Dr Julia Miller

Dr Julia Miller
  • Biography/ Background

    Julia holds a PhD in applied linguistics, in which she examined the use of idioms in English learners' dictionaries for students in Australia. Her background is in Romance languages and TESOL, and she has taught English in France and Portugal. She worked as an academic skills advisor in the Student Learning Centre at Flinders University for eight years before moving to the University of Adelaide. She is now retired. Julia is the creator of the English for Uni website (www.adelaide.edu.au/english-for-uni) for local and international students, featuring Ms Parrot, the grammar detective.

    Current position: Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Education, The University of Adelaide

  • Qualifications

    PhD, Flinders University

    MA (research), Flinders University

    Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, The University of Adelaide

    BA (Hons), University of Cambridge

    Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (Delta), Cambridge

    RSA Certificate in TEFL, Cambridge (now known as the CELTA)

    RSA Diploma for Bilingual Secretaries, York College, UK

    NAATI level III translator (Portuguese)

    NAATI level II interpreter (Portuguese)

  • Awards & Achievements

    2021 - The University of Adelaide Tony McMurtrie Award for Academic Integrity (for sustained contribution to Academic Integrity at the University of Adelaide).

    September 2015 - Australian Office for Learning and Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning for developing creative, collaborative, research-based resources that make English grammar and academic skills fun to learn and teach.

    May 2014 - Member of grant team headed by Edward Palmer to develop Guidelines to Support and Advance Network Engagement for Members of Professional Associations and Networks (Grant: $5000)

    April 2014 - Executive Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide.

    December 2013 - Australian Office for Learning and Teaching Innovation and Development Grant ($220,000) to create online resources to support international students' English language development.

    June 2013 - University of Adelaide Commendation for Excellence in Support of the Student Experience.

    May 2013 - School of Education, University of Adelaide. School research grant to develop a cultural dictionary and examine its use by international students at the University of Adelaide.

    May 2013 - School of Education, University of Adelaide. School research grant to contribute to a joint project with Flinders University on an evaluation of 'Reading Doctor' software to promote phonological awareness in school students with dyslexia.

    2013 - Team member in University of Adelaide E-learning Development Grant ($15,000) entitled “Blogging to build transferable reflective learning capabilities” (Project Leader: Kayoko Enomoto)

    November 2012 - School of Education, University of Adelaide. School research grant to investigate the need for an Australian cultural dictionary.

    June 2012 - Australian Office for Learning and Teaching Innovation and Development Program Seed Grant ($37,000): "Ms Parrot the detective solves grammar problems in an online resource for students and lecturers".

    April 2012 - Higher Education Research and Development Association. Palmer, E, Picard, M, Green, I, Guerin, C, Miller, J, Velliaris, D and Smith, S. HERDSA Review of Australian Learning and Teaching Scholarship and Research. 

    August 2007 - Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (Member of team from Flinders University who won an award 'for sustained excellence in developing and adapting support programmes that allow international students to succeed academically and grow personally while in Australia'.)

    November 2005 – Flinders University Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant ($10,000), to film a resource for teaching academic oral presentation skills

    November 2005 – Educational Research Conference Early Career Award, Flinders University

  • Research Interests

    I am no longer doing academic research or taking on new PhD students.

  • Publications

    PUBLICATIONS

    Le, C. N. N., & Miller, J. (2023). A core meaning-based analysis of English semi-technical vocabulary in the medical field. English for Specific Purposes, 70, 252-266. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2023.01.006

    Kaliisa, R., Palmer, E., & Miller, J. (2022). Lecturers’ perspectives on mobile learning in Higher Education: Experiences and implementation barriers. Information Technology, Education and Society, 18(1), 5-23. doi:10.7459/ites/18.1.02

    Miller, J. (2022). Bringing it all together: A table of terms for multiword expressions. In J. Szerszunowicz (Ed.), Research on phraseology across continents (volume 4). Bialystok, Poland: University of Bialystok Publishing House.

    Davis, K., Tan, L., Miller, J., & Israel, M. (2021). Seeking approval: International Higher Education students’ experiences of applying for Human Research Ethics clearance in Australia. Journal of Academic Ethics, 20(3), 16 pages. doi:10.1007/s10805-021-09425-1

    Winn, T., Miller, J., & van Steenbrugge, W. (2020). The efficacy of a computer program for increasing phonemic awareness and decoding skills in a primary school setting for children with reading difficulties. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 45(12), 1-24. doi:10.14221/ajte.202v45n12.1

    Miller, J. (2020). The bottom line: Are idioms used in English academic speech and writing? Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 43, 1-14. doi:10.1016/j.jeap.2019.100810

