Christine Nuttall

Last updated
Christine Nuttall
OBE
Born
Christine Elizabeth Nuttall

1931
Died21 May 2020
Education University of St. Andrews, University of Manchester
Occupation(s)specialist in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and applied linguistics
Years active1950s to 1980s
Employer(s) British Council, University of Edinburgh
Notable work"Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language"
Honours OBE

Christine Nuttall (1931 - 2020), OBE [1] was a British academic and teacher of English as a Foreign Language who worked for over 30 years globally, and had published a guide to Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language [2] which remains a key resource [3] for international teaching and learning a foreign language. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Early life and education

Born Christine Elizabeth Nuttall in 1931 in Holcombe Brook, Bury, Manchester to Alfred Nuttall, a stockbroker, and Marjorie (née Broome), a teacher. She had a younger sister, Barbara. Her father died when she was five years old. [1]

Nuttall went to Bury Grammar School before going to St. Andrew's University graduating in English and philosophy in 1953, and then completed a Masters (M.A.) in linguistics at Manchester University. [1]

Career

Nuttall spent a year teaching English in Finland, then four years in Nigeria as a lecturer in English and studied the Hausa language. [8]

Starting in the 1960s she became an English Language teaching advisor and by 1994 was also a product development manager for the British Council. [9] Her postings were in Nigeria, Milan, Ghana, Iran and Malaysia as well as working in China and Namibia. Her work Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language was published in three editions and quoted by language teachers and linguistics specialists in different countries from 1982 up to at least 2017. [4] [5] [6] [7] [10]

She was awarded an OBE in 1982, [1] and joined the University of Edinburgh applied linguistics department in 1985, becoming the director of the MSc course before retiring in 1989. She moved to her home in Broughton-in-Furness, Cumbria (which she had lent to friends to use during the years when she had travelled) and joined development committee the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. [1]

Nuttall died on 21 May 2020, aged 89. [1]

Related Research Articles

Language education – the process and practice of teaching a second or foreign language – is primarily a branch of applied linguistics, but can be an interdisciplinary field. There are four main learning categories for language education: communicative competencies, proficiencies, cross-cultural experiences, and multiple literacies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English as a second or foreign language</span> Use of English by speakers with different native languages

English as a second or foreign language refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. Variably known as English as a foreign language (EFL), English as a second language (ESL), English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), English as an additional language (EAL), or English as a new language (ENL), these terms denote the study of English in environments where it is not the dominant language. Programs such as ESL are designed as academic courses to instruct non-native speakers in English proficiency, encompassing both learning in English-speaking nations and abroad.

A foreign language is a language that is not an official language of, nor typically spoken in, a specific country. Native speakers from that country usually need to acquire it through conscious learning, such as through language lessons at school, self-teaching, or attending language courses. A foreign language might be learned as a second language; however, there is a distinction between the two terms. A second language refers to a language that plays a significant role in the region where the speaker lives, whether for communication, education, business, or governance. Consequently, a second language is not necessarily a foreign language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second language writing</span>

Second language writing is the study of writing performed by non-native speakers/writers of a language as a second or foreign language. According to Oxford University, second language writing is the expression of one's actions and what one wants to say in writing in a language other than one's native language. The process of second language writing has been an area of research in applied linguistics and second language acquisition theory since the middle of the 20th century. The focus has been mainly on second-language writing in academic settings.

The ELTons are international awards given annually by the British Council that recognise and celebrate innovation in the field of English language teaching. They reward educational resources that help English language learners and teachers to achieve their goals using innovative content, methods or media. The ELTons date from 2003 and the 2018 sponsors of the awards are Cambridge English Language Assessment and IELTS. Applications are submitted by the end of November each year and they are judged by an independent panel of ELT experts, using the Delphi Technique. The shortlist is published in March and the winners announced at a ceremony in London in June. The 2018 awards were held in a new venue, Savoy Place, Institute of Engineering and Technology, London, UK.

English studies is an academic discipline taught in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education in English-speaking countries. This is not to be confused with English taught as a foreign language, which is a distinct discipline. The English studies discipline involves the study, analysis, and exploration of English literature through texts.

Scott Thornbury is an internationally recognized academic and teacher trainer in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT). Along with Luke Meddings, Thornbury is credited with developing the Dogme language teaching approach, which emphasizes meaningful interaction and emergent language over prepared materials and following an explicit syllabus. Thornbury has written over a dozen books on ELT methodology. Two of these, 'Natural Grammar' and 'Teaching Unplugged', have won the British Council's "ELTon" Award for Innovation, the top award in the industry.

Language pedagogy is the discipline concerned with the theories and techniques of teaching language. It has been described as a type of teaching wherein the teacher draws from their own prior knowledge and actual experience in teaching language. The approach is distinguished from research-based methodologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit Corder</span> English scholar

Stephen Pit Corder was a professor of applied linguistics at Edinburgh University, known for his contribution to the study of error analysis. He was the first Chair of the British Association for Applied Linguistics, 1967–70, and was instrumental in developing the field of applied linguistics in the United Kingdom.

