Responsibilities

Jessica is currently involved in a range of programmes within the Department of Languages, Information and Communications.

At postgraduate level, Jessica works as a lecturer on the MA TEFL on the following modules:
- joint unit leader Technology in Language Teaching
- guest lecturer Film Pedagogy
- delivery of pedagogical grammar workshops on unit Principles of Language and Linguistics

She offers teacher training and teacher development as part of MMU’s SUMAN course as well as CPD sessions on the use of media in the classroom for the Film in Language Teaching Association (www.filta.org.uk). Workshops include:
- Using Shortfilm in the Communicative Classroom
- Bringing YouTube into the Classroom
- Creative Subtitling
- Visual Materials Design
- Using the iPad to Support Learning and Teaching

Within the EFL section, Jessica has been teaching on a range of programmes that help international students improve their language and academic skills. These include:
- English Language Services for International Students (ELSIS) (academic support for international students of all levels ranging from foundation year to PhD level)
- General English on the IELTS plus programme (a full-time English language course which prepares students for the IELTS exam)
- English for Academic Purposes (EAP) on the Pre-Sessional English Language course

The second strand of Jessica’s teaching experience is German. She has been part of the German section on the BA Languages Programme, lecturing  German Culture and Society, teaching German Language to second-year students and teaching Essay writing to final year students.

Additionally, Jessica has been involved in outreach/schools liaison activities for North West University Languages Alliance (NWULA), Routes into Languages, Aim Higher and the Department of Languages, Information and Communications at MMU. Events and workshops delivered include:
- Essay Writing for Film on Goodbye, Lenin! (A Level students)
- GCSE Film Workshop
- Subtitling (GCSE, AS and A level)
- Tips for Essay Writing (AS level)
- Taster sessions German (year 7)
- German Judge on the North-West Spelling Bee Competition 2013
- Open Day Q&A sessions

Background

After a career as a print media designer, Jessica re-trained as a teacher of print media design, English language and German literature. She taught English and media design in Germany in vocational school and adult education college before she moved to the UK in 2005 in order to work as a German language assistant in schools in Bolton and Stalybridge. Her work with the languages department at MMU began in October 2006 when she taught at German Sixth Form Days and delivered German taster sessions at NWULA (North West University Language Alliance) events. Since 2009, she has been part of the ESOL/EFL team whilst maintaining her involvement with the German section. In 2010, Jessica became co-founder of the Film in Language Teaching Association (FILTA). Her involvement with FILTA allows her to combine her media design and language teaching skills to develop study guides for the use of short films in class. 

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• (in progress) PhD in Applied Linguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University (estimated completion in 01/2016)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Academic Practice, Manchester Metropolitan University, Distinction
• Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (DELTA) at Manchester Academy of English
• MA (Hons.) Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Manchester Metropolitan University, distinction
• Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), pass A, at Manchester Academy of English
• BA (Hons.) English Literature and German Language, Manchester Metropolitan University, First-Class and David Hand Prize
• Equivalent of BA (Hons.) Teaching EFL, German Literature and Media Design to Adults, University of Wuppertal, Germany
• Media Designer for Print- and Digital Media, trained at Haberkorn Mediendesign, Koblenz, Germany; exam taken at BBSGHS (Berufsbildende Schule für Gesundheit, Haushalt und Soziales), Koblenz, Germany

Research Agenda

Jessica is currently working on her PhD within the field of corpus linguistics, and has been awarded a fully funded research studentship by MMU’s Institute for Humanities and Social Science Research (IHSSR). The topic of her research project is “The Terminology, Lexicography and Phraseology of Tibetan Buddhist English: a corpus approach to Tibetan Buddhist English and its pedagogical implications in the lexical syllabus of EFL in monastic and secular education in Nepal.”

Additionally, Jessica’s background in media design accounts for her keen is interested in film pedagogy and the use of new technology in language teaching. She utilises her research findings by creating materials for the use of film in language teaching.

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Co-founder of Film in Language Teaching Association (FILTA) (www.filta.org.uk) 
• Member of BAAL (British Association of Applied Linguistics)
• Member of AILA (Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée)
• Associate member of the iHSSR (Research Institute for Humanities and Social Science) at MMU.

Publications

Conference presentations

(Upcoming) "Unearthing the Textual Buddha: preliminary findings of a small specialised corpus of Buddhist English", September 2013, 46th Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL), Opening New Lines of Communication in Applied Linguistics, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh.

(Upcoming) "Mining the Buddha: reflections on building a small specialised corpus", May 2013, Digital Transformers Symposium, Manchester Metropolitan University & Sheffield University.

Co-presented by Dr John Rowe, "Corpus Deconstruction: a cross-disciplinary perspective on a corpus of Buddhist English", May 2013, 1st Annual Institute of Humanities and Social Science Research Postgraduate Research Student Symposium, Manchester Metropolitan University.

“Bringing Youtube into the Classroom - Making use of short films in the EFL classroom”, May 2011, IATEFL/NATESOL ESOL SIG Teachers’ Conference.

“The power of ecopoetry: a comparative corpus approach comparing EFL textbooks and ecopoetry”, May 2011, Higher Education Authority/English Subject Centre Conference, Teaching the Green Humanities?, Royal Holloway University of London.

Teacher Development workshops/CPD sessions

(upcoming) Developing ICT Skills for Teaching Humanities workshops: "Video editing and sharing" and "Advanced Design Techniques using Microsoft Publisher," 4th and 11th July 2013, Manchester Metropolitan University.

(upcoming) Film in Language Teaching (FILTA), Routes into Languages and Manchester Metropolitan University, Foreign Language INSET. "Visual Literacy: Using Short Films for Teaching Languages at GCSE and A Level", 3rd July 2013, Manchester Metropolitan University.

Lecture and workshop for CELTA trainees: Using Film in the Language Classroom, 26th April 2013, Manchester Central School of English.

Classroom materials

[available to members of FILTA (www.filta.org.uk)]

-       Study guide on the short film The Black Hole

-       Study guide on the short film Little Brother

-       Study guide on the music video The Gentlemen in Squalor

-       Study guide on the short film Every Good Boy Does Fine