1.    Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up and went to school near Leicester.

2.    How did you become interested in language education?

I’ve loved languages ever since we did special lessons in French  in my first year of primary school – I was 5! We had a French assistante, who was brilliant (although I didn’t realise it at the time). She made learning French lots of fun and I never lost my love for languages, even when it got boring in secondary school! Having then gone to Italy on my year abroad at university, I decided I wanted to go and live there, so the obvious thing was to teach English, which subsequently became my career.

3.    In which countries have you taught language(s)?

Mainly in Italy, although I did three weeks in Cuba. I’ve done short teacher training stints in a number of places, including the USA, Siberia and Kazakhstan.

4.    What fascinates you most about your research?

The international dimension and the huge diversity in English language teaching around the world but at the same time the many, many similarities, no matter what the context.

5.    What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

This is a hard one to answer, but if it’s about research, I think it has to be the way we’ve been able to reach out to primary school teachers of English in our British Council project, and give them a voice.  I had an email from a teacher thanking me for asking her about her opinions because no-one had ever done that before.  I was very proud of that, but also a bit saddened that this important group of people can only find a voice via British academics.

6.    What is your favourite book, music or film?

It would be impossible to pick one of any of these – there are so many and my tastes change! One of the best books I’ve read recently is Bring up the Bodies by Hillary Mantell.   

7.    What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

That’s easy – gardening. I find it very relaxing and rewarding and it keeps me sane. I also took up Latin and Ballroom dancing a couple of years ago and I love that too, although I’m not very consistent in attending classes!

8.    What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

Get a good crop of French  beans! Seriously, in research terms, I’m series editor, with Keith Richards from Warwick University, of a new series with Palgrave Macmillian called International Perspectives in ELT. The first three books will be out later this year (on Motivation, Materials and Young Learners), so for next year, I’d like to ensure that we have three more equally good volumes for the series.

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

For the first 15 years of my life I grew up in a solidly middle class suburb in Dublin city before my parents succumbed to their rural roots and moved us to a small village in what I thought was the 'mucker bogland' of west county Dublin (I have since come to appreciate its green field charms). After secondary school I completed a rather uninspiring B.Sc. in Marketing Management at Dublin Institute of Technology.

2. How did you become interested in language education?

For a graduate in marketing management with very little desire to work in either marketing or management, language education initially offered an opportunity to work my way around the world, doing my humble bit to further linguistic imperialism. It changed from a job~hobby (jobby?) a few years after I came to Japan and belated realized that I had somewhat unwittingly embarked on a career in language education.

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

I have taught pretty much only in Japan, though I did spend five memorable days volunteering at a Sherpa guide school in Nepal. Well, 'memorable' until the home made Chhaang was brought out and events rapidly descended into a morass of Yeti stories and high altitude riverdancing.

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

For my PhD I am examining how language policy is put into pedagogical practice, specifically English education in Japanese elementary schools. Of particular interest to me is the school context in which this takes place. The 45 minute, once-a-week English class is a minor part (a very minor part if truth be told) of the typical teacher's working week and I think this tends to get overlooked in research in the area. By only looking at what goes on in the English classroom we miss the broader yet very influential factors that determine much of the what, who, why and how of language policy implementation.

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

That over the course of my research (two years) a level of trust was built up between myself and the various teachers I encountered which enabled me to go from being an observer to someone who became wholly accepted and involved in the classroom. That and having a class of eager 11 year old constantly peppering you with "How do you say ... in English" questions. If I could only bottle their enthusiasm...

6. What is your favourite book, music or film?

Right now, the answer to all three categories is Winnie the Pooh. My six year old son is completely enthralled by all the goings on down at the Hundred Acre Wood, and I'll have to admit the ‘Backson' song is quite catchy. I am a voracious reader so singling out a favourite is impossible but I am currently enjoying Colm Toibin's Brooklyn (thank you Fiona for the recommendation) and the darkly funny short stories of Kevin Barry (a wonderful example of which you can read here.

