. See my publications for our growing set of journal papers and follow these links for our and our
Since 2002 I have been involved with the umbrella programme, initially created by C.A. Cameron and myself. It has given rise to numerous projects around the globe making use of our methodology.
I have recently completed a from the ESRC funded project , (ES/W000571/1) January 2022 - March 2024. This is available open access.
I belong to a number of organisations including the Literacy Research Association (where I am an Area 12, International, panel chair); UK Literacy Association, the UK Literacy Association, the British Association of Applied Linguistics and the Royal Historical Society.
Research Overview
I am exploring and expanding the boundaries of literacy studies.
I work with contemporary and historical topics. My main current interest concerns the activities of very young children in the home with digital media especially as related to language and literacy. A particular focus of interest is the part played by Conversational Assistants (also known as digital voice assistants or smart speakers). I have an extremely longstanding interest in young children's use of phones.
I aim to expand understandings of the relationship of literacy with communication in all modes, finding the discipline of Literacy Studies most helpful, with its diverse methodologies and topics. I am currently, with Uta Papen, developing an edited textbook on Research Methods in Literacy Studies.
A lasting project of mine is the Edwardin Postcard Project. The main collection is now part of .
Some years ago I was Co-Investigator in two ESRC projects relating to deaf multiliteracies in India, Ghana and Uganda. I was formerly Co-Chair of Working Group 1 Children in Homes and Communities in the COST IS1640 Action The Digital Literacy and Multimodal Practices of Young Children (DigiLitEY), a member of the management committee and leader of the Day in the Digital Life of children aged 0-3 research strand.
I am the director of the , having held a FASS impact award and completed an AHRC Creative Exchange mini project. We are constructing a more interactive website and engaging in other activities to connect with family and local history audiences as well as museums and e-heritage users. I am currently completing a monograph.
See also the for my involvement with a continuing international programme of inter-generational research.
My (2014) book, , consolidates empirical and theoretical interests in recent work including on Twitter as a professional practice and online ethnography. Earlier, my research on children and teenagers learning in formal and informal settings including in virtual worlds featured in this and its associated .
External Roles
I review proposals for several different international funding councils and occasionally chair panels. The following are a sample of my current and past roles.
Co-editor, Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 2007-present.
2025-2028 Area Chair of Panel 12 International Research and Scholarship, Literacy Research Association.
2025-2028 Chair of Brian Street Memorial Award, Literacy Research Association.
Member, AHRC Peer Review College, June 2014 - December 2021.
Chair of the Awards Committee of the Writing and Literacies Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association 2019 & 2020.
I was co-chair Working Group 1 (Digital Literacy in Homes and Communities) of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Programme The Digital Literacy and Multimodal Practices of Young Children (DigiLitEY) June 2017 - April 2019 and led the "Day in the Digital Lives of Children 0-3" research strand of WG1.
Selected Publications
Burnett, C., Adams, G., Gillen, J., Thompson, T.L., Lindroos Cermakova, A., Shannon, D.B., Shetty, P. 15/11/2024 London : Routledge. 208 p. ISBN: 9781032544106.
Book
Gillen, J. 13/07/2023 London : Routledge. 158 p. ISBN: 9781032198873. Electronic ISBN: 9781003261322.
Book
Burnett, C., Gillen, J., Guest, I., Maxwell, B., Thompson, T.L. 3/10/2022 In: Literacy. 56, 4, p. 386-399. 14 p.
Journal article
Sandberg, H., Gillen, J. 30/09/2021 In: Communication, The European Journal of Communication Research. 46, 3, p. 332-351. 20 p.
Journal article
Goodall, J., Flewitt, R., El Gemayel, S., Arnott, L., Dalziell, A., Gillen, J., Savadova, S., Timmins, S., Liu, M., Winter, K. 26/11/2025 In: Educational Review.
Journal article
Lindroos Cermakova, A., Adams, G., Burnett, C., Gillen, J., Thompson, T.L., Shannon, D.B., Shetty, P., Vackova, P. 11/03/2024 Sheffield : Sheffield Hallam University. 106 p.
Other report
Winter, K., Flewitt, R., El Gemayel, S., Bunting, L., Arnott, L., Connolly, P., Dalziell, A., Gillen, J., Goodall, J., Lui, M., McLaughlin, K., Savadova, S., Timmins, S. 12/08/2025 In: Children and Society. 39, 5, p. 995-1011. 17 p.
Journal article
All Publications
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06/06/2022 → 05/12/2024
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01/04/2022 → 31/03/2027
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30/07/2011 → 31/10/2013
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01/02/2007 → 31/01/2008
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01/01/2002 → 30/12/2016
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Member of Advisory Panel
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
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Prize (including medals and awards)
- CeMoRe - Centre for Mobilities Research
- 快播视频 Literacy Research Centre