I worked as a translator and social worker before starting to teach German, English and women’s self-defence. My connection with Aston goes back to 1987 when I did the very first Certificate in TEFL course run by the then Language Studies Unit. The following year I started teaching on EAP courses, and went from there to get involved with the expansion of EAP/ESP short course provision, as well as distance learning and on-campus teacher training courses.
Teaching
- MSc in TESOL (Methodology)
- MA in TESOL Studies - Teaching in Practice
- Course Director for the Certificate in Advanced Studies in ELT (distance learning for experienced teachers)
- Analysis of Spoken Discourse on undergraduate courses
- Academic Language Skills
- PhD supervision
Qualifications
- B. Soc.Sc. Birmingham University
- Dip. TFLA Edinburgh University
- Institute of Linguists Diploma (German)
- MSc in TESOL Aston University
- IELTS examiner
- PhD Applied Linguistics (Aston University)
Research/ academic interests:
- Language teaching methodology
- Teacher education
- Teaching speaking skills
- Classroom interaction
- Analysis of discourse
- Member of BAAL and IATEFL
Publications and conference presentations
It’s good to talk. Featured presenter at KOTESOL International Conference, Seoul, 2011
- How’s it going? Conversational competence in intercultural encounters, TESOL Spain 2010
- Task-based learning and teaching: opportunities and challenges. Plenary talk ELT conference, Cuba 2010
- Pair work – talking in turn or turn-taking? in Pulverness, A (2004) 2003 Brighton Conference Selections
- Presentations on same topic at IATEFL 2003 and TESOL Spain 2005
- Conversational mentoring in distance learning ( with N. Hooton) in Gollin J, Ferguson G and Trappes-Lomax, H (2003) Symposium for Language Teacher Educators IALS, University of Edinburgh
- Reflections on the relevance and outcomes of a Communication Skills course for 1st year undergraduates University of Luton : Symposium on Academic Communication Skills 2004
- Responses to feedback in a distance learning context TESOL Greece 2006
- 'But anyway...' Topic management in native-speaker/non-native-speaker conversations China: 5th International Conference on ELT in China 2007
- Dealing with misunderstandings: lessons from native-speaker/non-native-speaker conversations Japan: JALT 2007
- Going outside the classroom in Garton, S. & Richards, K. (eds.) 2008
- Professional Encounters in TESOL: Discourses of Teachers in Teaching Palgrave Macmillan