Deborah Carpenter
BA (Philosophy), MA TESOL, CELTA, DELTA
Senior Lecturer and University English Subject Coordinator
Oxford Brookes Business School
Role
As the Subject Coordinator of University English, a role which I share with another colleague, we are responsible for both the longer-term planning and day-to-day running of the programme. The programme runs over three semesters with our busiest semester in the summer. We work with tutors on the programme to ensure that all students are reaching their full potential and iron out any issues that may arise. I also module lead and teach on a number of modules across the academic year and am the academic adviser to around twenty-five students every year.
Teaching and supervision
Courses
Modules taught
- Academic Language Development
- Research
- Advanced English Language and Communication Skills 1
- Advanced English Language and Communication Skills 2
Research
My previous research has focused on the psychological issues international students face when studying in the UK. I worked on a collaborative project with a Student Support Coordinator entitled: ‘International Students and Mental Health: What does Culture Shock encompass?’ and we presented our paper at the Brookes Teaching and Learning Conference. We also led a seminar on this issue which was organised by OSMHN (Oxford Student Mental Health Network).
I was also involved in a longitudinal research project looking into the effectiveness of pre-sessional programmes for preparing students for their future academic courses. The results of this were presented at the Brookes Teaching and Learning Conference in 2019.
I am especially interested in the development of lifelong skills through classroom materials, teaching methodology and feedback.