    Le, C. N. N., & Miller, J. (2020). A corpus-based list of commonly used English medical morphemes for students learning English for specific purposes. English for Specific Purposes, 58, 102-121. doi:10.1016/j.esp.2020.01.004

    Shilnov, A., Miller, J. L., Mitchell, P. J., & Smokotin, V. M. (2020). A comparative evaluation of idioms in Russian-authored English language textbooks and idioms extracted from current authentic sources. Language and Culture, 49, 157-174. doi:10.17223/19996195/49/10

    Miller, J. (2019). Where does the time go? An academic workload case study at an Australian university. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 41(6), 633-645. doi:10.1080/1360080X.2019.1635328

    Kaliisa, R., Palmer, E., & Miller, J. (2019). Mobile learning in higher education: A comparative analysis of developed and developing country contexts. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(2), 546-561. doi:10.1111/bjet.12583

    Miller, J. L. (2018). Research in the pipeline: Where lexicography and phraseology meet. Lexicography, 5(1), 23-33. doi:10.1007/s40607-018-0044-z

    Miller, J. (2018). Countability and confusion: Helping students with English as an additional language to understand the English article system. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 12(2), A55-A74. Retrieved from https://journal.aall.org.au/index.php/jall/article/view/490

    Miller, J. (2018). Learners’ dictionaries of English. In P. Fuertes-Olivera (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Lexicography (pp. 353-366). London: Routledge.

    Miller, J., Kwary, D., & Setiawan, A. (2017). Koalas, kiwis and kangaroos: The challenges of creating an online Australian cultural dictionary for learners of English as an additional language. Lexikos, 27(1), 310-345. doi:10.5788/27-1-1405

    Miller, J. (2016). Mad as a box of spanners. Ozwords, 25(1), 7.

    Miller, J. L., Wilson, K., Miller, J., & Enomoto, K. (2016). Humorous materials to enhance active learning. Higher Education Research and Development, 36(4), 791-806. doi:10.1080/07294360.2016.1238883

    Warner, R., & Miller, J. (2015). Cultural dimensions of feedback at an Australian university: A study of international students with English as an additional language. Higher Education Research and Development, 34(2), 420-435. doi:10.1080/07294360.2014.956695

    Miller, J., Wilson, K., & Miller, J. L. (2015). Online resources to support international students’ English language development. Report. Sydney: Office for Learning and Teaching.

    Miller, J. 2015. Seeking asylum. Social Alternatives, 34 (2), 67-68.

    Marmolejo-Ramos, F., Miller, J., & Habel, C. (2014). The influence of question type, text availability, answer confidence and language background on student comprehension of an expository text. Higher Education Research and Development, 33(4), 712-727. doi:10.1080/07294360.2013.863841

    Miller, J. (2014). Building academic literacy and research skills by contributing to Wikipedia: A case study at an Australian university. Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 8(2), A72-A86. Retrieved from http://journal.aall.org.au/index.php/jall/article/view/319

    Miller, J. (2013). Birds of a feather don't always flock together: User problems in identifying headwords in online English learner's dictionaries. Lexikos, 23, 273-285. Retrieved from http://lexikos.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/1215

    Miller, J. 2013. Phraseology across continents. In J. Szerszunowicz (Ed.), Research on phraseology across continents, volume 2. University of Bialystok Publishing House, Bialystok, Poland, pp. 404-421.

    Kwary, D., & Miller, J. (2013). A model for an online Australian English cultural dictionary database. Terminology, 19(2), 258-276. doi:10.1075/term.19.2.05kwa

    Duff, A., Miller, J., Johnston, H., & Bergmann, L. (2012). Somewhere over the border: Grammar in a class of its own. Journal of Learning Design, 5(2), 50-57. https://www.jld.edu.au/article/view/117

    Miller, J. (2012). Dictionaries without borders: Expanding the limits of the academy. Journal of Learning Design, 5(1), 43-51. https://www.jld.edu.au/article/view/91

    Duff, A., Carter, S., Spangenberg, B., & Miller, J. (2010). The Gang's all here: Grammar goes global for Purdue, UniSA and Adelaide University. Journal of Learning Design, 3(2), 1-9.

    Miller, J. (2010). Coals to Newcastle or glittering gold? Which idioms need to be included in a learner’s dictionary for use in Australia?. In A. Dykstra & T. Schoonheim (eds), Proceedings of the XIV Euralex International Congress, Leeuwarden, 6-10 July 2010, Fryske Akademy, Ljouwert, The Netherlands. [CD-Rom]

    Schmidt, L., & Miller, J. (2009). Peer assisted study sessions to facilitate transition for international students. International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations, 9(5), 13-30. doi:10.18848/1447-9532/cgp/v09i05/39765

    Miller, J. (2008). Teachers and dictionaries in Australia: Is there a need to train the trainers?. TESOL in Context, 17(2), 11-19. 

    Slatter, M., Petrie, L.-A., & Miller, J. (2007). Flinders’ Law students’ transition: Warm welcome, hot topics, cool program. 10th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference 2007, Conference Proceedings, (ed. J. Thomas), Brisbane.

    Miller, J. (2007). Dodging the Damocletian sword of academic oral presentations. HERDSA conference proceedings, 30. [CD-ROM]

    Miller, J. (2007). When did you last 'spend a penny'? Australian Style, 15(2), 5. http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/news/australian_style/archive.htm

    Miller, J. (2006). English learners' dictionaries: An undervalued resource. TESOL in Context, 15(2), 30-37.

    Miller, J. (2006). An investigation into the effect of English learners' dictionaries on international students' acquisition of the English article system. International Education Journal, 7(4), 435-445. 

    Miller, J. (2005). Most of ESL students have trouble with the articles. International Education Journal, 5(5), 80-88. 

     

    BOOK REVIEWS

    Miller, J 2013, A review of Cambridge learner's dictionary (4th edn) 2012, posted on the Grammar Gang blog in April 2013.

    Miller, J 2011, ‘English idioms in use advanced. Book review’, TESOL in Context, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 76-79.

    Miller, J 2010, ‘C. Fellbaum (ed.), Idioms and collocations: corpus-based linguistic and lexicographic studies. Book review', Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 09.1-09.4.

    Miller, J 2009, ‘Cambridge advanced learners dictionary, 3rd edition. Book review', TESOL in Context, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 69-72.

    Miller, J 2008, ‘English for academic study: Vocabulary. Book review’, TESOL in Context, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 33-34.

    Miller, J 2006, 'A review of the Macquarie WordGenius CD-ROM', TESOL in Context, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 28 – 31.

    Miller, J 2005, 'English grammar in use' [Review of the book English grammar in use, 3rd edn], TESOL in Context, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 20 – 21.

     

    CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

    2017, Asialex, Guangzhou. Keynote address: Research in the pipeline: Where lexicography and phraseology meet

    June 2015, EATAW, Tallinn, Estonia. Paper: The challenges of developing and evaluating an English academic writing website for use in different instructional setting

    December 2014, CLaSIC, Singapore. Paper: Adapting a popular television show to explain grammatical concepts to learners from different cultures

    December 2014, AALL symposium, Adelaide. Paper: What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen Parrot? Measuring the impact of the English for Uni Website

    November 2014, Australia China Transcultural Symposium, Adelaide. Paper: Fei Cheng Wu Rao: Adapting a popular television show to explain grammatical concepts to learners from different culture

    September 2014, Higher Education Research Group Adelaide, Adelaide. Paper: Widening student horizons through creative online resource

    September 2014, GAL Congress – Applied Linguistics in Teaching, Teaching Applied Linguistics, Marburg, Germany. Paper 1: Keeping it simple: Translating linguistic concepts into terms language learners can understand (Miller, J & Enomoto, K); Paper 2: ‘Baking’ an essay to develop students’ academic writing skills (Miller, J & Warner, R)

    September 2014, Europhras, Paris. Paper: Bringing it all together: a table of terms for multiword expression

    July 2014, Association for Academic Language and Learning Symposium, Flinders University, Adelaide. Paper: Successful collaboration in academic literacy and English language development between AALL staff and discipline lecturer

    July 2014, HERDSA, Hong Kong. Paper: Embracing opportunities for English language development in higher education through innovative online resources

    June 2014, Victoria University, Melbourne. Workshop on the English for Uni website.

    June 21014, Edith Cowan University, Perth. Workshop on the English for Uni website.

    June 2014, OLT conference, Sydney. Poster on the English for Uni website.

    November 2013, AALL, Melbourne. Paper: Learning to research with Wikipedia. It really does work!

