Senior Lecturer in Language Education
Language Education is an innovative and dynamic emerging field in Moray House School of Education and Sport. We are looking to recruit a Senior Lecturer with particular interest in promoting Language Education throughout the School in order to enhance a substantial team of transdisciplinary researchers and teachers, and to embed Language Education across a range of diverse programmes.
In our School, The Language Education Strategy sets out a vision for bringing together three key areas: language(s); (pluri) literacies; and interculturality. Each of those areas embraces a wide portfolio of research that is informed by a critical framework, including: pluriliteracies; first and second language learning and teaching (heritage, English, community, European and other languages); bi/multilingualism; English as an additional language; Content and Language Integrated Learning; Global Englishes; language policy and practice; student and teacher identity; Language Teacher Education; discourse; intercultural communication; TESOL; Applied Linguistics; technology-enhanced learning; and internationalization. The successful applicant will have academic experience at post-doctoral level in one or more of the above areas and will be expected to contribute to our highly successful Masters level teaching programmes, to the supervision of doctoral students, and to secure research grants through our Language Education Thematic Research Hub aligned with REF high quality research outputs.
This post will require vision and effective leadership in a way that is culturally sensitive and that reflects a commitment to social justice and the provision of high quality student experience. The successful candidate will contribute to the wider work of the subject area and the School, regionally, nationally and internationally.
This is a full time (35 hours per week), open ended appointment.
Salary: £52,559 – £59,135 per annum
Closing Date: 15th October 2020, 5pm (GMT)
Job Details
Job title: Senior Lecturer in Language Education
School/Support Department: Moray House School of Education and Sport
Unit: Institute for Language Education
Line manager: Head of Institute for Language Education
Salary Scale: Grade UE09 (£52,559 – £59,135)
Job Purpose
To engage in innovative, futures-thinking and strategic development in the field of language education to contribute to postgraduate teaching across a range of diverse and emerging programmes in the field.
To contribute to teaching across languages Masters programmes and to the wider work of the subject area across the School.
To play an active role in developing and promoting research in new technologies in language education.
To contribute to research in any of the areas linked to Language Education.
To pursue an active research agenda with an emphasis on international excellence and regular publication in high quality journals, and to contribute to the knowledge exchange and impact work of the School in line with REF guidelines.
Main Responsibilities (Approx. % of time)
The post-holder will be expected to be involved in the following duties:
3.1. Make a major contribution to the vision for Language Teacher Education across a suite of Language Education programmes in the Institute/School by developing innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and the development and implementation of pluriliteracies (35%).
3.2. Provide vision and strategic leadership for groups of staff to develop a portfolio of independent and collaborative research activity and publication of high quality and impact, contribution to funding bids to develop and sustain excellent research and pedagogies of Language Teacher Education (30%).
3.3. Contribute to a developing vision with the team working across the suite of Language programmes, including Postgraduate Taught, Postgraduate Research, and Knowledge Exchange or Professional Learning provision to enhance the University’s reputation in Language Teacher Education, thus meeting the School’s strategic plan for the Language(s) area (15%).
3.4. Contribute to the development of a vision for Language Teacher Education with due regard to interdisciplinarity, Learning for Sustainability and Professional Learning (15%).
3.5. Undertake other activities as required by the relevant Head of Institute and Head of School. (5%)
Planning and Organising
- The appointee requires an ability to assess resource requirements, secure and organise resources effectively; skills in managing, motivating and supporting people (students, colleagues); and a proven ability to devise and/or manage multiple teaching, learning and assessment and research activities.
- The post-holder is required to adapt readily to changes within University, College and School practices, policies and systems, and to encourage other staff in the School to embrace change to enhance the performance of the School.
Staff and Professional Development
You Will
- Have the capacity to pursue academic excellence through a continuing commitment to professional and personal development. The capacity to act as a role model for educational innovation through teaching and research.
Problem Solving
You Will
- Be proactive in bringing new ideas to pioneering work in research which will require strategic leadership and resilience.
- Manage and resolve teaching-related issues, to do with course design, assessment, and delivery.
- Plan, devise, and secure funding for research projects involving appropriate methodologies, partnerships, and strategies.
Decision Making
- Have confidence in setting priorities and taking responsibility for decision-making.
- Demonstrate the ability to respond and pursue appropriate channels for developing Language Education research funding, and contribute to the decision-making relating to the appointee’s personal strategy for research and that of the wider team.
Key Contacts/Relationships
- Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and relate well to students and staff.
- Be capable of effectively representing the work of the University in the field, locally, and beyond, in relevant networks and/or in public activities.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience Needed for the Job
Essential
- A Doctorate in Language Education or a related discipline
- Research-informed expertise in Language Education as described above.
- A portfolio of research activity and publications of high quality and impact.
- Experience of funding bids that develop and sustain support for research in the areas described above.
- An active interest in promoting and experimenting with digital and technology-enhanced learning.
