Giedrė Balčytytė

PUBLICATIONS

Monographs

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• Ilčukienė, G. 2011. The Effect of Music in Teaching English at Elementary Level. Scientific monograph. Vilnius: Vilnius Pedagogical University Publishing House, 248 pages. ISBN 978-9955-20-647-7.

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Articles

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• Ilčukienė, G. 2009. The juxtaposition of prosodic features of language and their equivalents in music while developing foreign language pronunciation skills. The Spaces of Creation: A Journal of Research Papers 10: 76–85. ISSN 1822-1076;

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2013. A Rhythm-based Approach to Teaching English Pronunciation to VAK Learners. Anglistics in Lithuania (ed. Šeškauskienė, I. and J. Grigaliūnienė). Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, p. 250-268. ISBN (10): 1-4438-4992-8;

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G., Pikutytė, I. 2013. Dialect and Identity in British and American Subcultural Music. The Spaces of Creation: Journal of Scientific Works 19: 72-83. ISSN 1822-1076;

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2015. Musical Aptitude and Language: Activating Phonetic Skills through Music. ICT for Language Learning Conference Proceedings. 8th edition. Padova: Libreriauniversitaria.it, p. 417-421. ISBN 978-88-6292-660-7;

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2018. Getting the Feel for English Rhythm: a Musical Approach. Man and the Word 20 (3). ISSN 1392-8600, E-ISSN 1822-7805;

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2018. Music in TEFL: from Joint Evolutionary Pathways to Current Integration Issues. Social Science Studies 10 (2). ISSN 2029-2244;

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2019. Non-Native English: In Search for Rhythm. Conference Proceedings of the Innovation in Language Learning International Conference. Edited by Pixel. ISBN code (978-88-85813-80-9); ISSN code (2384-9509); DOI number (10.26352/DY14_2384-9509). Publisher: Filodiritto Editore. pp. 561-565;

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2019. The Music of English Connected Speech: How and why singing affects EFL learners' pronunciation. Speak Out. September 2019, issue 61, pp. 7-17.

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Methodological aids for higher schools

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• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2014. A Course in English Phonetics for EFL University Students. Vilnius: Vilnius University Publishing House, 78 pages. ISBN 978-609-459-312-3;

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2017. Production, Recognition, Description and Transcription of English Sounds. Vilnius: Lithuanian University of Education Publishing House, 48 pages. ISBN 978-609-471-090-2. 

• Balčytytė-Kurtinienė, G. 2019. Electronic methodical aid "English Phonetics: an Electronic Teaching Aid for the 1st Year Students in English Philology". The aid is uploaded to the Moodle virtual learning environment (VU, FF, ARKSI, English Philology Program).

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Interviews

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• 02 03 2014. TV show "Money Generation". Social experiment "Alternative foreign language teaching". Expert conclusions;

• 17 11 2014. Bernardinai.lt. How to use music to teach a foreign language? Interview. 

• Ramutė Šulcienė. 02 03 2015. Teaching foreign languages. Interview. Family Week 3 (21), 20-21.

RESEARCH AND OTHER ACTIVITIES

PhD dissertation

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• Obtained a bachelor's degree in Humanities and the qualification of an English language teacher (1999, VPU), a master's degree in Philology (2001, VPU), a doctoral degree in Social Sciences (Education, English Didactics, 2008, VPU). In 2015 had an internship at the University College London (UCL) and obtained the "Certificate of Proficiency in the Phonetics of English" from the IPA (International Organization of Phonetics, London) as a specialist in Phonetics.

• Has been working at the Department of English Philology of Vilnius University since 2011.

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Research projects

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• SMM UPC and PKTI (VPU) EU structural funds project no. VP1-2.2-ŠMM-02-V-01-006 "Development of the teacher qualification improvement and retraining system". Responsibilities in the project: implementation of the project, training, and preparation of methodological materials, 2010-2011.

• UKMC and PKTI (LEU) EU structural funds project SFMIS No. VP1-2.2-ŠMM-05-K-02-003 "Improving the qualifications of pedagogues in the field of early foreign language teaching". Responsibilities in the project: implementation of the project, training, and preparation of methodological materials, 2011-2012.

• By the resolution of the Lithuanian Science Council on February 17, 2015 no. VIII-17 the project funded to participate in English Phonetics summer training and research school at University College London (UCL) Great Britain, 08.17-09.01, 2015

• 2020-2023 International project "Technology-Mediated Plurilingual Activities for (language) Teacher Education - TEMPLATE". Partner coordinators: Universite Catholique De Louvain, Belgium; Universitat Jaume I De Castellon, Spain; Padagogische Hochschule Schwabisch Gmund, Germany; Vilnius University, Lithuania. Main coordinator: Università Degli Studi Di Torino, Italy.

