Jo Baumber

Profile

I joined the University of Leeds in 2024 as a Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes, having spent the previous decade working in China. My role involves working at both Leeds and Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, China, as a member of the Joint School.

I am currently nearing completion on a PhD in Applied Linguistics with the University of York. I obtained a master’s in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or Other Language) from the University of Dundee, and I’m also an aluma of the Open University, where I obtained a BA Hons in English Language and World History.

Research interests

My current research interests are in exploring the effects of education policy on the wider community, socio-political factors on education opportunities and outcomes, and phenomenological differences between teachers in varying contexts. I am also interested in pedagogical ideologies, specifically those of the East and West, and how the differences may affect student experiences in learning. These areas connect to both my PhD and my role as an English for Academic Purposes instructor and inform my teaching practice and approach to working in a transnational education context. 

PUBLICATIONS

Baumber, J. (2025). Investigating the perceived language and teaching proficiency of English language teachers at compulsory education level in China: implications for learners. The Language Scholar. 

Professional memberships

• BALEAP
• BAAL
• BERA
• IATEFL
• TESOL International

Student education

I teach undergraduate engineering students English for Academic Purposes in China, and post-graduate pre-sessional EAP for international students in Leeds.

Research groups and institutes

• Language Centre