Dr Mahnaz Aliyar

PhD, Applied Linguistics

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Thesis: Incidental Acquisition of Novel L2 Vocabulary from Authentic Materials
Recipient of the Wellington Doctoral Scholarship

MA, Advanced Studies in Linguistics

KU Leuven, Belgium

Thesis: Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition from Comic Books
Graduated magna cum laude

MA, Language, Society and Communication

University of Bologna, Italy

Dissertation on cross-linguistic influence in L2 writing (Italian, English, Spanish)
Graduated cum laude

BA, Italian Language

University of Tehran, Iran

Graduated with distinction

Postdoctoral Researcher

School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington

• Working on the project An Ironic Frame of Mind: Investigating the Central Role of Irony in Human Cognition (principal investigator: Dr Stephen Skalicky).
• Data collection and analysis, using multimodal (text and image) AI models to build a computational representation of ironic contrast.

Research Fellow

School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations, Victoria University of Wellington

• Compiled the ToTA2 corpus (Text of Trade Agreements).
• Wrote a Python text-cleaning program and produced XML coding, formatting and file generation for corpus compilation.
• Carried out statistical analysis in R, drafted research output and prepared manuscripts for submission to scientific journals.

Doctoral Researcher

School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington

Alumna profile ↗

• Designed and conducted three mixed-methods studies on vocabulary acquisition and formulaic language in L2 Italian and L2 English.
• Managed ethics approvals, participant recruitment and multi-stage data collection.
• Carried out statistical analysis in R and drafted research output.

Research Assistant

Centre for Academic Development, Victoria University of Wellington

• Recruited participants and collected eye-tracking data for a project on L1 versus L2 reading processing.

Research Assistant

School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington

• Recruited participants and collected E-Prime reaction-time data for a study on bilingual reading.

Predoctoral Researcher

Centre for Diversity and Learning, Linguistics Department, Ghent University, Belgium

• Collected and analysed data for research on linguistic diversity, language policy and monolingual education in multilingual contexts.

Master’s Research

KU Leuven, Belgium

• Independent mixed-methods research on L2 Italian vocabulary learning (supervisor: Professor Elke Peters).

Master’s Research

University of Bologna, Italy

• Independent research on cross-linguistic influence in L2 writing across Italian, English and Spanish, using contrastive and error analysis.

Teaching Fellow

School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington

• Lecturing for Vocabulary and Grammar for Language Learning (second-year undergraduates), covering vocabulary and grammar in TESOL, principles of language teaching, and strategies and approaches to TESOL.
• Lecturing for Psycholinguistics (third-year undergraduates), covering language planning and production, spoken and visual word recognition, and language processing.
• Developing curriculum and materials for lectures and tutorials, and designing assessments.
• Mentoring students in developing their final research projects.

English Language Instructor

English Language Institute, Victoria University of Wellington

• Teaching Reading classes at intermediate English proficiency level for government officials from Southeast Asia through the NZELTO scheme, an English language training programme funded by the New Zealand Government.
• Teaching and developing materials for IELTS-preparation courses across six intakes, covering reading, listening and speaking skills.
• Delivering one-to-one language support in grammar, writing and speaking.

Teaching Assistant| Mentor | Tutor

School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington

• One-to-one research mentoring (March–December 2025) of a Master’s scholar on the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship programme.
• Hands-on Practice in Quantitative Research (Master’s level; April–December 2025): developed teaching materials, delivered tutorials on statistical analysis using R, and assessed final projects.
• Introduction to Language Sciences (first-year undergraduate; July–November 2025): delivered tutorials on phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax; assessed assignments and tests; mentored students on their final assignment; offered one-to-one consultations.
• Understanding Language Learning (third-year undergraduate; August–December 2024): developed instructional materials; assessed assignments and essays and gave individualised feedback.

Teaching Assistant

Department of Romance Languages, University of Tehran

• Delivered tutorials across the Italian Language major, covering Italian language, linguistics, literature, and conversation and communication.

English Teacher

English Teaching College, Wellington

• Taught on NZQA Certificate in English Language (NZCEL) programmes for adult learners, including refugees.

Italian Teacher

Borna Language Centre

• Delivered Italian language instruction to adult learners and developed teaching materials.
• Prepared adult learners for CILS and CELI certification exams and designed targeted practice modules.

Advisor and Italian Teacher

Caritas Italiana, Faenza, Italy

• Provided Italian language instruction to immigrants and refugees.
• Delivered educational workshops and advisory support.

Private English Tutor

Face-to-face and online

• Prepared adult learners for IELTS and TOEFL tests and taught conversation lessons.

Administrative Course Coordinator

University of Tehran Language Centre

• Course administration and review, enrolment and examination arrangements, orientation sessions and feedback collection.

Guest lecture: Language policies and ideologies

Undergraduate course Language Planning and Language Policy, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ

Seminar: Novel, audiobook, and songs: Input modality and the incidental learning of L2 vocabulary

University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ

Seminar: Incidental acquisition of novel L2 vocabulary from authentic materials

Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

Guest lecture: Researching teaching and learning of formulaic language

Master’s course Formulaic Language: Acquisition, Processing and Use, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

Guest lecture: Incidental vocabulary acquisition and factors that affect learning

Master’s course Formulaic Language: Acquisition, Processing and Use, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ

Collaborative keynote: Incidental acquisition of L2 vocabulary from authentic input

7th National Conference, National University of Comahue, Argentina

Workshop: Teaching Italian as a foreign language

Department of Italian Studies, University of Tehran, Iran

Workshop: Second language learning and teaching: Principles and methodologies

Department of Italian Studies, University of Tehran, Iran

“Can’t get you out of my head”: Learning L2 vocabulary from listening to songs

Linguistic Society of New Zealand Annual Conference, Wellington

Music and lexical growth: Exploring incidental vocabulary learning through songs

EuroSLA 34, Tromsø, Norway

The role of imagery, glossing, and repetition in learning vocabulary from comics (poster)

EuroSLA 34, Tromsø, Norway

Incidental acquisition of vocabulary: The effects of imagery versus glossing

Linguistic Society of New Zealand Annual Conference, Christchurch, NZ

Picture versus glossing: Which one is more beneficial for incidental vocabulary learning?

ALAA/ALANZ/ALTAANZ Conference, Launceston, Australia

Comparing the efficacy of reading and listening for incidental vocabulary learning

Hiroshima Lexical Research Forum, Japan

Linguistic landscape of Iran

Linguistic Landscape 15, Wellington, NZ

Do comics facilitate incidental vocabulary learning?

18th National Conference for Community Languages and ESOL, Wellington, NZ

Incidental vocabulary learning through reading comics

Vocab@Vic, Wellington, NZ

Incidental acquisition of novel L2 Italian vocabulary from authentic materials

Vocab@Vic, Wellington, NZ

Reading versus listening to authentic materials in L2 Italian

PHRAME, University for Foreigners of Perugia, Italy

Acquisition of L2 Italian vocabulary through listening to songs

Hiroshima Lexical Research Forum, Japan

Incidental vocabulary learning from reading a graphic novel

Hiroshima Lexical Research Forum, Japan

A comparison of learners’ and native speakers’ English academic writing

7th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education, Teaching and Learning, Berlin

Research Editor

Editorial board, New Zealand Studies in Applied Linguistics (NZSAL)

Peer reviewer

System; Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics