Sarah Lister
Senior Lecturer (Primary)
My profile
Biography
I teach predominantly on the primary postgraduate and undergraduate programmes and am the lead practitioner for primary languages, responsible for programme content and delivery.
My research, academic enterprise interests include motivation and attitudes towards language learning and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). I have been actively involved in the EU funded TELLP project (Technologically Enhanced Language Learning Pedagogy), the TDA funded School Linking Project and Integrated Language Learning project. In June 2010 I successfully secured external funding from Linked Up, a branch of the Association for Language Learning (ALL) to lead a European CLIL project. The focus of the research project was to examine the impact of CLIL on pupils’ attitudes and motivation. The final project report, resources and planning documentation are accessible on the Linked-Up website. In September 2010 I began studying for an Ed Doc.
In 2015 I secured funding to embark on a first Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) for the Faculty of Education. This exciting research project focused on developing innovative and software-based multimedia teaching and learning resources to teach aspects of the primary Mathematics curriculum through French. This was a collaborative project working with a Mathematics colleague and a commercial software company, Cyber Coach. The project explored the synergies between Mathematics and MFL (Modern Foreign Languages) and how CLIL can be used as an effective pedagogical tool to enhance linguistic and cognitive development in both Mathematics and MFL. The project ran for two years.
In July 2018 we successfully secured funding for an Erasmus+ project that will involve working with some new European Strategic partners and our commercial partner, Cybercoach to develop game-based resources aimed at developing learners’ mathematical competence, digital literacy skills and second language development. The project will run for 33 months and is targeting secondary schools, teachers and students.
Personal website address
Teaching
Why do I teach?
My love and enthusiasm for languages and the opportunities that speaking another language can present for those I teach and have taught over the years. To want to make a difference and to demonstrate that language learning can be fun, rewarding and to inspire a love for learning languages in others.
How I’ll teach you
Innovative, fun and engaging ways to explore how to effectively plan and teach languages across both primary and secondary phases. We’ll also look at some of the theories underpinning our practice and how to boost confidence and competence. You will learn that it is not how much language you know but how you use what you do know! It is all about a ‘can do’ attitude and approach.