    September 2013, Life beyond dictionaries, Florence, Italy. Paper: See ya at the Zombie Walk! Terms learners need in an Australian cultural dictionary (Miller, J & Kwary, D)

    August 2013, Asialex, Bali, Indonesia. Paper: What do koalas eat for brekkie? The need for an Australian cultural dictionary (Miller, J & Kwary, D)

    December 2012, CLaSIC 2012, Singapore.
    Paper: Who wants to be a grammar millionaire? Making intercultural language teaching fun
    Poster: When is a bluebottle not a bluebottle? Explaining culturally bound terms through an online Australian cultural dictionary database (Miller J & Kwary, D)

    November 2012, Festival of Teaching and Learning, University of Adelaide, Adelaide. Poster: An Australian cultural dictionary; DVD: Saving English grammar with Ms Parrot

    September 2012, erga 2012, Adelaide. Paper: Partners in word and deed: blogging to enhance staff collaboration and student learning (Miller, J & Duff, A)

    July 2012, Tri-university day, University of Adelaide, Adelaide. Paper: Worldwide domination via the Grammar Gang (Miller, J & Duff, A)

    December 2011, ALAA 2011, Canberra. Paper: Phraseology and communicative competence: where language and society meet

    December 2011, Australex 2011, Canberra. Paper: Birds of a feather don’t always flock together: the problem of phraseme headwords in online English learners’ dictionaries

    November 2011, AALL 2011, Adelaide.  Paper: The influence of question type on the comprehension of expository texts (Marmolejo-Ramos, F, Miller, J & Habel, C)

    November 2011, AALL 2011, Adelaide. Paper: Feeding forward with feedback at an Australian university (Warner, R & Miller, J)

    August 2011, Kyoto, Japan, Asialex 2011. Paper: It’s not cricket! Lack of consistency and accuracy in labels applied to phrasemes in five English dictionaries for advanced learners

    July 2010, Euralex, Leeuwarden, Netherlands. Paper: Coals to Newcastle or glittering gold? Which idioms need to be included in a learner's dictionary for use in Australia?

    November 2009, Tri-university day, University of South Australia, Adelaide. Presentation: Look in the dictionary! English learners' dictionaries for academic advising.

    November 2009, Australex, Macquarie University, Sydney. Paper: No jam for the wicked: do all English speakers understand and use the same idioms?

    November 2008, First International Symposium on Lexicography and L2 Teaching and Learning, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China.  Paper: English learners’ dictionaries in Australia: A challenge to publishers?

    November 2008, Australex conference, University of Wellington, NZ.  Paper: Teachers and dictionaries in Australia: Is there a need to train the trainers?

    September 2008, Synergy conference, Flinders University. Paper: A paper on or about prepositions? Does a consideration of metaphor in academic writing help students to choose the correct preposition? (Miller, J & Habel, C)

    November 2007, Tri-University Day, University of Adelaide.  Paper: Idioms and dictionaries

    September 2007, Australex Conference, Adelaide.  Paper: Idioms and dictionaries

    July 2007, HERDSA Conference, Adelaide. Showcase paper: Dodging the Damocletian sword of academic oral presentations

    November 2006, Educational Research Conference, Flinders University.  Poster: An amazing investment opportunity! The Nigerian business letter as an English teaching aid

    November 2005, Educational Research Conference, Flinders University.  Paper: An investigation into the effect of English learners' dictionaries on international students' acquisition of the English article system, specifically in the area of countability (This paper won the conference early career award.)

    September 2005, Australex Conference, Melbourne University.  Paper: An investigation into the effect of English learners' dictionaries on international students' acquisition of the English article system, specifically in the area of countability

    June 2005, Asialex Conference, National University of Singapore.   Paper: English learners' dictionaries: an undervalued resource

    November 2004, Educational Research Conference, Flinders University. Paper: Most of ESL students have trouble with the articles

    November 2003, Language and Academic Skills in Higher Education, Biannual National Conference, Flinders University. Round table discussion on academic skills advising for depressed and anxious students

    OTHER PUBLICATIONS AND CREATIVE WORKS

    Miller, J 2013, 'The Fat Controller', in B Eldridge (ed.), Collecting writers, Ginninderra Press, Adelaide.

    Miller, J 2012, Thanks a million! Saving English grammar with Ms Parrot. DVD and online resource produced with the aid of an OLT seed grant.

    Haisley, JL 2008, The Good Samaritan, Ginninderra Press, Adelaide.

    Miller, J 2008, ‘Up a gum tree’, Bonzer, Issue 73, February, [online magazine].

    Miller, J 2006, Academic oral presentation skills. DVD produced with the aid of a Flinders University Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant.

    THESES

    Miller, J 2011, ‘Never judge a wolf by its cover: an investigation into the relevance of phrasemes included in advanced learners' dictionaries for learners of English as an additional language in Australia’, PhD thesis, Flinders University, Adelaide.

    Miller, J 2002, 'An investigation into the use of anglicisms in modern European Portuguese', Masters thesis, Flinders University, Adelaide.

     

  • Professional Associations

    • Former Vice Chair of Globalex
    • Former president of Australex
    • Association for Academic Language and Learning member
    • Asialex member
    • European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing member

     

  • Files

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Entry last updated: Sunday, 1 Oct 2023