Rachael Agius (nee Xuereb) M.Sc. (Lond)
Rachael Agius is a Speech-Language Pathologist who works for the Department of
Health. She also holds a Specialist post within the Department of Health on Specific
Language Impairment (including literacy) and a lecturing post with the University of
Malta and covers various courses including Augmentative and Alternative means of
Communication (AAC); Written Language Disorders (Dyslexia); and Early
Prevention and Intervention. Rachel worked for the state school system in America on
the planning, screening, assessment and implementation of a literacy program. She
has worked in the area of Literacy and Bilingualism for the National Health Service in
Glasgow as part of an EU project and at the Agora Research Centre, University of
Jyvaskyla, Finland on a short-term scientific mission (STSM) as part of the EU COST
project.
Rachel is currently pursuing doctoral studies on Literacy and Bilingualism and has
published two papers on Literacy Skills in Maltese-English Bilingual Children in the
Journal of Research in Reading and in Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics. She has
delivered various seminars in local schools and as well as on local television. Rachel
has presented papers on Literacy and Bilingualism in various countries (see
presentations beneath).
Publications
Xuereb, R. (2009). Literacy skills in Maltese-English Bilingual Children. Journal of
Reading in Research, 32(3), 327-348.
Xuereb, R, Grech H & Dodd B (2011). The development of a literacy diagnostic tool
for Maltese children. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics, in press.
Presentations
Oral presentations
Xuereb, R. (2006) Reading Skills in Maltese-English Bilingual children. Intensive
Programme (IP). University of Malta, Malta.
Xuereb, R (2006) Reading Skills in Maltese-English Bilingual children. Association
of Speech-Language Pathologists (ASLP), Malta Federation of Professional
Associations. The Professional Centre, Malta.
Xuereb, R (2007) Reading Skills in Maltese-English Bilingual Children. 27th
International International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP)
Congress. Copenhagen. Denmark.
Xuereb, R. (2008) Literacy and Bilingualism. COST STSM A33 2598 project. Agora
Research Centre, Jyvaskyla, Finland, 12th-23rd May, 2008.
Xuereb, R. (2008) Literacy, phonology and bilingualism in Maltese Children: The
development of a diagnostic tool for reading and writing difficulties. Postgraduate
Seminar Communication Therapy Division Institute of Health Care. University of
Malta held at The Radisson SAS, St Julians, 16th December 2008.
Xuereb R. (2009) Literacy skills in Maltese/English bilingual children: implications
for the identification of phonologically based reading difficulties. The 3rd
International Symposium on Communication disorders in Multilinugal Populations.
6th-8th November, Rodon Hotel, Agros, Cyprus, Greece.
Xuereb, R., Grech, H & Dodd, B. (2009). Psychometric validation of the Test of
Reading and Phonoligcal Processing and Memory (TORPAM) – A dyslexia
diagnostic assessment battery for Maltese-English Speaking Children, 28th
International International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP)
Congress. Athens, Greece. Oral presentation by Dr. Helen Grech on behalf of Rachael
Xuereb.
Xuereb, R. (2010) Literacy skills in Maltese-English bilingual children. 17th Annual
Conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading. Seminaris CampusHotel
Berlin, July 7-10.
Poster presentations
Xuereb, R. (2007) Reading Skills in Maltese-English Bilingual children. Career’s
convention. St. James Cavalier, Valletta, Malta.
Xuereb, R. (2009) Reading Skills in Maltese-English Bilingual Children. Literacy
Research Symposium. College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch,
New Zealand, 1st – 2nd October 2009.