Alumni stories: Georgie Thorman, MSc Language Education

Georgie, a 2022 graduate, talks about how the programme shook up her preconceptions, and what she did for her dissertation.

Prior to starting her studies at the University of Edinburgh, Georgie was living in Barcelona teaching English to mostly Spanish-speaking learners, and learning Spanish.

'I fell in love with the city'

I visited a friend [in Edinburgh] in 2019 and completely fell in love with the city. Having thought I knew what a ‘UK city’ was, it definitely exceeded my expectations with its beautiful buildings and being surrounded by nature. Not to mention the amazing reputation that the University has.

'The broad nature of the programme really appealed to me'

The broad nature of the programme really appealed to me - the fact that it was 'language education' not 'teaching English', meant that it would leave doors open to potentially teaching Spanish in the future. I also liked the idea that I could learn about myself as a learner of languages, not just as a teacher of languages.

'I heard invaluable perspectives about language education all over the world'

What I enjoyed most was the group discussions during workshops. The diversity of the students on this course meant that I heard invaluable perspectives about language education all over the world. I felt like an information sponge during those discussions, and I found it fascinating to hear other experiences and opinions, as I previously only knew about the UK/Spanish systems and learning formats.

I learnt that language education is never one-size-fits-all.

The most important skill I developed was the ability to be critical of my own preconceptions. As an English teacher with 2 years' experience, I had quite firm beliefs about the best ways to teach a language. While our experiences and beliefs should not be discounted, it is always possible to have our minds changed when faced with global trends and academic research.

I learnt that language education is never one-size-fits-all. Understanding the learning/teaching context is vital.

A dissertation with real-world applications

There is so much that I have taken away from this degree.

The most important thing was my dissertation. I designed a speaking challenge via WhatsApp voice messaging for my project, which I have now used twice since then for my real-life teaching.

I am also much more sensitive to the issues surrounding the role of English around the world, particularly in terms of damage to minority languages and native speakerism.

Finding your voice

Speak up! We all benefit from the discussions during workshops and everyone’s contribution is important, no matter how much teaching experience you have. Your experience as a learner of languages is also important.

Beyond the Master's

The course inspired me to create a social media presence where I teach English to Spanish learners. Lots of people now follow me and request classes, in part because of the knowledge I share there, which has mostly come from the Master’s.

Alumni advice

Always be open to learn new things and adjust your views based on new information.

Want to learn more about our MSc Language Education programme?

Our highly flexible programme encompasses all languages and is suitable for both experienced and novice language teachers.

MSc Language Education