GREIP NEWS!
GREIP is a research team in plurilingual education, recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya (autonomous government) since 2005. We work closely with primary, secondary, university teachers and educators in non-formal contexts, school management teams and decision-makers in educational policies. We work with researchers from different parts of the world with the intention of advancing knowledge about language education in the twenty-first century.
What is GREIP?
GREIP (Research Group for Education, Interaction & Plurilingualism) was founded in the 1980s. With its 30 years of experience, the team has become a point of reference worldwide in regard to innovation in language education. Although always maintaining a coherent, solid focus in our research, GREIP is sufficiently flexible to meld numerous fruitful alliances, both locally and internationally, with individuals and other entities and research teams in primary and secondary schools, at higher education, and in non-formal educational settings. These partnerships have contributed to the vast knowledge of the GREIP team in many different areas of research in plurilingual education and imbued our team with a passion to continue collaborative, ethnographic sociolinguistic studies, to contribute to theory-building and teaching innovation, and to advance knowledge and practices for inclusive plurilingual didactics (see areas of teaching and research).
We are a competitively funded research group (at both national and international levels) and have received funding from AGAUR (Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca) continuously since 2005.
- 2021: SGR 00084 (Funding of 60,000€)
- 2017: SGR 774 (Funding of 36,800€)
- 2014: SGR 595 (Funding of 30,600€)
- 2009: SGR 1273 (Funding of 35,200€)
- 2005: SGR 00330 (Funding of 49,000€)
Who is GREIP?
Research team members





(retired)


(Founder GREIP, retired)




