Â鶹¾«Ñ¡

• Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡, 2001.
• PhD English Language Teaching, Thames Valley University, 1998. Title: Individual differences in second language learning: towards an identification of the strategy preferences and language learning strengths of L2 students with holistic and/or imager cognitive styles. Supervisor: Professor Peter Skehan.
• MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching, University of East Anglia, 1993.
• BA (Hons) European Studies (majoring in French and Economics with a mathematics subsidiary), University of Bradford, 1989.

I have been working at the University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ since 1999. Before that, I taught and lectured in Spain, Japan and Belgium.

I teach on both the campus-based and the distance MA programmes in TEFL and Applied Linguistics as well as the BA Single Honours and Joint Honours programmes in English Language. I teach on and/or convene modules in Language Teaching Methodology, Second Language Acquisition, Lexis, Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, Cognitive Linguistics, Pedagogic Grammar, Psycholinguistics and Teacher Training. 

I have a lively group of PhD students working on metaphor, metonymy and second language learning. I am interested in supervising MA and PhD research in the areas of:

Teaching and learning figurative language
Language learning and cognitive linguistics
Analyzing figurative language

Find out more - our PhD English Language and Applied Linguistics  page has information about doctoral research at the University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡.

My research interests lie in the area of figurative language and thought. I am currently working on the relationship between emotion, empathy, metaphor and creativity.

Research groups

• I am a founder member of theÌýInternational Association, Researching and Applying Metaphor
• I am also a member of the Applied Linguistics and SLAÌýresearch group, the Cognitive Linguistics and PsycholinguisticsÌýresearch group, and theÌýIconicity and Figurative LanguageÌýresearch group

External research grants and awards received

• Dates:ÌýSep 2016 - Sep 2018
  Title of Project:ÌýDeath before Birth: Understanding, informing and supporting the choices made by people who have experienced miscarriage, termination, and stillbirthÌý(Project Reference: ES/N008359/1)
  Funding Body:ÌýESRC
  Amount:Ìý£537,225
  My role:ÌýCo-Investigator
• Dates:ÌýOct 2015 - Oct 2017
  Title of Project:ÌýExploring Multimodal Metaphor in AdvertisingÌý(Project Reference: 659078)
  Funding Body:ÌýEuropean Union (Marie Curie Fellowship Scheme)
  Amount:Ìý€183,455
  My role:ÌýPrincipal-Investigator (Research Fellow: Dr Paula Sobrino-Perez)
• Dates:ÌýJan 2012-Dec 2014
  Title of Project:ÌýMetaphor use in one-to-one academicÌýconsultations in English: Implications for Spanish student mobility in Europe (FFI2011-22809)
  Funding Body:ÌýSpanish Ministry of Economy andÌýCompetitiveness
  Amount:Ìý€50,820
  My role:ÌýCo-Investigator
• Dates:ÌýMay 2014 - Apr 2016
  Title of Project:ÌýMetaphor: From Embodied Cognition to Discourse
  Funding Body:ÌýThyssen Foundation (Germany)
  Amount:Ìý€10,000
  My role:ÌýCo-Investigator
• Dates:ÌýOct 2014-Sep 2017
  Title of Project:ÌýCognitive modeling and meaning construction across languages: Theory, implications, and applications (FFI2013-43593-P)
  Funding Body:ÌýSpanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness
  Amount:Ìý€73,000
  My role:ÌýCo-Investigator
• Dates:ÌýAug 2010-Jul 2011
  Title of Project:ÌýVerbal and gestural metaphor in cross-cultural communication
  Funding Body:ÌýThe British Council
  Amount:Ìý£2,820
  My role:ÌýPrincipal Investigator
• Dates:ÌýApr 2010-Mar 2011
  Title of Project:ÌýInvestigating figurative proficiency at different levels of second language writing
  Funding Body:ÌýCambridge ESOL
  Amount:Ìý£5,000
  My role:ÌýPrincipal Investigator
• Dates:ÌýJan-Dec 2006
  Title of Project:ÌýThe Development of Creativity in Japanese Learners of English
  Funding Body:ÌýJapanese DAIWA Foundation
  Amount:Ìý£1,200
  My role:ÌýPrincipal Investigator
• Dates:ÌýAug 2000 - Feb 2003
  Title of Project:ÌýNew Technologies and Language Learning: Pedagogical Approaches and Practical Applications (Project Number: 56563-CP-1-98-1-IE-LINGUA-LA)
  Funding Body:ÌýThe European Union
  Amount:Ìý€146,000
  My role:ÌýCo-Investigator
• Dates:ÌýJan 1997 - Jul 1999
  Title of Project:ÌýEuropean Language Council Thematic Network Project in the area of Languages: (Project 25917-CP-2-97-1-DE-ERASMUS-ETN)
  Funding Body:ÌýThe European Union
  Amount:Ìý€6,030,000
  My role:ÌýCo-Investigator

I am involved in a number of national and international research projects, investigating the use of verbal and gestural metaphor in cross-cultural communication and the development of figurative proficiency at different levels of second language writing.