Dr. Panagiota (Penny) Karanasiou (PhD, MA)
Programme Director of the MSc in Language and Intercultural Communication
Contact details
- Email: pkaranas@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Office address:
The University of Edinburgh
Charteris Land 5.06
Moray House School of Education and Sport
Institute of Language Education
Edinburgh, EH8 8AQ - City
- Post code
Background
Dr Penny Karanasiou is the Programme Director of the MSc in Languages and Intercultural Communication at the Institute of Language Education, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh. Her research examines the intersection of language, culture, identity, and communication, with a particular focus on how intercultural encounters shape educational experiences and professional practice in multilingual and multicultural contexts.
She completed her PhD at Heriot-Watt University, where she investigated intercultural communication in business negotiation meetings facilitated by interpreters. Her current research interests include intercultural communicative competence, decolonising language education, language teacher education, language and identity, and Global Englishes. She is particularly interested in developing educational practices that promote linguistic diversity, cultural inclusion, and equitable learning environments.
Penny collaborates with international researchers on projects exploring intercultural learning and language education and contributes to scholarly discussions through publications, conference presentations, and interdisciplinary research networks. Prior to joining academia, she founded and led a successful international translation and intercultural communication company, bringing extensive industry experience to her academic work. This combination of scholarly expertise and professional practice enables her to bridge theory and application while addressing contemporary challenges in language education, intercultural communication, and global mobility.
Qualifications
Ph.D. , Languages & Intercultural Communication | School of Social Sciences, Heriot –Watt University, Scotland, UK, 2017
Master of Arts, Bilingual Translation English <> Greek | University of Westminster, London, UK, 1999
Bachelor of Arts, Humanities – Major in English Literature | Thames Valley University, London, UK, 1997
Postgraduate teaching
I am Programme Director of the MSc in Languages and Intercultural Communication at the University of Edinburgh. My postgraduate teaching extends across the three programmes of the Institute of Language Education, namely the MSc in Language and Intercultural Communication, MSc TESOL, and MSc Language Education. I design and deliver teaching in intercultural communication and language education, facilitate postgraduate seminars and supervise dissertations. My responsibilities also include assessment design and moderation, programme leadership, curriculum enhancement, and programme and courses quality assurance. An indicative list of the courses I have taught over the years follows:
- Critical Topics in Intercultural communication studies
- Teaching Languages to Young Learners
- Language and the Learner
- Sources of Knowledge
- Conseptualising research
- Evaluation and design of TESOL materials
- TESOL methodology
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes