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Dr. Emily Barnes

Assistant Professor (Education)
      
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Dr. Emily Barnes

Assistant Professor (Education)

 barnesem@tcd.ie

 


Dr Emily Barnes is an Assistant Professor School of Education in Trinity College Dublin. She is the Director of the M.Oid. san Oideachas Lán-Ghaeilge agus Gaeltachta. Her research focuses on examining educational outcomes for learners in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht contexts, with a view to improving outcomes. A central theme in her work is biliteracy development, including the assessment, identification, and support of literacy difficulties such as dyslexia, as well as the development of evidence-based approaches to literacy instruction and intervention. She is interested in both basic research and in resource development and evaluation. At the heart of her work is a focus on and educational equity, bolstered by the belief that every student should be able to attend an Irish-medium school, and every Irish-medium pupil should have the same resources available to them as they would in an English-medium school. In addition to work on dyslexia, she collaborates with the Phonetics and Speech Lab, TCD, on the development of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for autistic pupils in Irish-medium schools.
Project Title
 AAC don Ghaeilge
From
October 2022
To
October 2026
Summary
This project aims to develop an Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) system for the Irish language. Such a system allows the user to select a series of words/images to make a sentence which the computer reads out. This is the first such system in the Irish Language
Funding Agency
An Chomhairle Um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta
Project Title
 Phonological awareness in the Irish language and its relationship with literacy acquisition in native and non-native Irish speakers
From
To
Summary
This PhD project investigated the predictors of literacy attainment in Irish-English bilinguals, the extent to which they were language-specific as opposed to language-universal and whether differences existed between native and new speakers of Irish.
Funding Agency
Irish Research Council
Project Title
 The development of a bilingual formative spelling assessment for children in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools
From
To
Summary
This project involved the development of a formative spelling assessment in both Irish and English for children in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools. It was carried out with Professor Pádraig Ó Duibhir in SEALBHÚ in DCU.
Funding Agency
An Chomhairle Um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta

Details Date
Test Development Steering Committee for Irish language assessments (Organisation: Educational Research Centre:ERC) 2023-present
External advisor for literacy-related professional development and resources for Irish-medium schools (Organisation: National Council for Special Education: NCSE) 2026-present
Journal Reviewer: International Journal of Multilingualism
Journal Reviewer: Teanga, The Journal of the Irish Association of Applied Linguistics.
Journal Reviewer: Linguistic Minorities in Europe Online (LME)
Advisory Committee: Polasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta (Organisation: Department of Education and Youth)
External Examiner - Language Planning programmes (Organisation: University of Galway)
Advisory Committee for COALESCE project (PI Prof Máire Ní Ríordáin; Prof Geraldine Boylan - University College Cork) 2026
External consultancy to develop support materials for the Primary Language Curriculum related to Irish literacy (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment: NCCA) 2024
Barnes, E. (2025), Dyslexia in the Irish-medium and Gaeltacht context: considerations for educators, REACH Journal of Special and Inclusive Education in Ireland, 38, (1), 2025, p8 - 16, p8-16 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Barnes, E., An disléicse sa chomhthéacs Lán-Ghaeilge Agus Gaeltachta: Gnéithe le cur san áireamh ag oideoirí, REACH: An Iris um Oideachas Ionchuimsitheach in Éirinn, 38, (1), 2025, p8 - 16, p8-16 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Cummins, J., Barnes, E., Ní Chiaráin, N., Ní Chasaide, A., 'What Does Access To AAC For Irish Mean To You?' Geabaire, The First Symbols-Based AAC Application For The Irish Language: Preliminary Findings From An Evaluation Study, Reach: Journal of Inclusive Education in Ireland, 2025, p2 - 7, p2-7 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Cummins, J., Barnes, E., Ní Chiaráin, N., Ní Chasaide, A., `Céard atá i gceist le rochtain ar AAC don Ghaeilge duitse? Geabaire, an chéad aip AAC siombail-bhunaithe don Ghaeilge: réamhthorthaí ó staidéar measúnaithe, 2025, p2 - 7, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Inclusive and Special Education in English-Medium, Irish-Medium, and Gaeltacht Schools: Policy and Ideology of a Fragmented System in, editor(s)Lidia Mañoso-Pacheco, José Luis Estrada Chichón, Roberto Sánchez-Cabrero , Inclusive Education in Bilingual and Plurilingual Programs, 2024, pp80 - 95, [Barnes, E.], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI  URL
Developing Language Tools for Irish Speaking Children with Additional Needs in, editor(s)Watkins, G. (Ed.) , Language and Technology in Wales: Volume II, 2024, pp52 - 59, [Barnes, E.], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED  URL
Barnes, E., Ní Chiaráin, N., Ní Chasaide, A., Predictors of dual-language literacy attainment in Irish-English bilinguals, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 27, (8), 2024, p1069-1084 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Emily Barnes, Joe Condon, Ann Devitt, Noel Ó Murchadha, Driving Motivation in Irish Language Learning: An analysis of variation in post-primary pupil attitudes to Irish in the Growing Up in Ireland study, 31, 2024, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Barnes, E., Ní Chiaráin, N. & Ní Chasaide, A., phonemic awareness: language-specific and universal contributions, Reading and Writing, 2024, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI  URL
Barnes, E., Ní Ghrádaigh, N., Uí Niaidh, M., Majority language biases within minority language education: lessons from the Irish context, 23rd European Conference on Literacy, Chania, Greece, 2024, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED
  

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Barnes, Emily, Developing language tools for Irish-speaking children with additional needs, Language and Technology in Wales Conference, Bangor University, 2024, 2024, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED
Emily Barnes & Sinéad Andrews, Ag tacú le scoláirí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu le linn na paindéime, le fócas ar an gcianfhoghlaim [Supporting students with special educational needs during the pandemic, with a focus on remote learning]., Comhdháil Cheannaireachta 2021 [Leadership Conference 2021 for senior management in Irish-medium school], 2021, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Barnes, E., Nascanna idir fóineolaíocht agus ortagrafaíocht na Gaeilge: dúshláin faoi cheilt i múineadh na teanga ar an tríú leibhéal? [Links between the phonology and orthography of Irish: hidden challenges in third level education]. , Lárionad na Gaeilge, Maynooth University Seminar Series, 2021, 2021, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Emily Barnes, An fheasacht fóineolaíochta agus scileanna luathlitearthachta: taighde agus cleachtadh [Phonemic awareness and early literacy skills: research and practice], Gaeloideachas Seminar Series, 2020, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Emily Barnes, Relationships between Sounds and Symbols: It"s Complicated, UCD Dictionary Seminar Series, 2020, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Burke, P., Ó Neachtain, A., Cassidy, A. & Barnes, E., Leading Literacy Success at Post-Primary Level: Insights for Teachers and Teacher Education, Conference of the Literacy Association of Ireland, Dublin, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED