Over the course of nearly two years, TIRF has worked to develop a new award targeted at language educators around the world, an award that would be inclusive of many people in the field of language education. The culmination of our efforts resulted in the TIRF Kathleen M. Bailey Teacher-Research Award (also known as the “TIRF Bailey Award”). In this piece, we share news about the inaugural recipients of our newest award program.

Dr. Kathi Bailey

The TIRF Bailey Award honors Dr. Kathleen M. Bailey, who served as TIRF’s President and Chair of the Board of Trustees for over a decade, from 2009 to 2022. The award is meant to recognize Dr. Bailey’s research, her lifelong commitment to teaching, and her desire to support and encourage research carried out by practicing English language teachers, as well as honor her commitment to TIRF. The purpose of the TIRF Bailey Award is to encourage, support, and recognize research conducted by teachers. It also serves as a vehicle for the creation of new knowledge about language teaching and learning as well as the development of research skills for both new and experienced teachers.

Simultaneously, the TIRF Bailey Award was designed to be inclusive of people around the world, regardless of length of service as a teacher, the applicants’ level of educational attainment, professional affiliations, or their experience as researchers, among other areas that sometimes prevent people from applying for professional development opportunities.

We are pleased to announce the first recipients of the TIRF Bailey Award. In three instances, awards were provided to teams of researchers; the other studies funded are being carried out by singular researchers. Their names, bio statements, home countries, project titles, and the TIRF Research Topics investigated, follow here.

2024 TIRF Bailey Award Recipients

Name & Bio: Diangha Anthony Yuh is a highly experienced English and French language teacher at the Government Bilingual High School Zenmeh in Cameroon. He holds multiple teaching degrees and qualifications, including a DIPES II in English Modern Letters. Diangha is also the President of the Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers’ Association (CAMELTA-WEST) and a skilled presenter on language education topics.
Home Country: Cameroon
Project Title: Plurilingual Identities and ESL Learning Outcomes in Cameroonian Secondary Schools: The case of Menoua Division in the West Region
TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Plurilingualism in Business, Industry, the Professions, and Educational Contexts
Names & Bios:
Dinesh Kumar Thapa is a Secondary English Teacher in Kitini Secondary School in Lalitpur, Nepal. He teaches English to secondary and post- secondary level learners. He has a MPhil in ELE and has been in the field of English language teaching as a teacher, a materials designer, and an educator for over 15 years. His research interests are in areas of EMI, curriculum development, and implementation.

Kalpana Belbase is an English language teacher at Steam Education Higher Secondary School in Dang, Nepal. She has a BA in English, a PG (Post-Graduate Diploma) in Early Childhood Development, and an MA in English Language Teaching, and she is passionate about inspiring her students and is committed to continuous professional growth in education.
Home Country: Nepal
Project Title: Code-Switching, Plurilingualism, and/or Translanguaging in the Nepalese EMI Context
TIRF Research Topic Investigated: English-Medium Instruction
Name & Bio: Emmaculate Mbula Mutuku has eight years of experience teaching English and Literature at the secondary school level. She has a keen interest in the acquisition of the English language by young learners, particularly at the lower primary school level. She holds a BA in Education and is currently pursuing an MA in Education.
Home Country: Kenya
Project Title: Investigating the Use of Cartoons as a Tool for Enhancing Language Learning in Lower Primary Schools in Taita Taveta County in Kenya
TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Language Teacher Education
Name & Bio: Grace Davis is a Transition Navigator at ADVANCE, providing holistic case management and personalized pathways for immigrants and refugees in the Lake Tahoe Basin, USA. Additionally, she teaches English language learners online through EnGen and English With Grace. Grace holds degrees in TESOL and International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and is passionate about removing barriers through innovative practices.
Home Country: United States of America
Project Title: Investigating the Effectiveness of Burlington English in Enhancing ESL Learners’ Language Proficiency
TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Digital Technology in Language Education
Names & Bios:
Paula Mullins is a post-primary teacher based in Limerick City with over 20 years of experience. She holds an Honours BA and a Postgraduate Certificate in Autism Studies from Mary Immaculate College, and a Higher Diploma in Education from Maynooth University. Since 2018, Paula has specialized in teaching English as an Additional Language, fostering inclusive, multicultural learning environments.

Caroline Walters holds an honours degree in Applied Languages, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, a Masters Degree in Business Management, and a Graduate Diploma in Education. Her interest in languages started with Gaeilge (the Irish language) from an early age. She currently works as a primary school teacher, specializing in teaching English as an additional language (EAL) and is a Teacher Leader within the TEAL Project, Limerick, an EAL teacher community of practice.

Fíodhna Gardiner-Hyland is a Lecturer in language and literacy education at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. She has a PhD in Teacher Education Pedagogy for ESL Literacy Teaching. As a former chair of TESOL Arabia Young Learner’s SIG across the Middle East, Fíodhna has worked internationally and in Ireland, with experience in teaching through Irish as a second language, coordinating English language and literacy in international primary schools.
Home Country: Ireland
Project Title: Plurilingual Education in Ireland: EAL Teacher Leaders’ Self-Reported Practices
TIRF Research Topics Investigated:
Language Teacher Education
Teaching English to Young Learners
Migrants and Refugees: Teaching and Assessing English

We intend on opening the 2025 TIRF Bailey Award program early next year, with an anticipated application deadline in mid-June 2025. Please continue to follow our updates by signing up for our newsletter if you have not already done so.

Please join us in congratulating the TIRF Bailey Award recipients!