Michelle Kohler

Research Interests

Applied Linguistics and Educational Linguistics Assessment, development and evaluation of curriculum Curriculum and Pedagogy Indonesian Languages Intercultural Communication Language, Communication and Culture Languages & Linguistics Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators Teaching and curriculum

Teaching Strengths

Applied Linguistics
Intercultural mediation
Curriculum and assessment design
Language/s policy and planning
Second language teaching and learning

Dr Michelle Kohler

School of Society and Culture

College of Education, Behavioural and Social Science

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

I am a researcher in applied linguistics investigating how language learning, multilingualism and interculturality in educational settings foster equity, social cohesion, and linguistic rights.
My work is strongly praxis oriented and draws on qualitative methodologies including ethnography and participatory action research. I have worked extensively with educators to improve policies and practices related to language program provision, curricula, pedagogy, mediation and assessment. Currently, my research focuses on understanding the development of interculturality, and how this complex capability may be evidenced through alternative assessment.
I work across diverse languages and cultures and have specific expertise in Indonesian. I have led national projects in Indonesian language education in Australia and regularly supervise HDR students investigating languages education, including English, in the Indonesian context.
I have served extensively on professional associations including currently as President of the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (ALAA). I have held advisory roles for state and federal government agencies including currently as the Leading Educator on the South Australian Ministerial Advisory Group, the Multicultural Education and Languages Committee (MELC).

I am currently working on the following research and consultancy projects:

'Being Multilingual: The experiences of young people learning community languages', Community Languages Schools South Australia.

'Learning and assessment design within a multilngual and intercultural orientation', School of Languages, Department for Education SA.

'Content-and-Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): Religion in Italian', Catholic Education Office SA.

Date Position Institution name
2024 - ongoing Principal Department for Education
2024 - ongoing Adjunct Senior Research Fellow University of South Australia

Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
2016 Recognition Outstanding Contribution to the Profession - the Gotong-Royong Award Indonesian Teachers' Association of SA (INTAN) and the Council of Education Associations of SA (now, Educators SA) Australia -

Language Competency
Indonesian Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

Date Institution name Country Title
2024 University of South Australia Australia Doctor of Philosophy

Year Citation
2025 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2025). Reconsidering languages learning: the interface of ideology, policy, and curricular and pedagogical practice. Modern Language Journal, 9(2), 472-478.
DOI
2021 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2021). Conceptualising language learning and use and its assessment in global contexts. Recherches en didactique des langues et des cultures, 18(1), 1-4.
DOI
2021 Kohler, M. (2021). Indonesian language education in Australia: patterns of provision and contending ideologies. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 44(3), 309-327.
DOI
2018 Kohler, M. (2018). Going there: reviving Indonesia/n in education. Disruptive Asia 2018: ASEAN special edition, 2, 83-87.
2017 Curnow, T. J., & Kohler, M. (2017). Applied linguistic research in Australia as represented through ARAL: changing diet or smorgasbord?. Australian review of applied linguistics, 40(3), 311-338.
DOI
2017 Liddicoat, A. J., Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2017). The impact of school structures and cultures on change in teaching and learning: the case of languages. Curriculum perspectives, 38(1), 3-13.
DOI
2016 Kohler, M. (2016). Interpreting as intercultural mediation: a critical moment in an overseas midwife training programme. Perspectives: studies in translation theory and practice, 24(3), 431-443.
DOI
2013 Kohler, M. (2013). Indonesian in the Australian Curriculum: Developing language-specific curricula. Babel, 48(2-3), 30-37.
2012 Kohler, M. (2012). How does time-on-task affect the achievement of early and late starters of Indonesian in schools?. Australian review of applied linguistics, 35(3), 271-289.
DOI
2012 Kohler, M. (2012). Review of Holliday, A, Hyde, M & Kullman, J, 2010, Intercultural communication: an advanced resource book for students. Australian review of applied linguistics, 35(1), 117-119.
DOI
2011 Morgan, A. M., Kohler, M., & Harbon, L. (2011). Developing intercultural language learning textbooks: methodological trends, engaging with the intercultural construct, and personal reflections on the process.. IARTEM e-Journal, 4(1), 20-50.
2009 Kohler, M. (2009). Indonesian: Making sense to students. Education quarterly Australia, Winter, 22-23.
2007 Curnow, T. J., & Kohler, M. (2007). Languages are important, but that's not why I am studying one. Babel.
2006 Kohler, M., Harbon, L., Fischmann, V., McLaughlin, M., & Liddicoat, A. J. (2006). Quality teaching : views from the profession. Babel.
2005 Kohler, M. (2005). Framing culture. Babel.
2003 Kohler, M. (2003). Developing continuity through long term programming. Babel.

