Dr Elisabeth Barakos
Member of the GEC Circle of Influence
Bio:
Elisabeth has more than 16 years’ experience working across universities in Europe and the UK, currently based at the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education. A trained MFL teacher, Elisabeth holds a doctorate in English Linguistics and specialises in research about the role of language and inequality in society, specifically in minoritised, bi- and multilingual communities. She has taught courses on AI and linguistics for language educators, aiming to prepare future language teachers to use AI critically and ethically. She is also a member of the “AI in Education” Special Interest Group at UCL, with a strong interest in human-centred AI.
Elisabeth is a passionate advocate for knowledge exchange and building bridges between research, policy and practice. She co-founded the British Association for Applied Linguistics Special Interest Group “Language Policy”, where she led practice-based initiatives, workshops and conferences for researchers as well as educators and practitioners interested in language policy.
She is a regular speaker at conferences and publishes widely on subjects including multilingualism in education and the workplace, the role of AI in the corporate language industry as well as diversity, equality and inclusion discourses and practices in education settings.
A first-gen university graduate, Elisabeth is committed to making education accessible and equitable for all. She actively volunteers for leading charities, including Coram Beanstalk and Smart Works, supporting literacy in schools and women’s empowerment initiatives.
“Joining the GEC’s Circle of Influence allows me to continue building bridges between research, policy and practice on issues of language and (in)equality in society. I am dedicated to making language and linguistic diversity key topics in debates about DEI.”
Specialist Areas:
Speaker, Consultant, Panellist / Subject Matter Expert, Advisor / Mentor, Researcher, Writer, author, lecturer, multilingualism in education and the workplace, language policy, minoritised communities and languages, the education of newcomer students, language and inequality
Social channels:
Useful Links:
BAAL Language Policy Special Interest Group
UCL Institute of Education Profile
GEC Circle Contributions: Strengthening the GEC Framework:
Dr Elisabeth Barakos is a researcher specialising in multilingualism, language policy, and inclusion in education. Through her involvement in the GEC Circle, she brings a critical, research-informed perspective on how language shapes identity, belonging, and access to learning — particularly for multilingual learners and minoritised communities. Elisabeth’s contribution strengthens the GEC’s work on representation and voice, supporting more linguistically inclusive approaches across schools and education systems.
