Dr Kirsten Lawson

Teaching Fellow (English for Academic Purposes)

Biography

Background

I am a Teaching Fellow of  English for Academic Purposes. I  teach on a range of undergraduate, PGT and PGR courses focusing on Academic Language and Literacies, as well as individual Graduate Writing Centre tutorials.

I am Course Organiser of English for Arts and Humanities, our discipline specific pre-sessional course for students progressing to taught Masters programmes at the College of Arts and Humanities.  I am also Course Organiser for our embedded Academic Language and Literacies courses (both UG and PG) for Design and for the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Prior to joining English Language Education at the University of Edinburgh, I lived and worked in Italy where I completed my PhD in Linguistics at the University of Milan. I taught English for Academic Purposes in Italy and also lectured English Language, Linguistics and Historical Linguistics on UG courses.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Linguistic, Literary and Intercultural Studies in European and Extra-European Perspectives  - 3 year fully funded scholarship. (University of Milan, 2018)
  • Masters Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (University of Sunderland, 2012, awarded with distinction)
  • Diploma in TEFL (1998)
  • Bachelors Degree in French and Education,  Dip. Ed (University of Stirling, 1995)

Responsibilities & affiliations

  • Course Organiser English for Arts and Humanities (Pre-sessional)
  • Course Organiser for Academic Language  and Literacies (ALL) for Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture (ESALA) UG
  • Course Organiser for Academic Language and Literacies (ALL) for Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture (ESALA)  PG
  • Course Organiser for Academic Language and Literacies (ALL) for the School of Design UG
  • Course Organiser for Academic Language and Literacies (ALL) for the School of Design PG
  • Member of COL Board of Studies
  • Member of COL ELE Research Publications group

Undergraduate teaching

  • Academic English for Visiting Students (AEVS) 1
  • Academic English for Visiting Students (AEVS) 2
  • Foundation English for Academic Purposes 1 Plus  
  • Academic Language and Literacies for In-sessional Study (ALLIS) Academic Writing for In-sessional Study
  • Academic Language and Literacies for In-sessional Study (ALLIS) Seminar Discussion Skills
  • Academic Language and Literacies (ALL) for the School of Design UG
  • Academic Language  and Literacies (ALL) for Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture (ESALA) UG

Postgraduate teaching

  • Academic Language and Literacies for In-sessional Study (ALLIS) Writing your PhD: Qualitative Research 
  • Academic Language and Literacies for In-sessional Study (ALLIS) Writing your PhD:  Reviewing the Literature
  • Academic Language and Literacies for In-sessional Study (ALLIS) Writing your PhD First Year Report
  • Academic Language and Literacies for In-sessional Study (ALLIS) Academic Writing for In-sessional Study
  • Academic Language and Literacies for In-sessional Study (ALLIS) Seminar Discussion Skills
  • Graduate Writing Centre tutorials
  • Academic Language and Literacies (ALL) for Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture (ESALA)  PG
  • Academic Language and Literacies (ALL) for the School of Design PG
  • Academic Language and Literacies (ALL) for History, Classics and Archaeology (HCA)
  • Dissertation Writing for Moray House School of Education and Sport 

Participant

  • Norwegian Forum for English For Academic Purposes Conference: Tackling the Unforeseen in EAP. Oslo Metropolitan University, 11-13 June 2025.

  • Speaking Out: Tackling Accent Bias at an Elite University. University of Edinburgh, 4th April 2025.

  • Alliance of Working Class Academics in conjuction with The Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit (SPIRU): Poverty, Class and Education. Glasgow Caledonian University, 14th June 2024. 

  • BAS Event:  EAP outside the box: Unpacking context(s) in the BALEAP accreditation scheme. University of Manchester, 11th May 2024.

  • BAS Event: Constructive (re)alignment and creative (mis)alignment: Working with the BALEAP accreditation scheme criteria. University of the Arts London, 13th May 2023.
  • BALEAP PIM: EAP and Intercultural Communication. University of Leeds, 17th June 2022.
  • University of Edinburgh Learning and Teaching Conference 2022: Shaping Our Futures. University of Edinburgh, 14th-16th June 2022.

Papers delivered

Lawson, K. (2025) 'Harnessing Serendipity: Reframing AI Literacies in EAP'. Presented at the Norwegian Forum for English For Academic Purposes Conference (Oslo), 11-13 June 2025.

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