Year Citation
2024 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2024). Chinese language education in Australia: attending to the lifeworlds of learners. In J. L. Bianco, E. K. Y. Loh, & M. -K. Shum (Eds.), Source details - Title: Supporting the Learning of Chinese as a Second Language: Implications for Language Education Policy (pp. 379-395). Switzerland: Springer.
DOI
2023 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2023). Reimagining 'language', 'community' and 'identity' in community language learning. In K. Cruickshank, J. L. Bianco, & M. Wahlin (Eds.), Source details - Title: Community and Heritage Languages Schools Transforming Education: Research, Challenges, and Teaching Practices (pp. 46-61). US: Routledge.
DOI
2022 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2022). Assessing intercultural capability: insights from processes of eliciting and judging student learning. In T. McConachy, I. Golubeva, & M. Wagner (Eds.), Source details - Title: Intercultural Learning in Language Education and Beyond: Evolving Concepts, Perspectives and Practices (pp. 188-206). UK: Multilingual Matters.
DOI
2020 Kohler, M. (2020). Intercultural language teaching and learning in classroom practice. In J. Jackson (Ed.), Source details - Title: The Routledge Handbook of Language and Intercultural Communication (2nd ed. ed., pp. 413-426). UK: Routledge.
DOI
2019 Kohler, M. (2019). Language education policy in Indonesia: a struggle for unity in diversity. In A. Kirkpatrick, & A. J. Liddicoat (Eds.), Source details - Title: The Routledge international handbook of language education policy in Asia (pp. 286-297). UK: Routledge.
DOI
2018 Kohler, M., & Scarino, A. (2018). Attending to diversities through curriculum design: the case of languages in the Australian curriculum. In A. Reid, & D. Price (Eds.), Source details - Title: The Australian curriculum: promises, problems and possibilities (pp. 115-125). Australia: Australian Curriculum Studies Association.
2014 Kohler, M. (2014). The teaching and learning of Indonesian in Australia: issues and prospects. In N. Murray, & A. Scarino (Eds.), Source details - Title: Dynamic ecologies: A relational perspective on languages education in the Asia-Pacific region (pp. 169-181). Netherlands: Springer.
DOI
2012 Liddicoat, A., & Kohler, M. (2012). Teaching Asian languages from an intercultural perspective: building bridges for and with students of Indonesian. In X. Song, & K. Cadman (Eds.), Source details - Title: Bridging transcultural divides: Asian languages and cultures in global higher education (pp. 73-99). Australia: University of Adelaide Press.
DOI
2010 Kohler, M. (2010). Intercultural language teaching and learning : policy to practice. In A. J. Liddicoat (Ed.), Source details - Title: Languages in Australian education : problems, prospects and future directions (pp. 179-192). UK: Cambridge Scholars.

