Page 7 - ELG2304 Apr Issue 484

NEWS
Secret of Nottingham Success

The University of Nottingham
excels in all the ELT metrics: It
features in the QS international
rankings for both Linguistics and
Education as it does in the UK’s PHOTO NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY
Research Excellence Framework.
It also did well in the Teaching
Excellence Framework. The
MA TESOL is in the School of
Education alongside the Centre
for English Language Education,
which is an EL Gazette Centre of
Excellence.
We asked Paul Knight, who
heads up the MA TESOL
what makes Nottingham
different?
I originally joined the University
of Nottingham as part of the
team establishing our campus
in Ningbo, China and the
international perspective of the
university was something that
really struck me, it has a huge
impact on our TESOL provision.
We have a campus in Semenyih,
near Lumpur, Malaysia as well.
Our MA TESOL is offered
at each of our campuses and
globally online. I think this global
perspective is a key element in our on language education. The methodology on the other. We feel their subsequent practice is one of
success. Our team here in the UK organisation of Nottingham’s that this gives a strong foundation the great rewards of my job!
is international in its make up, provision reflects that, and we for students to build on when they
and that also provides a welcome consciously aim our MA TESOL, choose their own, more specialised, We asked Paul if he had
global perspective on our work. and our MA in Teaching Chinese electives. Interestingly, data we three wishes what would
I think that with practitioner- to Speakers of Other Languages, have recently collected to help us they be and why?
focussed courses like ours, it is at language teachers who seek ensure our programmes meet our I think one word cover it: impact!
important that those delivering the to further their careers. This is students’ needs reveals that both We like to think that through our
courses have an understanding of reflected in our offering a pair of alumni and employers agree that work on the course and through
the different professional contexts core modules that every student this is good choice. our research that we have a real-
our students come from, and at must take, which we feel provide world impact and improve foreign
Nottingham we have that. TESOL the foundation every student Nottingham offers a range language learning globally by
staff at each of our campuses liaise needs. These are focused on of options of professional producing the next generation of
to ensure that course content not methodology and curriculum, areas. Why do they feel that ELT professionals. And personally,
only reflects the latest theoretical and understanding language professional focus, rather than, I’d like to feel that my work has
developments but relates to the learning and the language learner. say, theory is so important? contributed to this. So, having a
teaching contexts of our students. After the core modules we We certainly don’t ignore theory; bigger impact would be my wish!
We even have a number of global offer specialist electives, covering all our modules establish a
routes that can allow cross-campus areas like Assessment, or Young strong theoretical foundation, Paul Knight
and combined face-to-face and Learners, that students can choose but we know that our students works at the
online study towards an MA. to match their own professional are professionals who will need University of
interests. Teaching young learners to apply what they learn with us Nottingham,
Nottingham is also quite has been increasingly popular, and in their professional contexts. UK, where he is
different in the way it since Covid, interest in technology Making the link between theory Course Leader
differentiates between its and language education has and real-world educational for the MA TESOL. Prior to
MA TESOL and its MA in increased a lot. contexts is our aim, and students this, he worked at the University
Applied Linguistics, as Paul When designing the programme, are always encouraged to consider of Nottingham’s Ningbo, China
explains. we felt that every graduate needed the relevance of what they are campus, where he led and helped
We realise that students come a solid grounding in how we believe studying to their own contexts. establish the Centre for English
to study with us for a variety of languages are learnt and how we Will this work for me? Does Language Education. He has
reasons and with a variety of believe they should be taught, so this match my experience? Are also worked at the UK’s Open
planned career paths. While we designed these modules to look the two questions we always University, where he helped
some are drawn out of a general at areas of psycholinguistics and encourage students to ask. launch their first online MA
interest in applied linguistics, SLA on the one hand, and the Hearing from our alumni about TESOL.
others have a very clear focus development of language teaching how their studies have enhanced
editorial@elgazette.com 7