Prof. Dr. Nils Jäkel

ORCID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0003-1562-9189

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1DUAWeQAAAAJ&hl=en

Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nils-Jaekel

My main research interests focus on foreign and second language acquisition, with particular emphasis on early foreign language learning, multilingualism in education, content and language integrated learning (CLIL), and the self-efficacy of language teachers and learners.

I received my PhD from the Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany, and my docent title (~higher doctorate) from the University of Oulu, Finland. My academic journey has included positions at the Ruhr University of Bochum, University of Oulu, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the University of Copenhagen before joining the University of Hildesheim.

I maintain strong collaborative ties with the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Oulu, where I am the principal investigator in a Research Council of Finland-funded project: "Linguistic distance, language learning, and educational attainment: investigating multilingual students' attainment in Finland and Germany" (2023-2027).

My research has garnered international recognition, including the Outstanding Article of the Year Award from Language Learning in 2017 for "From Early Starters to Late Finishers? A Longitudinal Study of Early Foreign Language Learning in School," and the annual Research Article Award from the American Association of Applied Linguistics in 2019. My long-term vision is to advance language education through rigorous, evidence-based research that identifies both universal and context-specific factors in language teaching.

Research Expertise:

• Foreign and Second Language Education, with specialized focus on early language learning and acquisition processes
• Multilingualism and Bilingualism in educational contexts, including innovative approaches to language integration
• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), examining effective methodologies and outcomes
• Individual Differences and Positive Psychology in Language Education, exploring motivational and psychological factors
• Equity and inclusion in language education, addressing diverse learning needs and accessibility

Teaching and Supervision Areas:

• Second Language Acquisition
• Language education, pedagogy, and didactics
• Multilingualism in language education
• Individual Differences and Positive Psychology in Language Education

Professional Career / Beruflicher Werdegang

1. Peer-reviewed scientific articles and chapters

Jaekel, N., Schurig, M., Uhl, P., Steinlen, A., & Piske, T. (2025). Conquering the tower of Babel? How linguistic distance affects second and foreign language reading in German, English, and French in year 9 in Germany. System, 131, 103630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103630

Jaekel, N., Schurig, M., Piske, T., Uhl, P., & Steinlen, A. (accepted in System). Conquering the tower of Babel? The impact of linguistic distance on foreign language attainment in grade 9.

Jaekel, N., Kolb, N., & Lorenz, E. (2024). A Cross-Country Comparison: Plurilingual Teaching Across Educational Curricula in Finland, Germany, and Norway. Nordic Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 12(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.46364/njltl.v12i2.1321

Jaekel, N., Schurig, M., Ferencik-Lehmkuhl, D., Schwinning, S., & Ritter, M. (2024). Investigating the Effects of Linguistic Distance on German and English Reading and Mathematics among Fifth-Graders in Germany. Learning and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2024.102556

Jaekel, J., Jaekel, N., Härtel, C., Göpel, W., Herting, E., Felderhoff-Müser, U., Huening, B., Spiegler, J. (2024). Associations of language barriers with mental health problems of preschool children born very preterm across Germany. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.16132

Jaekel, J., Aubert, A. M., Jaekel, N., Costa, R., Johnson, S., Zeitlin, J., & Group, S. R. (2024). Associations of language barriers with behavioural and socio-emotional problems among 5-year-old children born very preterm across. Pediatric Research. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03623-4

Jaekel, N., Schurig, M., & Lorenz, E. (2024). Moving beyond binary language status in research: Investigating early foreign language learning and linguistic distance. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 3(3), 100151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2024.100151

Jaekel, N., Lorenz, E., & Ritter, M. (2024). English proficiency in L2/L3 learners: Impact of language use and linguistic distance. In Karpava, S. (Eds.) Family and School Involvement in Multilingual Education and Heritage Language Development. 59-78. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004702325_004

Hüning, B. M., Jaekel, J., Jaekel, N., Göpel, W., Herting, E., Felderhoff-Müser, U., Spiegler, J., & Härtel, C. (2024). Perinatal Outcomes of Immigrant Mothers and Their Infants Born Very Preterm across Germany. Healthcare, 12(12), 1211. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12121211

Jaekel, N. (2023). Schulforschung kann nicht ausschließlich im wechselseitigen Interesse stattfinden. Fremdsprachen Lehren und Lernen, 52(2), 125–125.

Jaekel, N., Ritter, M., & Jaekel, J. (2023). Associations of students’ linguistic distance to the language of instruction and classroom composition with English reading and listening skills. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 45(5), 1287–1309. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263123000268

Schurig, M., Jaekel, N., Ritter, M. (2023). General dimensions of instructional quality - Relations to receptive skills in English receptive skills. In Wilden, E., Alfes, L., Cantone-Altintas, K., Cikrikci, S. & Reimann, D. (Eds.). Standortbestimmungen in der Fremdsprachenforschung. WBV.

Jaekel, N., Jaekel, J., Fincher, E., & Brown, C. L. (2022). Summer regression—The impact of summer on English learners’ reading development. Frontiers in Education, 7, 817284. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.817284

Jaekel, N., Schurig, M., Van Ackern, I., & Ritter, M. (2022). The impact of early foreign language learning on language proficiency development from middle to high school. System, 106, 102763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102763

Jaekel, N. (2022). Does positive selection bias into CLIL streams explain higher language proficiency? In T. Piske, & A. Steinlen (Eds.), Cognition & Second Language Acquisition. 275-294. Tübingen: Narr.