Year Citation
2023 Scarino, A., Kohler, M., & Loechel, K. (2023). Being multilingual: the experiences of young people learning community languages. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2022 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2022). Development of a conceptual statement addressing the nature of intercultural understanding. Australia: SA Department for Education.
2022 Scarino, A., Kohler, M., & Loechel, K. (2022). Internationalising schools leading global schools: case studies project. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2021 Kohler, M., Mercurio, A., & Scarino, A. (2021). Strengthening secondary pathways in Community Language Programs in South Australia. Australia: Community Language Schools SA.
2021 Scarino, A., Kohler, M., & Loechel, K. (2021). Curriculum design framework for community language programs. Australia: Community Language Schools.
2021 Kohler, M. (2021). A contemporary rationale for Indonesian language and studies in Australian schools: literature scan. Australia: Asia Education Foundation.
2020 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2020). Innovative languages programs. Australia: Research Centre for Languages and Cultures University of South Australia.
2020 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2020). Catholic education, archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn: languages education review. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2019 Loechel, K., Kohler, M., Scarino, A., & Bradshaw, S. (2019). The provision of languages in primary schools in South Australia. Australia: Government of South Australia.
2019 Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2019). Languages professional learning program key ideas 1 and 2. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2018 Scarino, A., Kohler, M., & Loechel, K. (2018). Review of ethnic schools programs of South Australia. Australia: Ethnic Schools Association of South Australia.
2016 Scarino, A., Liddicoat, A., & Kohler, M. (2016). Maximising intensivity and continuity in language learning: developing, implementing and evaluating models of provision. Australia: UniSA.
2016 Scarino, A., Kohler, M., & Benedetti, A. (2016). Investigating pedagogies for language-and-culture learning. Australia: University of South Australia.
2014 Kohler, M., Curnow, T., Spence Brown, R., & Wardlaw, C. (2014). Senior secondary languages education research project: Corporate body:Asia Education Foundation author. Australia: Asia Education Foundation.
2014 Curnow, T. J., Kohler, M., Liddicoat, A. J., & Loechel, K. (2014). Review of languages retention from the middle years to the senior years of schooling: report to the Department for Education and Child Development. Australia: Department for Education and Child Development.
2012 Scarino, A., Scrimgeour, A., & Kohler, M. (2012). Languages teaching and learning: change in context: research report prepared for the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia. Australia: University of South Australia.
2011 Scarino, A., Elder, C., Iwashita, N., Kim, S. H. O., Kohler, M., & Scrimgeour, A. (2011). Student achievement in Asian languages education. Australia: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
2010 Kohler, M., & Mahnken, P. (2010). The current state of Indonesian language education in Australian schools. Australia: Education Services Australia.
2007 Liddicoat, A. J., Scarino, A., Curnow, T. J., Kohler, M., Scrimgeour, A. J., & Morgan, A. M. (2007). An investigation of the state and nature of languages in Australian schools: prepared by the Research Centre for Languages and Cultures Education, University of South Australia. Australia: Commonwealth Government of Australia.
2005 Liddicoat, A. J., Tognini, R., Fischmann, V., Harbon, L., Kohler, M., McLaughlin, M., . . . Dellit, J. (2005). Final report on the development of standards for teachers of Indonesian project: Report to the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training. Australia: Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training.
2005 Leask, B., Hicks, M. J., Kohler, M., & King, B. S. (2005). AVCC offshore quality project report: a professonal development framework for academic staff teaching Australian programs offshore. Australia: UniSA.
2003 Liddicoat, A. J., Papademetre, L., Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2003). Report on intercultural language learning, Report to the Australian Government Department of Education Science and Training. Australia: Australian Government Department of Education Science and Training.

  • Being multilingual: the experiences of young people learning community languages, The Ethnic Schools Assoc. of SA Inc., 01/11/2021 - 15/05/2023

  • Internationalising Schools - Action Research/Case Study Services, SA Dept of Education & Children's Services, 14/12/2020 - 28/02/2022

  • Innovative Language Program Grants, SA Dept for Education and Children's Services, 13/05/2019 - 12/05/2021

  • Language Education Review, Catholic Education Office Canberra & Goulburn, 03/02/2020 - 30/04/2021

  • Ethnic and Community Language Schools (ECLS) Program Strengthening Secondary Pathways, The Ethnic Schools Assoc. of SA Inc., 16/09/2019 - 31/12/2020

  • Languages Professional Learning Program Key Ideas 1 & 2, SA Dept for Education and Children's Services, 05/05/2019 - 31/10/2020

  • Development of a Curriculum and Assessment Design Framework and a Professional Learning Initiative for the Ethnic Schools Program, The Ethnic Schools Assoc. of SA Inc., 01/06/2019 - 30/10/2020

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2020 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Lauren Jade Williams

Date Role Membership Country
2021 - ongoing President Applied Linguistics Association of Australia -

Date Title Type Institution Country
2022 - ongoing Modern Language Journal Peer Review Wiley Publishing United States

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