Dr. Deo Nizonkiza

Dr. Deo Nizonkiza

Biography:

Dr. Deo Nizonkiza has a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Antwerp, an MA in Translation from the University of Mons and a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and English Literature from the University of Burundi. Dr. Nizonkiza has also earned certificates in Modern Test Theory and Language Testing and Classical test Theory from Lancaster University.

Dr. Nizonkiza is currently a Sessional Faculty member at University Canada West teaching Academic Writing and Current Issues in Communication and Media.

Expertise and Experience

Dr. Nizonkiza has taught at several universities in Canada, South Africa and Burundi, including the University of British Columbia, Douglas College, Capilano University, McGill University, the University of Laval, North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa, and the University of Burundi.

Dr. Nizonkiza was named an honorary Research Associate at North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa in 2017.

Publications and Scholarly Activity

Dr. Nizonkiza’s research interests include Lexical phrases in academic literacy, lexical phrases in academic writing, using corpora to improve academic writing, dynamic assessment in teaching lexical phrases, lexical phrases in English as an Additional Language (EAL) proficiency and storytelling in undergraduate students’ academic acculturation.

Dr. Nizonkiza is an experienced reviewer and is on the selection panel of the Languages in a Globalised World Conference, held every other year at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. Dr. Nizonkiza is also a reviewer for five scientific journals - Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics; Journal for Language Teaching; Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies; and, PerLinguam.

Publications:

  • 2022 Nizonkiza, D. & Van de Poel, K. (2022). English language proficiency for Higher Education and professional contexts: the challenge Burundi is facing for global integration. Per Linguam, 38(2), 48-67.
  • 2020 Nizonkiza, D., Van de Poel, K., Van Dyk , T., & Louw, H. (2020). Towards modelled testing of productive knowledge of collocations. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 38(4), 307-322.
  • 2019 Nizonkiza, D. (2019). Students’ perceptions of corpora and online tools in teaching collocations to improve academic written communication. In A. Tsedryk & C. Doe (Eds.), The description, measurement and pedagogy of words (pp. 289-316). Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • 2019 Nizonkiza, D., & Van de Poel, K. (2019). Mind the gap: Towards determining which collocations to teach. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 56, 13-30
  • 2017 Nizonkiza, D. (2017). Improving academic literacy by teaching collocations. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 47, 153-180.
  • 2017 Nizonkiza, D. (2017). Predictive power of controlled productive knowledge of collocations over L2 proficiency. In J. Evers-Vermeul & E. Tribushinina (Eds.), Usage-based approaches to language acquisition and language teaching (pp. 263-286). Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter Mouton.
  • 2016 Van Dyk, T., Louw, H., Nizonkiza, D., & Van de Poel, K. (2016). Productive knowledge of collocations may predict academic literacy. Per Linguam, 32(2), 66-81.
  • 2016 Nizonkiza, D. (2016). First-year university students’ receptive and productive use of academic vocabulary. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 45, 169-187.
  • 2015 Nizonkiza, D., & Van Dyk, T. (2015). Academic literacy of South African higher education level students: Does vocabulary size matter? Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 44, 147-174.
  • 2015 Nizonkiza, D. (2015). Measuring receptive collocational competence across proficiency levels. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 44, 125-146.
  • 2015 Nizonkiza, D., & Ngwenya, T. (2015). Challenges of testing deep word knowledge of vocabulary: Which path to follow? Journal for Language Teaching, 49(1), 223-253.
  • 2014 Nizonkiza, D., & Van de Poel, K. (2014). Teachability of collocations: The role of word frequency counts. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 32(1), 301-316.
  • 2014 Nizonkiza, D., & Van den Berg, K. (2014). Dimensional approach to vocabulary testing: What can we learn from past and present practices? Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 43, 1-14.
  • 2014 Nizonkiza, D. (2014). The relationship between productive knowledge of collocations and academic literacy among tertiary level learners. Journal for Language Teaching, 48(1), 149 – 171.
  • 2013 Nizonkiza, D.,Van Dyk, T., & Louw, H. (2013). First-year university students’ productive knowledge of collocations. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 42, 165-181.
  • 2012 Nizonkiza, D. (2012). Quantifying controlled productive knowledge of collocations across proficiency and word frequency levels. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 2(1), 67-92.
  • 2012 Nizonkiza, D. (2012). Relationship between lexical competence, collocational competence, and second language proficiency: The case of Belgian English majors. In S. Kersten, C. Ludwig, D. Meer, & B. Rüschoff (Eds.), Applied linguistics approaches - language learning and language use. Papers Selected from the Junior Research Meeting – Essen 2011.
  • 2011 Nizonkiza, D. (2011). The relationship between controlled productive collocational competence and L2 proficiency TTWiA, 84/85, 29-37.
  • 2011 Nizonkiza, D. (2011). Relationship between lexical competence, collocational competence, and L2 proficiency. English Text Construction, 4(1), 113-146.
  • 2005 Nizonkiza, D. (2005). English in Burundi: A non-colonial heritage. In: TRANS. Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften. No. 16/2005. http://www.inst.at/trans/16Nr/03_2/nizonkiza16.htm

Awards

  • Scholarship for MA studies in Belgium (2 years). Source: Belgian Technical Cooperation
  • Scholarship for PhD studies in Belgium (4 years). Source: Government of Burundi

Memberships

  • Member of BC TEAL
  • Member of the Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics