I am an Assistant Lecturer at the Literacy Development Centre (LDC). I hold a PhD in Paleoecology from NUI Galway, a BA (Hons) in Adult and Further Education from SETU and a BA (Mod) Hons in Botany from Trinity College Dublin.
I have 20 years’ experience of working as a Literacy and ESOL Tutor with Kilkenny Carlow Education and Training Board, working on Refugee Resettlement Programmes for Rohingyan, Syrian and Ukrainian refugees, as well as various literacy programmes at QQI levels 1 to 3, including Skills for Work and ITABE. I currently lecture tutors delivering literacy and QQI modules around the country.
I have published in peer-reviewed journals, contributed to international conferences, and am an active member of LDCRG, the first established research group in the Faculty of Education and Lifelong Learning. I am a member of the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee and a Fellow of AdvanceHE (FHEA) which recognises professional commitment to excellence in teaching and learning in higher education.
I currently teach modules on undergraduate and higher certificate courses in the Literacy Development Centre, and supervise research projects at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Before coming to work in SETU fulltime, I worked for 20 years in Further Education and Training (FET) as a Literacy and ESOL Tutor. All of my teaching experience, both in Higher Education and FET, has been with mature or non-traditional students.
I am actively researching current ESOL delivery methods in Ireland with a view to implementing more trauma-informed practices within the further education and training sector in Ireland.
I am a member of Aontas, the Adult National Learning Organisation and NALA, the National Adult Literacy Association and have presented at events for both entities. I am also registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland.
Ní Ghráinne, E. 2024. ‘The Effect of Trauma and PTSD on Retention in Second Lanugage Acquisition in Refugees and the Steps Educators Can Take to Mitigate.’ The Adult Learner. Dublin: Aontas, pp. 21-42.
Ní Ghráinne, E. (2025) Retention of Learning after trauma for adult refugees - an Irish perspective, presented at LESLLA Conference (Online), Quebec City, 6 June 2025.
Ní Ghráinne, E. (2025) The Effects of Trauma on Retention in Second Language Acquisition in Refugees and the Steps Educators Can Take to Mitigate, presented at World Literacy Summit, Oxford, 9 April 2025.
Ní Ghráinne, E. (2024) Retention of Learning After Trauma for Adult Refugees, presented at Literacy Development Centre (LDC) Symposium on Adult Education and Empowerment, Waterford, 16 Mary 2024.
Ní Ghráinne, E. (2024) Understanding trauma in adult refugees and how ESOL tutors can help with retention of language learning, presentation and workshop at the NALA ESOL Conference, 15 May 2024.
