Ph.D. Candidate in Education, Universitat de Barcelona
2023 - Expected: May 2026
Emma Caputo
emmacaputo@mailbox.org
Faculty of Education
Universitat de Barcelona
Research interests:
- Language learning in digital environments
- Research methodology in online settings
- Libre software in Education
- AI in language education
Relevant Experience
- Serves as member of the realTIC research group, using mixed-methods to investigate technology in language learning and teaching
- Oversees the Video Games and English Project, responsible for research design, data collection and management, and collaboration
- Collaborated with Dr. Reinhardt and the AGILE research group through project refinement meetings, implementing feedback to enhance research methodology and outcomes
- Developed foundational expertise in game design principles, including mechanics and aesthetics, while creating original game concepts
- Acquired theoretical frameworks and knowledge in applied linguistics through the Proseminar coursework
- Delivered interactive lessons to improve students' communicative competence in Spanish, aligned with SPAN 3020 Advanced Oral Communication course objectives and instructor guidelines
- Collaborated with instructors to develop and implement assessment tools to evaluate students' language proficiency and progress
- Designed and implemented EFL curriculum for high-achieving students in the UAE
- Demonstrated excellent communication and interpersonal skills, effectively engaging with students and colleagues from different cultural backgrounds
- Designed and implemented culturally responsive ESL curriculum for students (aged 5-16), addressing unique needs of learners from China, Colombia, India, and Thailand
- Integrated comprehensive language acquisition strategies targeting reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills
Education
M.A. in Spanish, Linguistics, Saint Louis University, Madrid
2017 - 2019, GPA: 4.0
B.A. in Spanish & International Studies, Capital University
2011 - 2015, GPA: 3.897
Skills
Language Proficiency: Native English, Advanced Spanish, Basic Catalan
Programming and Web Development: Python, HTML5 & CSS
Other Skills: Praat, Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK), LaTeX, Command Line Interface (CLI)
Presentations
Research Integrity & Ethics
**Accepted** Research Integrity Challenges of Commercial GenAI Services in Applied Linguistics
2025 Technology for Second Language Learning TSLL Conference at Iowa State University, November 2025
**Accepted** Research Integrity in Language Education Research: Free Software Alternatives to Commercial GenAI Services.
GenAI Conference at The Open University, UK, November 2025
Alternatives to Third-party Proprietary Software in Education Research
VII Jornadas de Educación at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, May 2022
Conversational Agent Development
Beyond Commercial AI Services: A Self-Hosted Conversational Agent for L2 English Research
SOCALLT 2025 Conference (RE)Empowering Language & Culture Education at University of New Mexico, April 2025
A Libre Software Conversational Agent for L2 English Research and Practice
CALICO 2025 "Converging Realities and Realms of Possibility" at San Diego State University, May 2025
Developing a Generative AI Tool for Dialogue Data Collection in Online Environments
LatinCALL "CALL Challenges and New Horizons in the Age of AI", November 2024
A Generative AI tool for Dialogue Data Collection in Online Environments
2024 Technology for Second Language Learning TSLL Conference at Iowa State University, October 2024
Data Collection & Online Learning
Online Audio Data Collection for L2 English Learner-Gamers
STaPs 21: Linguistics Conference at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, February 2024