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Dr Kay Johnson
Kay is the Programme Leader for the MA in Education with TESOL, is a senior lecturer on the BA TESOL and Linguistics, and also lectures on the MA programme. She previously worked as a senior lecturer on the BA in Education Studies at BGU and continues to contribute to the programme as a guest lecturer. She has many years' experience as a TEFL teacher in the UK and overseas, and has taught EAP pre-sessional courses at the University of Nottingham. Her research background is as a linguistic ethnographer and she conducted fieldwork for her PhD in Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, which is the most linguistically-dense nation in the world. Kay’s research interests span topics within theoretical linguistics, sociolinguistics and applied linguistics, and has most recently worked with education sector partners in Vanuatu to increase their capacity for local language literacy in educational and community contexts. She has taught linguistics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and worked as a Lecturer in Linguistics at the University of Kingston in London (2014-18). Kay gained her BA in French and English from the University of Liverpool and obtained an MA in Language Documentation and Description (2009), and a PhD in Field Linguistics (2014) from SOAS. -
Dr Lianxin (Megan) Li
Dr. Megan Li is a Lecturer in English Language and Teaching with a strong interdisciplinary background in language education and applied linguistics. Her affiliation with Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) began in 2021 as a guest speaker, where she delivered sessions on research methodology to MA students. From 2021 to 2024, she served as an Associate Lecturer in English Language and Teaching, contributing to both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. She has taught across the BA English Language and Teaching and the MA Education with TESOL programmes, with a focus on modules such as First Language Acquisition, Second Language Acquisition, English for Academic Purposes, the psychology of language learning and TESOL in Practice. In addition, she was also appointed as a dissertation supervisor and assessment feedback coordinator for the MA Education programme in 2024 at the University of Sheffield.Dr. Li holds a BA in English Education Studies from China and completed her MA in TESOL with Education at BGU in 2019. She was awarded her PhD in 2025 by the University of Leicester. Her doctoral research examined learner motivation and psychological needs satisfaction in the context of learning languages other than English (LOTE) in Chinese universities, drawing on Self-Determination Theory as a central theoretical framework.Her research interests lie in LOTE teaching and learning, motivation in language education, individual differences in language learning, positive psychology in second language acquisition, and English for Academic Purposes. She is particularly interested in how psychological and cognitive factors influence motivation in language learning in diverse educational contexts. -
Dr. Jessica Vernon
Dr. Jessica Vernon is programme leader of MA Education and iPGCE. Prior to joining BGU Jessica earned her undergraduate degree in TESOL and Linguistics from Manchester Metropolitan University. Alongside her studies she completed her CELTA qualification and gained experience teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and English for Academic Purposes. She has experience teaching English to adults and young learners. In 2018 Jessica joined BGU as a student to complete her MA in Education with TESOL. Following this she returned to BGU as a lecturer in TESOL and Linguistics. Teaching on BA English Language and Teaching, and MA Education with TESOL. Her teaching focused on Language and Communication, Historical Linguistics, TESOL in Practice, Testing and Assessment in Language teaching, and Global English. In addition to this, she held the role of course director for the Trinity CertTESOL award where would guide level 5 students to gain an internationally recognised teaching qualification. Whilst working at BGU Jessica has completed her PhD part time, which was awarded by the University of Leicester in 2024. Thesis entitled, Motivational frameworks in a classroom context: exploring their utility in measuring LOTE learners' motivation. Her academic interests include: Modern foreign language motivation in anglophone countries, the impact of the learning environment and emotions on language learning, and supporting EAL learners.
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