Sharing my experience of linking research and practice in language education
Welcome to this webpage, where I share reflections and resources drawn from my research, teaching and doctoral supervision, with the aim of supporting research-informed practice in TESOL and ESP. I hope that novice researcher-practitioners, as well as practitioners interested in applying research to teaching, will find this page a helpful starting point.
Background
Promoting research-informed practice in language education, particularly in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP), has been a central focus of my research, teaching and doctoral supervision. Through my work with novice researchers and doctoral students engaged in practitioner research, I have become increasingly aware of recurring challenges, most notably identifying theories and conceptual frameworks that are useful for addressing pedagogical questions, and developing principled ways of linking research and practice. In my work with practitioners, and in research involving them, I have also found that many are keen to let research inform their teaching and often welcome guidance on where to begin.
Drawing on my experience of conducting and applying research to inform pedagogical practice, I discuss four interrelated themes below. Together, these themes are intended to provide researchers and practitioners who wish to contribute to, and engage with, research-informed practice with a helpful starting point. Although the examples are drawn primarily from my research on ESP and my (co-authored) publications in this field, many of the ideas and approaches discussed here are intended to be relevant to the broader TESOL context.
Themes
- Conceptual underpinnings of ESP
- Research-informed needs analysis and curriculum design
- Using research to inform teaching and materials development
- Knowledge transfer between researchers and practitioners
About me
My profile at the University of St Andrews
