To ensure we can deliver leading edge training across a range of areas, we have two Directors of Training who are responsible for delivery and development. They work closely with our Advisory Panel, which is a group of experts who supplement and complement the skills and knowledge within Pete Sharma Associates Ltd.
| Directors | ||
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| Pete Sharma | Kevin Westbrook | |
| Advisory panel | ||
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| Carolyn Westbrook | Laura Styles | Neil Bullock |
Pete Sharma and Kevin Westbrook are the joint Directors of Training and are responsible for course and material design, consultancy and all other customer-facing services. They met in Frankfurt in 2006 and jointly founded Pete Sharma Associates with Paul East and Byron Russell 2 years later. Both of them have been involved with Pete Sharma Associates in a range of work, including consultancy with publishers, training for language school employees and materials writing and course design for blended and online delivery.
Pete’s ELT career has involved teaching and teacher training in the area of business English and English for academic purposes. He was the co-author of Blended Learning: using technology in and beyond the language classroom (Macmillan), in their prestigious methodology series; this was shortlisted for the Ben Warren International House Trust Prize 2007. Pete has written extensively on this area, including: Try a blend that creates a new class of learning (Learning English: Guardian Weekly 16 / 02 / 07); Key concepts in ELT: Blended learning (ELTJ: Vol 64 / 4 Oct 2010 Oxford); and the introductory essay on blended learning in the Teacher’s Book for Global, Macmillan’s general English course book. He has been involved as a consultant on blended learning projects including Kaplan in the UK and Abu Dhabi and the British Council in Bangladesh. With Kevin, Pete co-wrote a training course for teachers which was piloted by Red Nova in Mexico and devised on the principles of blended learning. His Master’s dissertation was an evaluation of the Macmillan English Campus, a premium ELT platform created around the principles of blended learning. Pete has given plenary and keynote talks around the world on blended learning, including IATEFL and MEXTESOL.
Kevin Westbrook has been involved in the language industry since 1997 and a teacher-trainer since 2000, and his interests include learning technologies, professional development, language testing and translation. He is CELTA-qualified, has an MA in applied linguistics for language teaching and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy as well the holder of a diploma in translation from the Institute of Linguists. Kevin and Pete jointly authored the chapter on “E-learning and blended learning” in the recent Routledge Handbook of Language Learning and Technology and Kevin worked on the Erasmus+ MariLang project to develop a test of maritime English (2016 – 2018).
Advisory panel
| Click on the name of the panel member to see their bio. |
| Carolyn Westbrook | Laura Styles | Neil Bullock |
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| Carolyn Westbrook is a Test Development Researcher at the British Council. Previously she was a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at Solent University in Southampton, England for 14 years and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has a wide range of experience teaching and testing General English, Business English, ESP and EAP and is a teacher trainer who gives teacher development seminars both in the UK and abroad. She has an MA in Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching and is CELTA and DELTA qualified. Carolyn is an author for the “Unlock” series for Cambridge University Press. She has been involved in Language Testing and Assessment since 2007. Since then she has been involved in a number of testing and assessment projects, including a major project teaching Russian university lecturers about the principles and practice of language testing and assessment. Carolyn regularly presents at testing conferences throughout the world. |
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| Laura Styles started teaching in 2004 and has taught in various countries world-wide. Whilst travelling, she completed both her CELTA and MA in English Language Teaching. She currently resides in Spain and collaborates with a large number of institutions for projects as well as teaching EAP, EBP and general English, including the University of Barcelona, the Open University of Catalunya (UOC) and the National University of Distance Learning (UNED). She has a special interest in the role of technology in learning and has developed and delivered virtual programmes (including MOOCs), blended learning programmes and computer-based materials for classroom use. She also works as a teacher trainer, giving workshops and providing mentoring services for teachers who want support in incorporating new methodologies and technologies into their teaching. Laura also works as an examiner for the UOC and UNED exams, which complements the fact that she has experience writing test items for a wide range of exam formats, including FCE, CAE, ACLES, ACT and SAT exams and tests for level testing students. |
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| Neil is an English trainer, teacher trainer and test development specialist working mainly in the business and aviation worlds. He has 20 years of operational experience in aviation and over 15 years as a linguist, and writes and presents regularly on teaching and testing issues in ESP and aviation.
He is currently General Secretary and Research Group Coordinator for the International Civil Aviation English Association, as well as joint-Coordinator and webinar Moderator for IATEFL TEASIG. Neil has MAs in Applied Linguistics and Contemporary French studies. |