Dr Simon Webster, SFHEA

Profile

I joined the University in August 2003 after 14 years teaching in a variety of international contexts and at Moray House Institute of Education in Edinburgh. During my time at Leeds, I have contributed to of a range of credit-bearing courses, including those at IFY level, at BA level (BA TESOL), and at MA level (MA Professional Language and Intercultural Studies, MA TESOL, MA TESOL Studies). I have also led a number of pre-sessional and in-sessional ESAP programmes and, for several years, was the director of university-wide in-sessional provision for undergraduate, postgraduate and PGR students.

Since 2017, I have worked in the School of Media managing the academic literacy provision for the School’s taught postgraduate students. In this role, I have overseen the introduction and development of a series of discipline-specific academic initiatives for the School, including a core media academic literacy programme, MA course-embedded academic literacy interventions, academic literacy skills workshops, and an individual academic consultation system. I also co-lead a content-based pre-sessional programme to prepare international students for postgraduate study in the School.

I have acted as an external examiner for several universities, including the University of Leicester, Brunel University, the University of Sheffield and Kings College, London.

Research interests

My scholarship interests include language teacher cognition, ESAP pedagogy, written academic discourse genres, oral academic literacy and learner autonomy. I am currently exploring inclusive pedagogical practices for academic seminars in the internationalised university, together with the role of EAP practitioners in preparing students for these learning contexts.

Qualifications

• SFHEA (Advance HE)
• PhD (Leeds)
• MEd TESOL (Edinburgh)
• PGCE (Cardiff)
• BA (Liverpool)

Research groups and institutes

• Language Centre