Dr Nicholas Bremner
Lecturer in Language Education
N.Bremner@exeter.ac.uk
4790
+44 (0) 1392 724790
Baring Court BC108
Baring Court, University of Exeter St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
Overview
I am Lecturer in Language Education and Programme Director for the MEd TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).
I am originally from Newcastle in the North-East of England, but have subsequently lived in Mexico and Colombia. Before moving to the University of Exeter, I led the MA TESOL programme at Bath Spa University, and I have also worked on the MA TESOL at the University of Southampton.
I find it extremely rewarding to work with English language teachers and to help them grow, both professionally and personally. I am very fortunate to have the chance to work with a wide range of teachers from different backgrounds, who enrich my understanding of how English is taught around the world. I have particular experience teaching students from China, but I have also worked with students from many other countries, such as the UK, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
My research focuses on the implementation of new teaching approaches, and in particular the introduction of more 'learner-centred' approaches to language learning. As an MEd student at the University of Exeter, you'll be part of an ongoing exploration into the challenges of teaching learners. You'll be invited to critically reflect about how different teaching and learning approaches might be implemented in your own classrooms.
I'm a dedicated teacher who is passionate about the TESOL field. I'm an approachable person who places a great deal of emphasis on the human side of teaching. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly at n.bremner@exeter.ac.uk.
Qualifications
- PhD in Education - University of Leeds
- MA Applied Translation Studies - University of Leeds
- BA Spanish - University of Leeds
- Cambridge Diploma in English Language Teaching (DELTA) - British Study Centres, Oxford
- PGCHE (Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education) - Bath Spa University
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- DELE Spanish Level Certification - C2 Level
Research group links
Research
Research interests
I’m interested in research which might help us address some of the challenges of teaching English around the world, especially in low- to middle-income countries.
My research looks at both:
- What might need to change (e.g. the introduction of new teaching approaches such as 'learner-centred' language learning), but arguably more importantly,
- How educational changes might be implemented within diverse contexts.
This has led me to focus on topics such as:
- Exploring the definition of 'learner-centred' education and its relationship with 'learning-centred' education
- Developing more contextually appropriate (post-method) forms of language teacher education
- Understanding the relationships between people’s beliefs and their practices
- Experimenting with the life history / timeline methodology, both for research and as a form of teacher professional development.
I would be particularly interested in collaboration, and/or supervising doctoral students, in the following areas:
- Educational change management, especially the implementation of new teaching approaches (communicative language teaching, learner-centred education, learning-centred education, flipped learning, etc.)
- Students’ perceptions of different teaching approaches and ways of supporting learners during educational changes ('learner training')
- Language teacher education (e.g. post-method teacher training, innovative forms of reflective practice)
- Teacher beliefs and relationships to practices
- Teacher emotions during educational changes
- Critiques of the 'English for All' and/or 'younger = better' assumption.
Please feel free to email me at n.bremner@exeter.ac.uk if you are interested in collaborating with me on a research project, or are thinking of studying for a PhD. I'm especially interested in hearing from you if you have research interests in Latin America.
Publications
Books
Journal articles
Conferences
External Engagement and Impact
Editorial responsibilities
Co-Editor of The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language (TESL-EJ)
Teaching
I am currently module leader for the following modules:EFPM 267: Language Awareness for TESOL
EFPM 280: Developing Practical Knowledge for TESOL Teaching
EFPM 329: Preparing for TESOL Inquiry and Dissertation
I also teach on the following modules:
EFPM 268: Developing an Appropriate Language Teaching Methodology
EFPM 313: Issues in English Language Teaching
In addition, I supervise a number of MEd TESOL dissertations each year.
Modules
2023/24
- EFPM280 - Developing Practical Knowledge for TESOL Teaching
- EFPM313 - Issues in English Language Teaching
- EFPM329 - Preparing for TESOL Inquiry and Dissertation
Supervision / Group
Postgraduate researchers
- Fatima Al Zadjali
- Ohud Alderaan
- Rasha Aloufi
- Mingyan Gao
- Mustafa Kileci
- Zhiyuan Ma
- Wesal Maash
- Silvia Mustaklem
- Amna F Hassan Salem
- Rui Shu
- Nelressa Stallings
- Elsa Urmston