Teaching

Alan teaches Literary Criticism, Modern English Literature, and Research Methodology to the MA and Ph.D. postgraduates in English.

Email queries are welcome concerning any aspect of modern and contemporary English literature or any academic-related topics.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching interests, as well as twentieth and twenty-first century Anglophone (English language) literature, include English for Academic Purposes and Business English. I am particularly interested in the connections between the analysis of language and that of literature and how these can be explored in the classroom to the benefit of students.

I am passionate about teaching my subject and believe good and effective teaching is at the centre of what academics do. Excellent teaching is as much about learning from students as it is anything else. Teaching is not just about imparting information but about giving students the skills to learn for themselves. This kind of teaching is always student-centred and facilitates student learning, not just while you are at university, but for the whole of your life in the future. We remember those teachers at school and university who inspired us and made us feel our lives could be transformed and this memory that helps us when we meet obstacles in later life. In 2016 when I was doing my Ph.D. in the UK, I became an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Home | Advance HE), and my teaching was internationally recognised. More recently, in 2020-2021 I studied for a PGCHE in university teaching at the University of Falmouth (UK) where I specialised in blended and online learning. I am also very interested in how English departments can enhance student employability in today’s difficult employment situation. Since qualifying as a UK university teacher, I find myself more interested in pedagogy and education than ever before.