I work as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Philology, University of Opole, Poland. Currently (in the years 2022-2023), I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Turku, involved in the Fluency and Disfluency Features in L2 Speech (FDF2) project, coordinated by the Deputy Head of the School of Languages and Translation Studies, prof. Pekka Lintunen. I gained my PhD in Linguistics in 2016. Thereafter I have been teaching at B.A., M.A. and PhD levels at the University of Opole, focusing on Applied Linguistics, Second/Foreign Language Acquisition and Individual Learner Differences. Additionally, my professional experience includes EFL teaching, teacher training and assessment.

I was involved in the following international projects:

FORTHEM Allience Project - https://www.forthem-alliance.eu/

FIT FORTHEM Project - https://www.forthem-alliance.eu/fit-forthem/

TOOLS Project (Technologically enhanced online opportunities for language learning in inclusive education) - https://www.uni-muenster.de/Anglistik/Research/Tefl/erasmus_projects/TOOLS.html

DYSTEFL2 Project (Dyslexia for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language 2) - http://dystefl2.uni.lodz.pl/

My research interests comprise 

Selected individual learner differences (ILDs), including pronunciation learning strategies, L2 pronunciation perceptions and affective dimensions in foreign language acquisition. The results of these interests are compiled in my book: Pronunciation learning strategies and language anxiety: In search of an interplay (Springer, 2017) and a number of articles on pronunciation learning strategies and ILDs.

EFL in-service and pre-service teachers' beliefs, perceptions and actions, as well as the development of new paths for teacher training (see Szyszka, M., Smirnov, I., Benchetrit, R., (2018). Towards crossing the borders in foreign language teacher training: A report on a pilot phase of the Tandem Learning for Teacher Training project. Pogranicze. Polish Borderlands Studies, 6(4), 263-277).

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Fluency/disfluency in L2 speech as related to affective factors inL2 learning - this research area is a part of a larger FDF2 project (Fluency and Disfluency in L2 Speech) funded by Academy of Finland 2020-2024  (see https://sites.utu.fi/flowlang/).

The list of my publications can be accessed at http://instytutjezykoznawstwa.wfil.uni.opole.pl/magdalena-szyszka/

Courses taught at the University of Opole, Poland:

BA level: Introduction to Second Language Acquisition, English Phonetics, Voice Emission, Understanding English Dialects and Accents, Academic Language Skills, Academic Writing, Writing with Elements of Grammar, Elements of British and American Culture.

MA level: MA Seminar for English Philology Teacher Training Programme, Specialist Research, Teaching English at Particular Educational Stages, Teaching Fundamentals, Discussions on Academic Texts.

PhD level: Supervised Teaching

My other duties included the coordination of students’ internship, recruitment process and contacts between the University and the local schools.