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

In keeping with the mix of high brow culture and outdoor pursuits favoured by other respondents I like nothing better than surfing a double overhead typhoon swell whilst listening to Wagner's Ride of the Valkerie on my ipod (the Georg Solti 1958 version with the Wiener Philharmonic. Naturally).
Actually, I have a six year old son and a PhD - I don't have leisure time.

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

Oh, the usual: achieving world peace, saving some whales, winning the inaugural 'Genius in Applied Linguistics Award' at BAAL, submitting my methodology chapter to my supervisor, finding someone else to play Santa Claus at the local nursery school's Christmas festival. Though this last one could be tough...

March 2013: Dr Stefan Manz, Head of German, whose research interests include Migration Studies, Anglo-German Relations, German History/Politics/Society. He currently teaches German language skills and L2-taught content modules.

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

Regensburg, Germany (UNESCO World Heritage!). I then embarked on the normal German ‘grand study tour’ which took me to Berlin, Munich, Connecticut/USA, and Freiburg, where I graduated with an MA in Grammar School teaching. This was followed by a PhD at Durham University on German migrants in nineteenth century Britain.

2. How did you become interested in language education?

During my year abroad as a language assistant at the University of Connecticut – loved it, stuck with it. I like the personal contact with students, especially since classes are comparatively small. I have always taught history and politics courses as well and think that the ‘content’ and ‘language’ aspects of teaching complement each other well. 

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

USA, Scotland, England (does that make three or two?).

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

Connections between language, ideology and national identity, especially within diasporic contexts. I am currently looking at diaspora construction in nineteenth century Germany and realise how important the notion of a common language was for transnational ‘community imagination’ – and how little the ideological pretensions reflected a far more complex reality.

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

Seeing our students mature from first year to graduation, not just as linguists but also as personalities.

6. What is your favourite book, music or film?

Three musical B’s: anything by Bach, Brahms, Bruckner. Sorry, Ludwig van, you’re not in it.

Two literary Ians: anthing by Ian McEwan and Ian Rankin. Also Jeffrey Eugenides (esp. Middlesex), Philip Roth (esp. The Human Stain), William Boyd (esp. Any Human Heart), Uwe Tellkamp, Eugen Ruge, and recently Ursula Krechel’s German Book Prize Winning ‘Landgericht’. 

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

Spending time with my two boys aged 11 and 12. I also do sports to keep fit: football, squash, basketball, hilllwalking. As a Bavarian I naturally like skiing, yet in Britain…  And then there is classical music: I play the oboe, though I have little time to practice these days. Going to concerts is always a wonderful experience. Wherever I am in the world I try to tick off the main concert venue, most recently the Big Concert Hall of the Tchaikowsky Conservatoire in Moscow and the Opera House in Saratov/Russia – magic.

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

Having more time for the things mentioned in question 7, especially for my family. Dreaming on…

1.    Where did you grow up and go to school?

I was born in the city of Saskatoon and grew up southern Saskatchewan, Canada.  We moved to the potash mining town of Esterhazy when I was in grade 3, and I graduated from high school there.

2.    How did you become interested in language education?

The first seeds of interest in language and culture were sown when, as a five-year old, I visited Mexico for a month with my parents. In high school, I became aware of my preferences for languages, humanities and the fine arts, and an occupational suitability for teaching or clergy.  As a young adult, I became interested in translation work, linguistics, mother-tongue literacy and second language education in relationship to Bible translation.  In my early to mid-twenties, I travelled in western and eastern Europe and studied German.  I took a Linguistics BA with a minor in German language, and course work in a Linguistics MA. In the mid-1990s I team-taught introductory phonology courses for the Canada Institute of Linguistics on the Trinity Western University (TWU) campus in British Columbia, Canada.  For a variety of reasons, among them health issues, I switched to a M.Ed. in Adult Education, where my thesis work focused on developing and field testing writing resources for TESOL teachers and students in intensive EAP programmes.  

