Dr De Jager is a lecturer in the Department of Humanities Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria and holds a doctorate in Curriculum and instructional design and development with a focus on misunderstandings in instructional communication.  Her research interests and activities include the following: Applied linguistics, specifically inter-cultural and cross-cultural pragmatics; English Language and Literature; Methodology and classroom practice; Instructional Design. She is particularly interested in the rich linguistic and cultural range that learners bring to the multilingual classroom. Her research highlights the fact that beginner teachers cannot be assumed to be adequately proficient in English, which requires focused attention in teacher education programmes and policy documents. Further interests include e-learning and technology in the language classroom. She is also the Faculty's coordinator for the BEd Methodologies, hosting 2 workshops a year for training and development purposes as well as sharing of best practice ideas among colleagues. She is currently involved in a joint research project with the CSIR on sourcing and evaluating useful apps for teaching and learning English.

Her research interests and activities include the following: Applied linguistics, specifically inter-cultural and cross-cultural pragmatics; English Language and Literature; Methodology and classroom practice; Instructional Design.