(Margarita Salas 2023-2025)
Associate members: Dr. Nathaly González-Acevedo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Mónica López Vera, Escola Purificación Salas i Xandri, Sant Quirze del Vallès i UAB; Maria Mont, Centre de Recursos Pedagògics del Vallès Oriental IV i UAB; Dr. Jordi Pérez Badenas, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Cèlia Pratginestós Pou, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Dr. Berta Torras Vila, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Former members (retired or with posts in other universities or countries: Dr. Victor Corona, Universite Paris-8, France; Dra. Anna Czura, Universidad de of Wrocław, Polonia (becaria Marie Skłodowska-Curie IF); Dr. Mandy Deal, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya; Marta Juanhuix Piqueras, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Dr. Xavier Pascual i Calvo, Escola Oficial de Idiomes, Drassanes); Dra. Luci Nussbaum (jubilada) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Dr. Artur Noguerol (jubilado) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Dra. Virginia Unamuno, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires
External Experts (long-term collaboration)
- Ufuk Balaman, HUMAN Research Centre, Hacettepe University, Turkey, expert in conversation analysis for task-oriented interaction in online settings
- Laia Canals, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, expert in technology-mediated language task learning
- Eva Codó, English Department at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, expert in the relationship between language, immigration and social exclusion.
- Víctor Corona, core member of the group until 2013, researcher in plurilingual identities.
- Luz Dary Cruz Forero, Secretariat of Education of Dosquebradas, Ministry of National Education of Colombia: Bogota, Risaralda, Colombia
- Francesca Helm, Universitat de Padova, Italy, teacher and researcher in intercultural communication and digital mediation.
- Matilde Martínez Sallés, expert in the task-based approach to language teachingandin the design and implementation of oral interaction tasks in the classroom.
- Lorenza Mondada, Univertität Basel, Switzerland, expert in multilingual interactions, in the study of multimodality in interaction.
- Robert O’Dowd, Universidad de León, Spain, teacher and researcher in Online Intercultural Exchange.
- Adriana Patiño, (core member of the group until 2011), Southampton University, UK, expert in sociolinguistic ethnography.
- Alistair Ross, Jean Monnet ad personam professor, European Commission/London Metropolitan Unviersity, UK, expert in education economics and education policy
- Randall Sadler, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, expert in the use of virtual worlds in teaching and learning languages.
- Paul Seedhouse, University of Newcastle, UK, expert in communication in the classroom and in professional settings.
- Olcay Sert, Hacettepe University, Turkey / Mälardalen University, Sweden, expert in conversation analysis applied to language learning contexts
- Steve Thorne, Portland University, USA, expert in activity theory and in learning mediated by technologies in and outside the classroom.
- Constanza Tolosa, The University of Auckland, New Zealand, expert in the use of technology in language education.
- Vincenza Tudini, University of South Australia, expert in the analysis of the processes of language learning in digital interaction.
- Virgínia Unamuno, (core member of the group until 2011), CONICET, Argentina, expert in multilingual education in the context of linguistic minorities.
Collaboration with other entities
Other Research Groups:
- Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion
- Cercle de Lingüística Aplicada (CLA)
- Competencia Interlingüística e Intercultural en la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje de las Lenguas (CILCEAL)
- Comunicación Intercultural y Estrategias de Negociación (CIEN)
- Discourse Social Interaction and Translation (DSIT) Lab Workshop
- Education Futures Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia
- Estudis del Discurs (GED)
- Hacettepe University Micro Analysis Social Interaction and Learning Research Centre (HUMAN)
- Llengua, Cultura i Identitat en l’Era Global (IdentiCat)
- London Knowledge Lab (LKL)
- Mälardalen INteraction and Didactics (MIND)
- Multimodality Satellite Research Lab
Institutions:
- CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council), Argentina
- Departament d’Ensenyament de la Generalitat de Catalunya
- EDISO, Associació d’Estudis sobre Discurs i Societat
- Fundació Jaume Bofill / Programa LECXIT: Lectura per a l’èxit educatiu
- Govern d’Andorra (desplegament del currículum de llengües per a primera i segona ensenyança)
- ICE de la UAB (activitats formatives): https://pagines.uab.cat/ice/
- Institut Municipal d’Educació de Barcelona (IMEB)
- UniCollaboration Association, EU
Education Centres:
- CEIP St. Jordi, Mollet del Vallès
- Centre de Recursos Pedagògics del Vallès Oriental IV
- Escola Purificació Salas i Xandri (Sant Quirze del Vallès)
- Institut Federica Montseny (Badia del Vallès)
- Institut Torre del Palau (Terrassa)
Non-formal education entities:
Areas of research
Over the years the group has focused its research work in the following areas: plurilingual and multimodal interactive practices; interaction, mediation and language learning; school reception of students of immigrant origin; linguistic socialization and construction of identities; pluralistic approaches to language learning; integrated approaches to language teaching; task-based and project based language teaching; telecollaboration and the use of technologies in the teaching and learning of languages.
Theoretical and methodological frameworks: Ethnography of communication; interactional sociolinguistics, conversation analysis; ethnomethodology; categorization theory; discursive analysis
Field work: primary, secondary and university educational institutions; face-to-face and virtual non-formal educational environments
Fields of application of the research results: Training of students and teachers of primary, secondary and university levels; school language policies and programmes; plurilingual education
Areas of teaching
Members of GREIP teach in the following programmes:
PhD Programme in Education
Master of arts degrees:
- Official Master’s Degree in Research in Education
- Official Master’s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Spanish Speakers
- Official Master’s Degree in Teaching in Secondary Schools, Vocational Training and Language Centres
- Official Master’s Degree in Discourse Studies: Communication, Society and Learning
- Master’s Degree in Teaching Catalan as First and Second Language
Bachelor of arts degrees:
- Early Childhood Education
- Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education (in English)
- Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education
Course of specialization & continued education:
- Institute of Educational Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
GREIP Mission Statement
- To investigate the impact of plurilingualism, literacy(ies) and discourse in everyday interaction and how this has an impact on both formal and informal learning environments.
- To carry out research on the dynamics of language use and literacy(ies) within globalisation and intercultural contact.
- To fight for social equality through values of diversity.
GREIP in the news
- Dolors Masats was interviewed on the program Badalona Tres60 on September 26, 2018 (video not available).
- Emilee Moore & Adriana Patiño: Article on UAB-Divulga “Quines són les llengües de prestigi en l’educació superior internacional?” (march 2015)
- Press release from the Foundation ‘Autònoma Solidària’ (FAS) about the project “Intercultural Bilingual Education (EIB) in the Impenetable (Chaco, Argentina): detection, exchange and dissemination of educational and training experiences”.
- Press release from the ‘Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas’ CONICET
- Press release from UAB-Divulga about Konect project‘s kick-off meeting on January 2015.
- GREIP researchers Dolors Masats & Marta Juanhuix have been widely interviewed to explain the LanCook project that aims to promote language learning while cooking.
- Interview with Luci Nussbaum at MANGATA, online journal especialized in linguistics, within the article “Seis claves sobre el aprendizaje de idiomas”.
- Following the appearance of the article “The emergence of new linguistic repertoires among Barcelona’s youth of Latin American Origin” published by Víctor Corona, Luci Nussbaum and Virginia Unamuno in the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, different media published or broadcasted some of it’s content. Watch Víctor Corona and Luci Nussbaum in their television appearance: 8TV, La Razón, ARA, BTV, ABC, Universia, Nació Digital. Also, the ‘Servei d’Audiovisuals’ from the UAB’s Faculty of Education Sciences produced the video “Latino teens create a new language: lati-spanish”. A spanish version will soon appear in the iberoamerican educational network NCI (https://www.nci.tv/)
- The television program-magazine La Xarxa Tendèncias interviewed Melinda Dooly and Maria Mont about the PADS project in 2016 (video not available).
- Interview with Amparo Tusón Valls at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de México: “La comunicación, la lengua y la educación”.
Our history