3.    In which countries have you taught languages?

Although I learned German in Europe, I have only taught ESOL in Canada.  I have worked with adult immigrants in community context, secondary international students (mostly Korean and Chinese) in content-based immersion context, and also elementary and middle school students in private afterschool programmes.  I have also taught literacy and content-based learning to special needs students in the K- 9 context.  A door opened at TWU to teach in language teacher education with the MA TESOL programme, and continue to interact with language learning issues at the advanced EAP level.  

4.    What fascinates you most about your research?

My current research is about evaluation of TESOL teacher education programmes, using the TWU MA TESOL (where I am employed) as a case study.  We offer a cohort-based programme in both online and resident formats, with a collaborative, problem-based learning curriculum.   One of the key issues for our instructors is working successfully with small group dynamics. We have been archiving data from the online small group work for 10 years now, so I have the pleasure of analyzing the “cognitive presence” (Garrison, 2011) of the cohorts in this extensive teacher learning corpus.  I am pleased that my research has practical impact for our department.

5.    What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

As a language teacher educator, I am most proud how our students develop, in terms of their knowledge, practitioner skills, and sense of membership in the TESOL profession in Canada and world-wide. 

6.    What is your favorite book, music or film?

Two of my favorite books are Bruchko (by Bruce Olson) and Peace Child (by Don Richardson) because they share fantastic examples of problem-solving for cross-cultural communication issues in translation.  I love books and movies that have a biographical or historical element, such as the film, The Pianist. I come from a very musical family and love many genres of music, but my favorite is jazz instrumental, for example, The Canadian Brass.

7.     What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

Since I am working full time, a fair chunk of my leisure time is devoted to completing this Ph.D. programme.  I try to get out to my gym regularly for exercise, or to watch a movie, share a meal or just visit with friends or family.

8.     What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

In the context of my Ph.D. programme, I have only recently completed the Qualifying Report, so the next major goal is to transcribe and analyze some of my data, and produce an article for publication in my research area. 

January 2013: Professor Christina Schäffner has been teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in translation studies, interpreting, text analysis and supervising PhD students in these areas since joining Aston University in 1992. Her research interests include Critical discourse analysis/Political discourse analysis, Metaphor research (esp. in political texts and from a translational perspective) and Translation didactics.

1.     Where did you grow up and go to school?

In Schlotheim, a small town in Thuringia, former East Germany. The last 4 years of school (equivalent to Gymnasium) were in Muehlhausen (17 km away from my home town).

2.     How did you become interested in language education?

Mainly through school, we had excellent teachers for foreign languages (esp. for English). But I can remember that from a very young age onwards I ‘collected’ foreign words and wrote them down in a booklet. This started before I learnt foreign languages at school. I then decided to turn this interest into a professional career and studied English and Russian at Leipzig University.

3.     In which countries have you taught language(s)?

At first in Germany, at Leipzig University, then since 1992 here at Aston. I also spent time in various countries (as visiting teacher/academic), mainly teaching translation theory and practice. I taught in the USA, Finland, Austria during longer term stays.

4.     What fascinates you most about your research?

That there is never an end. Each time you are investigating a specific topic lots of new questions emerge. The other fascinating aspect is that you meet people who share your interest and can inspire you by asking questions to which you don’t know the answer – motivation to carry on.

5.     What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

Difficult to answer. I’m happy when people invite me to give talks at conferences since this is an indication of professional recognition. But I’m equally happy when students tell me they enjoyed their time at Aston and I hear how they progress themselves. And of course each time a PhD student of mine completes the PhD successfully I’m extremely proud and happy.

6.     What is your favourite book, music or film?

Not enough time for such activities I’m afraid. But I like classical music (especially Tchaikovsky, Mahler), also some musicals (e.g. Phantom of the Opera). Films: James Bond films and Hitchcock films for relaxation, but also the ‘classics’ such as Gone with the Wind, The Third Man, Schindler’s List, Cabaret, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, which I would watch repeatedly on TV.
Books: some of the American novels such as Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy, Native Son by Richard Wright, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. They made me weep and reflect.