Wilga Marie Rivers was an Australian linguist and Professor of Romance Languages. While she taught at both the secondary-education and college level throughout her life, she spent the majority of her career on the faculty of Harvard University. There, she served as a Professor of Romance Languages and Coordinator of Language Instruction in Romance Languages, fulfilling these roles until her eventual retirement in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judit Kormos</span> Hungarian linguist

Judit Kormos is a Hungarian linguist. She is a professor and the Director of Studies for the MA TESOL Distance programme at the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, United Kingdom. She is renowned for her work on motivation in second language learning, and self-regulation in second language writing. Her current interest is in dyslexia in second language learning.

April Mary Scott McMahon is a British academic administrator and linguist, who is Vice President for Teaching, Learning and Students at the University of Manchester.

Teaching English as a second (TESL) orforeign language (TEFL) and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) are terms that refer to teaching English to students whose first language is not English. The terms TEFL, TESL, and TESOL distinguish between a class's location and student population, and have become problematic due to their lack of clarity. TEFL refers to English-language programs conducted in countries where English is not the primary language, and may be taught at a language school or by a tutor. For some jobs, the minimum TEFL requirement is a 100-hour course; the 120-hour course is recommended, however, since it may lead to higher-paid teaching positions. TEFL teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Larsen-Freeman</span> American linguist

Diane Larsen-Freeman is an American linguist. She is currently a Professor Emerita in Education and in Linguistics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. An applied linguist, known for her work in second language acquisition, English as a second or foreign language, language teaching methods, teacher education, and English grammar, she is renowned for her work on the complex/dynamic systems approach to second language development.

Donna Mary Brinton is an American applied linguist, author, and global educational consultant on second language education. She is the daughter of Mary Mies Brinton and Robert K. Brinton and the sister of epidemiologist Louise A. Brinton and linguist Laurel J. Brinton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosa Manchón</span> Spanish linguist

Rosa María Manchón Ruiz is a Spanish linguist. She is currently a professor of applied linguistics at the University of Murcia, Spain. Her research focuses on second language acquisition and second language writing. She was the editor of the Journal of Second Language Writing between 2008 and 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Johnson (applied linguist)</span> British academic linguist

Keith Johnson is a British linguist. He is currently an emeritus professor at the Department of Linguistics and English Language of Lancaster University, United Kingdom. His research focuses on applied linguistics with a special focus on second language acquisition and language teaching.

Sarah Jane Mercer is a British linguist. She is currently the head of the Department of English Language Teaching at the University of Graz, Austria. Her research focuses on applied linguistics, with a special focus on psycholinguistics from a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory approach.

Mary J. Schleppegrell is an applied linguist and Professor of Education at the University of Michigan. Her research and praxis are based on the principles of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), a theory derived from the work of social semiotic linguist Michael Halliday. Schleppegrell is known for the SFL-based literacy practices she has continuously helped to develop for multilingual and English language learners throughout her decades long career, which she began as an educational specialist before transitioning to the field of applied linguistics. As a result, her publications demonstrate a deep understanding of both the theories and practices related to teaching and learning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Southgate</span> British pedagogist practiced from the late-1950s until the mid-1980s

Vera Southgate was a British educationalist who dedicated herself to improving how children were taught to read English from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, a period when many different methods were practised, including the initial teaching alphabet, phonics, and whole language.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Baines, Joanna (2020-05-31). "Christine Nuttall obituary". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  2. Nuttall, Christine (1982). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language. Heinemann. ISBN   9780435289737.
  3. Hutchinson, Tom (1987). English for specific purposes : a learning-centred approach. Alan Waters. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]: Cambridge University Press. p. 13. ISBN   0-521-26732-3. OCLC   13456229.
  4. 1 2 English teacher education in Europe : new trends and developments. Pamela B. Faber. Frankfurt am Main: P. Lang. 1999. p. 135. ISBN   0-8204-4321-2. OCLC   41977215.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. 1 2 Techniques of teaching : from theory to practice. Susan Holden, British Council. Oxford [England]: Modern English Publications. 1986. p. 147. ISBN   0-906149-60-6. OCLC   14081070.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. 1 2 Estudios de Lingüìstica Aplicada y Literatura - homenaje póstumo al profesor Juan Conesa Sánchez (in Spanish). Murcia: Universidad de Murcia. 1997. p. 182. ISBN   84-7684-829-3.
  7. 1 2 Bachiri, Houssienne (2017). The Need for Extensive Reading in the Production of English Academic Writing by Non-English Speakers. Germany: GRN Verlag. p. 19. ISBN   9783668569416.
  8. Nuttall, Christine E. (1965). Phonological Interference of Hausa with English. Department of Languages, Ahmadu Bello University.
  9. Council, British (1994). The British Council Annual Report and Accounts. The Council. p. 53.
  10. Forum: A Journal for the Teacher of English Outside the United States - GREECE Reading Skills. 1-4. Vol. 28. United States Information Agency. 1990. p. 30.