- Evidence of leading teaching at postgraduate level
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and leadership skills.
- Evidence of supervising students at Masters and Ph.D. levels
- Ability to present a high level of credibility amongst practitioners
- Current knowledge and understanding of the wider field of Language Education
- Ability to work well in a team with a collegiate attitude, respect, and sensitivity towards students and colleagues
Desirable
- Track record of applying for and obtaining research grants.
- Ability to work across multiple disciplines and perspectives relating to Language Education.
- A keen interest to enhance the international student experience.
- Experience in teacher education/development.
- An interest in developing Shared Learning Spaces – a distinctive multimodal and ecological approach to connecting learners across physical, linguistic, and cultural spaces.
Please, contact hr.morayhouse@ed.ac.uk should you wish to receive information about the Language Education Strategy and the Shared Learning Spaces initiative.
Dimensions
There is a range of existing and plans for future developments in Language Education programs within the Moray House School of Education and Sport. For example, MSc Language Teaching has approx. 90 students and the MSc TESOL has approx. 250 students. The School is planning to launch an MSc in Language and Intercultural Communication in September 2021 and is considering a new Masters in Children’s Literature. There are also other related undergraduate and postgraduate programs within the Institute for Education, Teaching, and Leadership. Language Education accounts for a large proportion of its postgraduate students, and the staff is expected to contribute to the delivery of the school-wide research methods programs.
- Job Context and any other relevant information
The Languages Masters programs (MSc Language Education, MSc TESOL, and MSc Language and Intercultural Communication) attract a large cohort of international students with a wide range of experiences in teaching and learning. Research and teaching across these programs contribute a linguistic and cultural perspective to work across the Moray House School of Education and Sport at undergraduate, Masters, and doctoral levels.
Moray House School of Education and Sport is committed to the fair and equal treatment of all its employees and promotes diversity and gender equality among staff and students. For more information about family-friendly policies please visit the University website at the following address: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity/help-advice/family-friendly/staff.
For more information about the University’s policies relating to health and wellbeing, including the flexible working policy, visit here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/human-resources/policies-guidance/health-wellbeing.
Application Procedure
All applicants should apply online via our Vacancy Website and submitting an up to date CV. The application process is quick and easy to follow, and you will receive an email confirmation of safe receipt of your application. The online system allows you to submit a CV and other attachments.
You will be notified by email whether you have been shortlisted for an interview or not.
The closing date is 5 pm (GMT) on 15 October 2020
Right to Work
In accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 and Immigration Act 2016 the University of Edinburgh, as an employer, has a legal responsibility to prevent illegal working and therefore must check that all employees are entitled to work in the United Kingdom (UK).
To do so, the University requires to see original documents evidencing the right to work in the UK before the commencement of employment, and this is normally carried out at the interview. Details will be provided in any letter of invitation to interview.
For further information on the right to work please visit our right to work webpage
If You Are From Outside The EEA And Not Currently Eligible To Work In The UK, There Are Visa Routes That May Be Available To You, For Example
- Global Talent: If you are an academic, researcher, or technical specialist in the field of sciences; humanities; engineering; medicine; digital technology; or the arts, it may be possible for you to apply for a Global Talent visa. This route requires you to apply to be endorsed as an internationally recognized leader or emerging leader in your particular field by an endorsing body (Arts Council England, British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society, Tech Nation, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)). However, if you are applying for a senior academic role, e.g. Professor/Reader there is an accelerated route to endorsement. Further information can be found on the UKVI website
- Tier 2: The University is a UKVI licensed sponsor and is able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to successful candidates who are offered highly skilled roles and meet the eligibility criteria. The CoS enables candidates to apply for a Tier 2 (general visa).
Please note if you were last granted leave to stay in the UK in any Tier 2 category in the 12 months immediately preceding an application and the leave has
- ended or expired.
- the CoS which led to that grant of leave was issued for more than 3 months, and
- you are either:
- applying for entry clearance from outside the UK, or
- you are in the UK and had a previous period of Tier 2 leave, but then changed (‘switched’) into a different immigration category and now wishes to apply again under Tier 2.
You must wait 12 months before applying again.
Further information about whether you require a visa and other visa routes can be found at: www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
Conditions of Employment
Pension Scheme
This role is grade UE09 and therefore the post holder is automatically included in membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), subject to the USS membership criteria, unless they indicate that they choose not to join the Scheme.
For further information please visit our Pensions website .
Salary
The role is grade UE09 and attracts an annual salary of £52,559 to £59,135 for 35 hours each week. Salary is paid monthly by direct transfer to your Bank or Building Society account, normally on the 28th of the month. Salaries for part-time staff are calculated on the full-time scales, pro-rata to the Standard Working Week.
The University reserves the right to vary the candidate information or make no appointment at all. Neither in part nor in whole does this information form part of any contract between the University and any individual.