• 2021-2023 EU project “Optimization of the network of higher education institutions and improvement of the quality of studies by merging Šiauliai University and Vilnius University” 

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Internships

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• 01-07 05 2011. Fatih University, Turkey. Erasmus+ program, teaching visit;

• 17-09 08 2015. University College London (UCL) Great Britain. English Phonetics Summer Training and Research School;

• 24-30 09 2016. University of Trento, Italy. Erasmus+ program, teaching visit;

• 03-16 07 2017. DLD College Academic Summer School, London, Great Britain. Training and conducting experimental research;

• 26-29 08 2017. The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Pilsen, Czech Republic. Erasmus+ program, teaching visit;

• 10 06 2017. Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. Erasmus+ program, teaching visit;

• 02-08 07 2018 DLD College Academic Summer School, London, Great Britain; Abbey College Academic Summer School, Cambridge, Great Britain; Sidcot School Academic Summer, Bristol, Great Britain. Training and conducting experimental research;

• 30-31 11 2021. Universitat Jaume I De Castellon, Spain. Meeting and dissemination of the "Template" project: meeting regional teachers;

• 03-04 11 2022. Universite Catholique De Louvain, Belgium. Meeting and dissemination of the "Template" project: meeting regional teachers.

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Conferences

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• LAKMA Assembly. Presentation delivered: "Action Songs Method”. Vilnius Pedagogical University (Lithuania), April 25, 2009.

• 13th LAKMA International Conference. Presentation delivered: "English Rhythm, Stress and Vowel Reduction in Nursery Rhymes and Songs". Klaipėda University (Lithuania), November 27, 2009.

• 16th LAKMA National Ensemble and Conference. Presentation delivered: "Phonetic Linking Aspects in Connected Speech". Lithuanian University of Education (Lithuania), October 24, 2014.

• 17th LAKMA International Conference "Focus on CLIL - Lithuania 2015". Presentation delivered: "CLIL Beyond the Classroom: The Integration of Music and Language in English Song-Events". Lithuanian University of Education (Lithuania), October 16, 2015.

• 17th international conference "ICT for Language learning". Presentation delivered: "Musical Aptitude and Language: Activating Phonetic Skills through Music". Florence, November 12, 2015.

• 2nd International Conference "Specialty Language Studies in the Common European Higher Education Area: Theory and Practice". Presentation delivered: "Language and Music Integration: Connected Speech Practice through Songs". Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuania), November 20-21, 2015.

• International Conference "Developing Writing and Speaking Skill: a Challenge for Teachers and Students". Presentation delivered: "Connected Speech in ELT: Smooth Phonetic Transitions". Kaunas District Education Center (Lithuania), October 8, 2015.

• Joint 7th International Scientific Conference "Linguistic, Didactic and Sociocultural Aspects of Language Functioning" of LEU (Lithuania), University of Ostrava (Czech Republic) and University of Wroclaw (Poland). Presentation delivered: "Getting the Feel for English Rhythm: a Musical Approach". Lithuanian University of Education (Lithuania), June 5, 2016.

• 3rd International Symposium "Linking Interdisciplinary Perspectives on International Languages ​​for Scientific and Professional Capacity Building". Presentation delivered: "An Integrated Approach to Facilitate the Skill for English Rhythm Through Music". University of Latvia (Riga, Latvia), May 26-27, 2016.

• 6th International Conference "Frontiers in CLIL and ELT". Presentation delivered: "Language through Music: Phonetic Skill Formation". University of Tartu (Narva, Estonia), March 23-24, 2017.

• International Conference "CRiPaP (Contemporary Research in Phonetics and Phonology: Methods, Aspects and Problems)". Presentation delivered: "Singing to Enhance EFL Learners' Speech Continuum". University of Latvia (Riga, Latvia), May 17-18, 2018.

• International Conference "Accents 2018". Plenary presentation delivered: "The Music of English Connected Speech: How and Why Singing Affects EFL Learners' Pronunciation". University of Lodz (Poland), November 29 – December 1, 2018.

• International Conference "Accents 2018". Presentation delivered: "The Resemblance of Rhythm in Language and Rhythm in Music: The Merge as an EFLT Tool". University of Lodz (Poland), November 29 – December 1, 2018.

• 12th International Conference "Innovation in Language Learning". Presentation delivered: "Non-Native English: In Search for Rhythm". Florence (Italy), November 14-15, 2019.

• 6th International Conference "Sustainable Multilingualism". Presentation delivered: "Music and Language Commonalities: English Pronunciation through Music". Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, June 4-5, 2021

• 3rd International Symposium of Applied Phonetics "SAPh2021". Presentation delivered: "Improving Pronunciation Skills of EFL University Students through Music". Universitat Rovira i Virgili Campus Catalunya, Tarragona, Spain, September 06-08, 2021.

• International Scientific Conference "INCOLLAB Collaborative Learning and Teaching". Presentation delivered: "The Integrated Approach of Teaching English through Music" Masaryk Institute of Advanced studies, Prague, September 10, 2021

• International Scientific Conference "Labyrinths of Music and Science". Plenary presentation delivered: "Interfaces between music and language". Šiauliai Academy of Vilnius University Institute of Education. Šiauliai-Vilnius, May 20-21, 2022.

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Expert activity

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• Member of the committee of study programs of English Philology (BA) and English Studies (MA)
• Member of the thesis defense committee of English Philology (BA) and English Studies (MA).
• Member of the scientific committee of the international scientific conference "Labyrinths of Music and Science" May 20-21, 2022. 

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Membership in scientific organizations or associations

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• 2010-2019. Member of the Lithuanian English Language Teachers Association (LAKMA).
• 2014-2023. Member of the Lithuanian Applied Linguistics Association (LiTaKA).
• 2013-2023. Member of the International Phonetic Association (IPA, London, Great Britain).
• Member of the Association of English Language Teachers of Lithuanian Universities (LAUTE).
• Member of The European Society for the Study of English (ESSE).