7.     What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

Leisure time??? If I do find some, going to the theatre or a concert, meeting up with friends. I’d like to do more sports (swimming for a start) and meet friends much more often.

8.     What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

See two more of my PhD students complete their research and pass the viva. Succeed in the funding applications put forward, and make more progress with my current research into translation practices in political institutions.

December 2012: postgraduate researcher Andrew Boon, associate professor in the faculty of humanities at Toyo Gakuen University. His PhD explores the ways that teacher-researchers make use of online tool Instant Messenger Cooperative Development (IMCD). 

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Bolton and went to high school there. After high school, I got a job working for an insurance company and had a day-release to college each week to study business. I then went back into full-time education when I was 23 and studied English and Philosophy at the University of Sunderland. I then took a one-year PGCE at the University of Bolton.

2. How did you become interested in language education?

I originally trained to be an English literature teacher in the Further Education sector. However, during my PGCE, I saw a job advert to teach English in Japan. I applied, got the job, and have been in Japan ever since.

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

I have taught in Japan only.

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

I have had wonderful opportunities so far to research my pedagogic practice and I think data collection, analysis, and writing up the research are all fascinating in their own way. I particularly like when patterns start to emerge in the data.

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

My PhD research is about helping others to move forward with their research. When an Instant Messenger Cooperative Development session works and enables the other person to discover a possible direction to take, it is very rewarding. I guess I am proud of that and of being able to carry on Julian Edge's work.

6. What is your favourite book, music or film?

My favourite film is Dead Poet's Society and it is the reason I became a teacher. After watching the movie, I quit my insurance job, went back-packing around Europe, and then went to university to study literature. I guess I wanted to seize the day! I am a huge fan of music and have a large CD collection. My favourite band is Pink Floyd. I also love poetry especially T.S. Elliot.

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

I like to play the guitar, meet my friends for a few drinks, write haiku, go walking.

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

I have just over 2 more years on the PhD program. I would very like to start writing the final theses next year. I would also like to write more coursebooks.

November 2012: Dr Emmanuelle Labeau, Senior Lecturer in French and Director of University Wide Language Programme (UWLP) and Languages for All.

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Lessines (Belgium), a small town formerly known for its open mines located half way between Brussels and Lille. I did all my schooling at the Athénée Royal de Lessines (ARL).

2. How did you become interested in language education?

Apart from two brief spells when I wanted to find dinosaur bones (around 6) and to become a journalist (around 15), I always wanted to be a French teacher, like my Mum.

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

Most of my teaching career was at Aston when I first came as a teaching assistant for one year… in 1995. I did my teacher training (French as a 1^st language, French as a second language) in Belgium where I did short teaching placements.

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

The constant learning and the realization of how little you know. Our Physics teacher at ARL used to say that when we’d be at uni, we’d realize we were only blockheads… and if we didn’t, then we surely were! At least I have realized I am one so there is hope!
I also can get very excited when coming across uses of languages that have not been described before or go against received wisdom

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

The most precious aspect of my work is the change you can make in your students’ life by opening their horizons and helping them achieve their potential.
I am also very proud of the development of Aston’s University-Wide Language Programme over the last five years under my leadership. When I took over in 2007, we had about 100 students mainly from the languages and Social sciences and Business schools. Thanks to lobbying throughout the institution and with the support of senior colleagues, the programme has steadily grown and this academic year, Aston University has introduced ‘Languages for All’ that offers all incoming students the opportunity to study a language for free. We have processed more than one thousand applications…

