Emilia Petrocelli is a tenure-track lecturer (RTT) in English Language, Translation, and Linguistics (ANGL-01/C, ex L-LIN/12) at the University of Siena. She earned her PhD in Linguistics and Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language from the University for Foreigners of Siena, with part of her doctoral research conducted under the supervision of Professor Rod Ellis at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where she also worked as a research assistant. As a tenured teacher of English Language and Culture in Italian secondary schools, she has over two decades of experience in English language education, combining linguistic theory with practical teaching applications. Previously, she held a fixed-term lecturer (RtdA) position at the University for Foreigners of Siena, contributing to various research projects and academic events. Additionally, she has taught Italian as a second language (L2) in Great Britain, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Dr. Petrocelli’s main research interests lie in English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and in the acquisition of English as a second language. She has published in national and international journals, examining linguistic features of scientific communication as disseminated through university press releases, as well as hedging strategies in both scientific and second language writing.
Her work integrates key language learning theories, such as Ellis's Principles of Instructed Language Learning (2005), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), including applications for blind and visually impaired learners. Dr. Petrocelli has also contributed to research on STEAM education and the role of storytelling in language acquisition, demonstrating her dedication to interdisciplinary approaches. Recently, her research has expanded to investigate ideologies surrounding English as a global language, including the use of eye-tracking systems to analyse web navigation behaviours.