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Faculty of Education and Language Studies > People Profiles > Margaret Nicolson

Margaret Nicolson

Staff Tutor (Languages)/Senior Lecturer

The Open University Faculty of Education and Language Studies Department of Languages


Profile

Margaret is Senior Lecturer and Languages Staff Tutor in Scotland. She is now the longest-served Languages Staff Tutor, having started with the OU in 1995 as one of the original Staff Tutors leading the AL teams in the OU nations and regions.  She currently leads the teaching team in languages across Scotland.  She has worked for 30 years in language education, both teaching and in teacher development.  She believes strongly in the link between research and teaching and student support.  She has led the book project Language Teaching in Blended Contexts which will appear in May 2011 (Dunedin Academic Press), a volume which brings together the years of expertise in developing open and distance language teaching and support in the OU nations and regions.

Teaching Interests

Margaret has taught French language and literature, (and sometimes music), for 30 years at all levels, across all sectors (school, adult, university) and in a variety of delivery modes. She has also at all times been involved in the training and development of staff in different sectors.

She has developed particular expertise in pedagogy, learner support, study and learning skills and distance language teaching. Her extensive and varied Staff Development experience is well known and she has been an invited contributor for other institutions (Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Scotland’s Gaelic College, University of the Highlands and Islands, Stirling University).  She has lately been external examiner for all languages in Edinburgh University's Open Language Learning programme.

She has a strong commitment to the link between research and teaching and her current work with Helga Adams on distance learners’ negotiation of speaking activities in face-to-face tutorials builds on 11 years of OU experience in that domain, challenging some popularly held beliefs about best pedagogic practice. Her interdisciplinary approach has also led her to work with colleagues in other disciplines, for example in researching language aspects of historical research into communities and societies. She has commitment to the promotion of language and language teaching in Scotland, hence her work being quoted in a Parliamentary scoping paper on tourism. Her co-edited book on Gaelic-medium education (which has appeared in both English and Gaelic) was the first text in the field.

Margaret received a 2008 OUTA award for her sustained creativity in the developement of Associate Lecturers and enhancement of student support. She was made a fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the same year.

She has led a book project on teaching languages in blended contexts. She is lead editor and has written on eight chapters.  This book will appear with Dunedin Academic Press in May 2011.

Research Interests

Language and identity, cultural and educational legacies' impact on perceptions of language and language learning. Languages in Scotland, including Gaelic and Gaelic medium education.  Language learning and identity construction.  Language methodology's impact on learner integration and identity.  Scoio-cultural aspects of the languages' classroom.

Current Research

Working with Helga Adams on Distance Learner Negotiation of Speaking Tasks and diversity in the classroom.

Working with Felicity Harper on peer observation projects and their impact on staff development.

