Researcher Summary
Leona Harris is a UC doctoral student and research assistant for A Better Start: E Tipu e Rea National Science Challenge. Her thesis on linguistic landscapes of emergent bilingual young children will contribute to the Literacy Strand - Emergent Bilinguals in a Digital World https://ebdwwebsite.wixsite.com/ebdw. Originally a primary school teacher, Leona later specialised in teaching English to speakers of other languages and gained TESOL certification. Her Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Primary), with a teaching and learning languages endorsement, received distinction. Her MEd, a pilot for the project, was set in a Māori language immersion early childhood centre. Her future research interests are young children’s development of languages and well-being in environments with increasingly more mobile digital screen technology use.
