British Council recognition for Stirling student's teaching dissertation

A University of Stirling student has received recognition from the British Council for his Masters dissertation.

Rupert Williams received a special commendation in the prestigious UK-wide British Council Masters Dissertation Award with Best Potential for Impact on English Language Teaching. His project explored the under-researched field of speaking tests for English for academic purposes.

Rupert, who studied Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (Applied Linguistics) at Stirling, said: “I chose to research language testing as it is a prominent issue within language teaching and research. It’s great to be recognised for my dissertation by the British Council – one of the most established organisations in the field.

“I have gone on to work in a variety of interesting roles in both language teaching and testing, so this award will no doubt boost my future prospects even more.”

Positive contribution

Dr. Vander Viana, Lecturer in TESOL and Applied Linguistics at the University of Stirling, who supervised Rupert’s dissertation said: “The British Council’s Masters Dissertation Award is a wonderful initiative that encourages students to make a difference in English language learning and teaching.

“I am delighted that Rupert’s dissertation has received a special commendation. The topic of his Master’s dissertation was innovative, and he has made a positive contribution to practicing and future teachers.

“With growing numbers of international students in the UK, this is a burgeoning area to which Rupert has made a contribution in terms of both research, with his dissertation, and practice by making the test items he developed available.”

Stirling’s MSc in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) provides education for people who wish to teach or improve their knowledge in the teaching of English as a foreign or second language. This is the first time that a Stirling student has received this level of recognition at the awards.

More information about the award can be found on the British Council website.