Jaekel, N., Van Ackern, I., Schurig, M., & Markus, R. (2022). Investigating the transition from elementary to secondary school: Student perspectives of the continuum and receptive language proficiency. The Language Learning Journal, 50(6), 747–762. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2021.1879906

Jaekel, N., Jaekel, J., Willard, J., & Leyendecker, B. (2019). No evidence for effects of Turkish immigrant children's bilingualism on executive functions. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209981

Jaekel, N. (online first 2018/2020). Language learning strategy use in context: the effects of self-efficacy and CLIL on language proficiency. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 58(2), 195-220. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2016-0102

Jaekel, N., Schurig, M., Florian, M. and Ritter, M. (2017), From Early Starters to Late Finishers? A Longitudinal Study of Early Foreign Language Learning in School. Language Learning, 67: 631-664. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12242

2. Non-refereed scientific articles

Ritter, M., van Ackern, I., & Jaekel, N. (accepted). Abschlussbericht der fachdidaktischen Arbeit im Fach Englisch (Final report of the English didactic research group). In W. Bos (Eds.): Wissenschaftsband Projekt Ganz In. Münster: Waxmann.

Ritter, M., Jaekel, N., Meister, C., & Lewandowska, Z. (2015). Zwischenbilanz der fachdidaktischen Arbeit im Fach Englisch (Interim report English didactics). In H. Wendt & W. Bos (Eds.): Wissenschaftsband Projekt Ganz In (413–442). Münster: Waxmann.

Jaekel, N. (2012). Gebrauch von Lernstrategien im Bilingualen Sachfachunterricht und Englisch-unterricht der 9. Klasse (Use of language learning strategies by Year 9 students in regular EFL and CLIL classes). In: Beermann, Christian, Bracker, Elisabeth, Diao, Lan, Gardemann, Christine, Grein, Matthias, & Vasilieva, Liudmila (Eds.): Sammelband der achten Nachwuchstagung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in der Fremdsprachenforschung.

3. Publications intended for professional communities

Jaekel, N., & Jaekel, J. (2023). Differences between languages impact language learning. OASIS Summary of Jaekel, N. et al. (2023) Studies in Second Language Acquisition. https://oasis-database.org/concern/summaries/kw52j887f?locale=en

Jaekel, N., & Fincher, E.* (2022). Re-imagining Immigration in a Country of Immigrants. In Gessner, I. (Ed.): Teaching the United States: Past, Present, and Future Visions. F&E Edition – Die Forschungszeitschrift der Pädagogischen Hochschule Vorarlberg

Duckheim, N., Jaekel, N., & Schurig, M. (2022). Students´ Perspectives on Transitioning Schools Focussed on Early Foreign Language Learning. RiPL Summary of Jaekel, van Ackern, Schurig & Ritter (2021) in The Language Learning Journal.

Duckheim, N., Jaekel, N., & Schurig, M. (2022). A longitudinal study on the impact of early foreign language learning. OASIS Summary of Jaekel, N. et al. (2022) in System. https://oasis-database.org/concern/summaries/qf85nb82z?locale=en

Duckheim, N., Jaekel, N., & Schurig, M (2022). Eine Längsschnittstudie über die Auswirkungen des frühen Fremdsprachenerwerbs. OASIS Summary of Jaekel, N. et al. (2022) in System. https://oasis-database.org/concern/summaries/dz010q811?locale=en

Jaekel, N. (2018). Commentary in response to the AFD (political party) proposal ‘Abolish English in Elementary School – strengthen German and Mathematics’ (Drs. 17/794). Germany.

Jaekel, N., Schurig, M., Ritter, M. (2018). Früher Fremdsprachenunterricht (Early foreign language learning). Zeitschrift SchulVerwaltung NRW. Cologne: Wolters Kluwer.

Tellier, A.J. & Jaekel, N. (2018). A long-term study of early foreign language learning in school. OASIS Summary of Jaekel, N. et al. (2017) in Language Learning. https://oasis-database.org/concern/summaries/vd66vz88c?locale=en

4. Preprint

Nguyen, D., Jaekel, N.,Siklander, S., & Wang, L. (under review). Second Language Learning Through Play in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/gtwsx

5. Theses

Jaekel, N. (2015). Use and impact of language learning strategies on language proficiency: Investigating the impact of individual difference variables and participation in CLIL streams. Dissertation thesis, Ruhr-University Bochum: Online.

6. Code and datasets

Schurig, M., Jaekel, N., & Lorenz, E. (2024). RMAL-Linguistic distance. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6EAFS.

Ongoing projects

Linguistic distance, language learning, and educational attainment (https://www.oulu.fi/en/projects/linguistic-distance-language-learning-and-educational-attainment)

Promoting Multilingualism in School Education (Multi-site Project) in cooperation with Prof. D. Kristin Kersten at the University of Mannheim (https://www.phil.uni-mannheim.de/anglistik/forschung/promise/)