GREIP was constituted at the end of the 1980s by Dr Amparo Tuson, then coordinated by Dr Luci Nussbaum until 2014. It is currently led by Dr Melinda Dooly. The group was founded with the objective of working in the area of discourse analysis and since then has expanded to many different areas of research related to language teaching and learning. Since its beginning, the group has carried out national and internationally-funded research projects and has had a hand in the development of numerous researchers in plurilinguism and education.
Since 2005, GREIP has been granted the recognition of Consolidated Research Group by the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca AGAUR from the Generalitat de Catalunya:
Fourth stage as Consolidated Research Group (2017-2019; extension to 2021)
Sponsor: Agencia de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitàries i de Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya 2017 SGR 774
Budget: 36.800€
Research leader: Dr Melinda Dooly Owenby
Research team: Dra. Eulàlia Borràs Riba, Dr. Mandy Deal, Dr. Melinda Ann Dooly, Marta Juanhuix Piqueras, Dr. Júlia Llompart, Dr. Dolors Masats Viladoms, María Mont Algamasilla, Dr Emilee Moore, Dr. Xavier Pascual i Calvo, Joan Ploettner, Dr. Amparo Tuson Valls, Claudia Vallejo.
Third stage as Consolidated Research Group (2014-2016)
Sponsor:Agencia de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca – Generalitat de Cataluña 595-SGR 2014
Budget: 30.600€
Research leader: Dr Melinda Dooly
Research team: Dr. Eulàlia Borràs, Dr. Laia Canals, Dr.Melinda Ann Dooly Owenby, Dr. Dolors Masats Viladoms, Dr. Emilee Moore, Dr. Artur Noguerol Rodrigo, Dr. Luci Nussbaum Capdevila, Julia Llompart Esbert, Dr. Xavier Pascual i Calvo, Dr. Amparo Tuson Valls, Claudia Vallejo
Second stage as Consolidated Research Group 2009-2013
Sponsor:Agencia de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca – Generalitat de Cataluña 1273 SGR 2009
Budget: 35.200 €
Research leader:Dr Luci Nussbaum Capdevila
Research team: Eulàlia Borràs Riba, Víctor Corona Villavicencio, Dr Melinda Ann Dooly Owenby, Dr Cristina Escobar Urmeneta, Natalia Evnitskaya, Dr Dolors Masats Viladoms, Emilee Moore, Dr Artur Noguerol Rodrigo, Dr Luci Nussbaum Capdevila, Dr. Xavier Pascual i Calvo, Dr Amparo Tuson Valls, Dra. Laia Canals, Claudia Vallejo.
First stage as Consolidated Research Group (2005-2008)
Sponsor:Agencia de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca – Generalitat de Cataluña 00330-SGR 2005
Budget:49.000 €
Research leader: Dr Luci Nussbaum Capdevila
Research team at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona: Dr Eva Codó Olsina, Dr Melinda Ann Dooly Owenby, Dr Cristina Escobar Urmeneta, Dolors Masats Viladoms, Dr Artur Noguerol Rodrigo, Dr Luci Nussbaum Capdevila, Àngels Prats Pla, Dr Amparo Tuson Valls, Dr Virginia Unamuno Kaschapava, Dr Núria Vilà Miguel
Research team at the Universitat de Lleida: Dr Josep Maria Cots Caimons, Dr Montse Irun Chavarría, Dr Enric Llurda Giménez, Xavier Martín Rubio

GREIP statement in favour of the Catalan plurilingual educational model
Plurilingual education in Catalonia has specific features: a) the model is the result of consensus amongst all citizens, since the time it was first implemented; b) it is sensitive to and has been continually adapted to the sociolinguistic changes of the Catalan society to ensure social cohesion and respect for the diversity of origins of all students; c) it has been internationally recognized as exemplar; and d) it has proved to be highly effective in assessing the plurilingual competences of the school population in primary and secondary education.
These features of our language education model are a source of pride for the educational community and are testimony as to why the model should be sustained as is. It is our position that none of these principles should be altered in any way. For this reason, in our capacity as an institution dedicated to education, we insist on the preservation of this model and, if necessary, the use of civil
disobedience and peaceful resistance against any changes that would undermine this language education model.