6. What is your favourite book, music or film?

For books, it would need to be the Bible for its spiritual and cultural impact, Uncle Tom’s Cabin for making me cry most and Harry Potter for restoring that inability to put down a book that studying literature at university had killed.
For music, it would be 80s French music that reminds me of my teenage years.
As for films, it would go from Schindler’s List to 70s French comedy films (reminders of childhood, special mention to La grande vadrouille - I must have seen it a dozen times)… and anything with Hugh Grant in it. I moved to England because I thought all English men looked like him! ;-)

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

Well, in the first instance, I would like to have leisure time. With a very busy job and a toddler full of beans, it does not tend to happen very often. I enjoy reading, cooking and crafts. I wish I had time to learn to sew and to play the piano. Those will be on my things to do during my retirement, if of course people ever retire at that time!

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

Research-wise, it would be to complete the draft of a book on the French past historic I have been thinking about writing for years during my sabbatical in teaching period 2.
On the home-front, to find a new house as we have sold ours but have nowhere to go yet. If you know of any nice bridges we could sleep under…

October 2012: postgraduate researcher Klaus Thiele, project coordinator for the GeWiss project, whose PhD project concerns “Metaphors in spoken academic discourse”.

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

I went to school in Hückelhoven, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. I studied German and English at University of Mannheim, Germany, and obtained a Magister (equivalent to Master’s) for German and English as well as the first part of a teacher’s degree there (1. Staatsexamen).

2. How did you become interested in language education?

I wanted to teach languages because I experienced learning them and speaking in different languages to be the most fun, exciting and easiest thing to do in contrast to other interests I had (e.g. science and engineering). I also quickly realised that language is at the core of everything, even mathematics. In high school, I saw that some of my fellow students, who were better in mathematics than me, had difficulties verbalising the Pythagorean theorem, which was easier for me, as was everything that involved verbalising things. When I made the mistake of telling my classmates that this was even fun, I was considered “totally crazy”  and thought that I might be brave and crazy enough not only to learn more languages, but to get involved with teaching.

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

I have taught English and German in Germany and German in the UK.

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

That my PhD topic “Metaphors in Spoken Academic Discourse in English and German” is highly theoretical and requires a ‘mini-talk’ to explain it while it at the same time practically and permanently affects everybody on a daily basis, inside and outside academic settings. This also applies to teaching, but this is an aspect that can be pursued after I finished my PhD research.

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

I'm most proud of an aspect of my research that doesn't exist yet, namely that metaphor is an aspect that can either cause problems or help learners of a language and that I am trying to tackle one of most complicated, widely researched aspects of teaching. At the same time, the research on metaphor and teaching is still in its infancy and I am happy that my PhD thesis can also be seen as a contribution into this direction.

6. What is your favourite book, music or film?

Book: Ian Fleming’s “James Bond” e.g. “Live and Let Die” (and many others)
Film: "Demolition Man"
Music: Röyksopp - So Easy, Gals and Pals - Blue on Blue, Beatles, Abba, David Guetta, Lady Gaga.

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

Playing football, swimming, yoga.

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

Graduate from my PhD and produce publications.

September 2012: Dr Fiona Copland, Senior Lecturer in TESOL, and MSc TESOL Programmes Director who was awarded a prestigious HEA National Teaching Fellowship this summer.

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Lichfield, just north of Birmingham, and went to a comprehensive school in Aldridge.  I then got a place at Manchester University to do a BA (Hons) in Drama, which I loved. Immediately after, I did a PG Diploma in Arts Administration. 

2. How did you become interested in language education?

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

I have taught English in Nigeria (VSO), Portugal, Hong Kong, Japan and England.

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

I am basically quite a nosey person: I like to know what people are doing and to work out their reasons for acting in particular ways.  Ethnographic research allows me to indulge my natural inclinations!  I also really enjoy analysing talk as so much is revealed in what people say (and don't say!).

