Professional Background

I have worked in education since 1992, starting out as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language. From 1992 until 2007, I taught English in Istanbul, Madrid and then London; during this time I developed an interest in computer-assisted language learning (CALL), which led to my completing a Master’s in Educational Technology, at the University of Manchester, in 2006. From 2007 until 2024, I worked in multimedia language education at Queen Mary University of London, providing support for computer-assisted language learning in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film. My roles and responsibilities included guiding and developing the use of technologies for language learning, ensuring that the computer facilities and applications were fully functional, providing training and support for language teachers and learners, and developing and teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in multimedia language learning (see below).

University courses taught

Undergraduate

  • SML209: Computers and Languages.
  • COM6002: Constellations Online Anthology Group Project.
  • EAL6011: Languages in the Classroom.

Postgraduate

  • EAL7208: Multimedia Materials’ Development.
  • EAL7209: Teaching English in Professional and Academic Settings.

Qualifications

  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • M.Ed., Educational Technology and English Language Teaching. University of Manchester. 2006.
  • LCCI Certificate, Teaching English for Business. 2002.
  • RSA Diploma, Teaching English as a Foreign Language. 1997.
  • RSA Certificate, Teaching English as a Foreign Language. 1992.
  • B.A.(Hons), English Literature. University of Exeter. 1988.

Skills

  • Teaching:
    • English language
    • multimedia
    • educational technology
  • Scripting:
    • HTML
    • CSS
    • JavaScript
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • LiveCode
  • General computing:
    • Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, Elementary),
    • Windows (XP, 7, 8, 10),
    • Mac OS X

Professional Interests

I’m interested in all aspects of educational technology, including:

  • Multimedia computer assisted language learning
  • Computer mediated communication
  • Distance education
  • Web-based learning
  • Interactions between technology and pedagogy
  • Philosophy of technology
  • AI, particularly Large Language Models

One of my central interests is in approaches to digital materials’ creation, using scripting languages and authoring platforms.