Publications

Book Chapter
Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret (2011). Language teaching in a changing world: introduction and overview. In: Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret eds. Language Teaching in Blended Contexts. Edinburgh, U.K.: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 3–12.
Adams , Helga and Nicolson, Margaret (2011). Learner diversity. In: Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy , Linda and Southgate, Margaret eds. Language Teaching in Blended Contexts. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 29–42.
Nicolson, Margaret; Southgate, Margaret and Murphy, Linda (2011). Teaching in synchronous and asynchronous modes. In: Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret eds. Language Teaching in Blended Contexts. Edinburgh, U.K.: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 95–111.
Brash, Barbel and Nicolson, Margaret (2011). Teaching by telephone. In: Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret eds. Language Teaching in Blended Contexts. Edinburgh, U.K.: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 112–125.
Nicolson, Margaret and Warnecke, Sylvia (2011). Face-to-Face teaching in blended contexts. In: Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret eds. Language Teaching in Blended Contexts. Edinburgh, U.K.: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 154–168.
Gallardo, Matilde; Heiser, Sarah and Nicolson, Margaret (2011). Teacher development for blended contexts. In: Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret eds. Language TEaching in Blended Contexts. Edinburgh, U.K.: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 219–231.
Gallardo, Matilde; Heiser, Sarah and Nicolson, Margaret (2011). Practical approaches for teacher development. In: Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret eds. Language Teaching in Blended Contexts. Edinburgh, U.K.: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 232–245.
Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret (2011). Present and future contexts. In: Nicolson, Margaret; Murphy, Linda and Southgate, Margaret eds. Language Teaching in Blended Contexts. Edinburgh, U.K.: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 245–252.
NicNeacail, Mairead and MacIomhair, Mΰta (2007). Co-theacsan is na dh'fhaodas tighinn. In: NicNeacail, Mairead and MacIver, Matthew eds. Foghlam tro Mheadhan na Gΰidhlig. Policy and Practice in Education. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press, pp. 70–81.
Eardley, Annie; Adams, Helga and Nicolson, Margaret (2005). Getting Started. In: Not Set ed. Success with Languages. Routledge Study Guides. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, pp. 21–34.
Nicolson, Margaret; Adams, Helga; Furnborough, Concha; Adinolfi, Lina and Truman, Mike (2005). Becoming an effective learner. In: Hurd, Stella and Murphy, Linda eds. Success with Languages. London: Routledge, pp. 35–59.
Nicolson, Margaret; Adams, Helga; Furnborough, Concha; Adinolfi, Lina and Truman, Mike (2005). Becoming an effective learner. In: Not Set ed. Success with Languages. Routledge Study Guides. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, pp. 35–59.
Murphy, Linda; Hauck, Mirjam; Nicolson, Margaret and Adams, Helga (2005). Reflection and self-evaluation. In: Not Set ed. Success with Languages. Routeldge Study Guides. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, pp. 60–78.
Adinolfi, Lina; Pleines, Christine; Harper, Felicity; Beaven, Tita; Smith, Pete; Hassan, Xaviere; Adams, Helga and Nicolson, Margaret (2005). Developing competence in the language (2): Writing and speaking skills. In: Not Set ed. Success wtih Languages. Routledge Study Guides. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, pp. 110–139.
Nicolson, Margaret and MacIver, Matthew (2003). Contexts and Futures. In: Not Set ed. Gaelic Medium Education. Policy and Practice in Education. Edinburgh, Scotland: Dunedin Academic Press.
Conference Item
Adams, Helga and Nicolson, Margaret (2010). Getting the best out of speaking practice in language tutorials. In: BAAL Language Learning & Teaching Special Interest Group, 8-9 July 2010, King's College London.
Adams, H. and Nicolson, M. (2008). The Languages Classroom: comfort zone or obstacle course. In: BAAL, 2008, Greenwich University.
Journal Article
Harper, Felicity and Nicolson, Margaret (2012). Online peer observation: its value in teacher professional development, support and well-being. International Journal for Academic Development (Forthcoming).
Adams, Helga and Nicolson, Margaret (2012). Feeling the difference in the languages classroom: explorations of teacher understanding of diversity. Language Learning Journal (In press).
Adams, H. L. and Nicolson, M. A. (2010). Biting the bullet: getting the best out of speaking practice in languages tutorials. Classroom Discourse, 1(2), pp. 104–120.
Nicolson, M. (2010). Reducing the fear: an exploration of how the Alexander Technique may help adult language learners. The Alexander Journal, 23, pp. 65–70.
Nicolson, M. and Adams, H. (2010). The languages classroom: place of comfort or obstacle course? Language Learning Journal, 38(1), pp. 37–49.
Nicolson, Margaret and Adams, Helga (2008). Travelling in space and encounters of the third kind: Distance language learner negotiation of speaking activities. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 2(2), pp. 105–116.
Nicolson, Margaret (2003). Language and Who we are: some Scottish student perspectives. Scottish Educational Review, 35(2), pp. 121–134.
Nicolson, Margaret and Donnachie, Ian (2003). The New Lanark Highlanders: migration, community, and language 1785-c.1850. Family and Community History, 6(1), pp. 19–32.