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

A difficult question.  Probably my PhD research, which is on talk in teacher training feedback conferences, as I did it while working full-time and so I was under a lot of pressure(if you want to find out more, here is a link to an article I wrote called Legitimate Talk for Applied Linguistics:

http://applij.oxfordjournals.org/search?fulltext=Copland&submit=yes

6. What is your favourite book, music or film?

I love Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright and The Dixie Chicks (music), Local Hero and Guys and Dolls (films), The Poisonwood Bible, Life of Pi, Wolf Hall, and The Three Musketeers (books).

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

Reading, gardening and going to the theatre and to concerts.  I also like travelling.

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year

In my role as 'Reseach Enhancer' for English, I would like to help our group to submit a strong application to the Research Exercise Framework.

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in the Midwest region of the United States, a few hours north of Chicago. I attended Lawrence University, a small private liberal arts school, in Appleton, Wisconsin, where I majored in English literature with an emphasis in education. In 2009, I earned an MA TEFL/TESL with Distinction from the University of Birmingham, and now I’m studying on the Ph D in Applied Linguistics distance learning course through Aston’s School of Languages and Social Sciences.

2. How did you become interested in language education?

I studied Spanish as an L2 in high school and college, but at that time, my main interests were literary expression and analysis. I preferred reading, writing about, and discussing literature to learning an L2. Then I took a multi-cultural education course in university. Part of the course involved volunteering in local ESL classrooms. That’s where I got my first experience with ESL education. I worked mostly with Hmong and Hispanic students. From that point, I became very interested in how language abilities in both L1 and L2 develop. I’ve also taught language and communication skills to autistic children. That experience raised my awareness of barriers to communication and how they can be overcome.

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

Japan and the US.

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

My research centers on L2 listening classroom pedagogy. It’s amazing to me how often we use the skill of listening and how little we know about it. I’m very interested in how listening abilities develop and how biology, cognitive psychology, linguistic knowledge, and life experience interact so that we can comprehend incoming input. Trying to piece these elements together to help advance L2 listening instruction is fascinating. I also really enjoy reading the work of other researchers and making connections between various perspectives and locating points where ideas may overlap or diverge.

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

My hope is that I can contribute to the underdeveloped area of L2 listening pedagogy in a way that positively and practically affects the broader language learning and teaching community. My project with Aston focuses on advancing L2 listening pedagogy specifically through listening strategy instruction. I want to not only describe the effects of listening strategy instruction but also to develop a systematic approach to the teaching of listening that can benefit other language educators and their students.

6. What is your favorite book, music, or film?

Since I majored in English literature as an undergrad, I love reading. My two favorites are The Count of Monte Cristo (Edmond Dantes hatches an incredibly elaborate plan) and Animal Farm (important themes expressed through colorful, memorable characters).

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

I enjoy exercising, watching sports, reading, and traveling with my family and friends.

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

I’m beginning to write my final thesis, so keeping up with my writing plan will be a major goal for the next 18 months. I’m also involved in a project funded by the Japanese government to describe the current state of listening instruction at the tertiary level in Japan, so I look forward to better understanding what happens in typical listening lessons and to collaborating with various colleagues on the project.

July 2012: Dr Nur Kurtoglu-Hooton, Lecturer in English and Programme Director, MA in TESOL Studies.

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up initially in Ankara, Turkey, where I was born and where I spent my primary school years, then in Tel Aviv, Israel, where I attended a multi-cultural Scottish school, and where I took private tuition to learn English. My teacher was an Indian teacher of English.

2. How did you become interested in language education?

Soon after I finished my BA degree in English Language and Literature at Hacettepe University in Ankara I had the opportunity to live in Brussels where I learned advanced level French. I had taken a year's language teacher training course as part of my BA degree, and realised that while attending the French classes in Brussels I was wearing two hats as it were: being a language student; and a student teacher observing an experienced teacher. I found myself keeping notes of what the teacher was doing, what we learners had to do and how I felt about the activities. This motivated me immensely in becoming an English language teacher soon after my return to Turkey. Years later I won a scholarship to do the MSc in TESOL as a distance learning student with Aston University. This course paved the way for me to become a teacher trainer on the DOTE course (DIploma for Overseas Teachers of English) which I myself had already completed. Teaching experienced teachers on the DOTE programme, and also mentoring some new teachers joining the institution where I worked, were all very rewarding experiences for me for I soon realised that learning was not a one-way process but that I learnt from the other teachers too.

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

In Turkey, and in the UK.

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

The excitement of puzzling over data, the wow moments, sharing my findings in the form of conference papers or journal articles.

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

I feel happy to have completed my PhD - I did it part time. It was tough as there was often little time left to work on it given my full-time commitments at work, not to mention family commitments, too. The amazing thing, though, is that I never gave up hope and enjoyed every aspect of the PhD research - the supervision sessions, the literature review, the data collection. the data analysis, and even the write-up!

6. What is your favourite book, music or film?

Can I answer a slightly different question and share my favourite author, musician, composer, and film director?

Author: Haruki Murakami

Musician: Carlos Santana

Composer: Rachmaninov

Film director: Wim Wenders

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

listening to music, going for a steady paced run, and travelling whenever there's an opportunity.

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

I'm looking forward to working in conjunction with some secondary schools in the West Midlands area as part of the British Academy funded project I am involved in (with Professor Anne Burns), to investigate practitioner action research (AR) as a means for improvement and transformation of professional classroom practice in modern foreign language teaching. This is a two-year project and is a follow-up to a previous AR initiative.

May 2012: postgraduate researcher Elisabeth Wielander who was awarded a CLERA PhD Scholarship in 2011

1. Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up on a dairy farm in Northern Austria and went to a local 'Gymnasium' (grammar school equivalent) where I did my A-levels ('Matura') in Maths, German, English, Russian and Latin.

2. How did you become interested in language education?

I initially trained as a translator and have a Masters' degree in Translation Studies from the University of Graz. Towards the end of my degree programme I went to the University of Oklahoma for a year to teach German as a Fulbright Language Assistant. I have to admit I only really applied to the programme to spend a year in the US, but once I got there and started teaching, I fell in love with language teaching and it turned out that I was quite good at it :) When I returned to Austria, I finished my Masters and enrolled in a PG certification programme to teach German as a Foreign Language.

3. In which countries have you taught language(s)?

I've taught German in the US and in the UK.

4. What fascinates you most about your research?

I came to Aston University as Austrian Lektorin (the equivalent of the German DAAD Lecturer) and taught German language and subjects such as German history, area studies, film studies, Austrian Cultural History, etc. for four years. I soon learned that Aston is one of very few UK universities where all content modules are taught in the target language. This surprised me because I was used to content being taught in the respective L2 as par for the course when I studied English and Russian during my Translation Studies programme. Therefore, I wanted to find out what sets Aston apart from other UK universities in their dedication to L2 subject teaching, and I wanted to investigate how CLIL is experienced by both students and staff.

5. What aspect of your work are you most proud of?

Maybe the fact that I am investigating a topic which has seen very little research interest in the UK so far (CLIL in Higher Education). As for my teaching, I think I'm most proud of the fact that I seem to be able to build very good rapport with my students and that I have an innovative and multi-facetted approach to materials development which combines authentic materials with multi-media and blended learning.

6. What is your favourite book, music or film?

The most difficult question so far, because it changes constantly, and there are too many to name. Can I do this 'Desert Island Discs' style? If so, my three nominees for each category are:
Books: George R. Martin, 'A Song of Ice and Fire', Randy Shilts: 'And the Band Played On', Kate Griffin: 'A Madness of Angels' (and its sequels)
Music: Georg Friedrich Händel, Jordi Savall, Scissor Sisters
Film: Tous les Matins du Monde, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Bringing Up Baby

7. What do you like to do most in your leisure time?

Read, watch movies, travel

8. What is the thing you would most like to achieve in the next year?

I want to get my dissertation in shape so that I can submit sometime next spring/summer.