Barbara Sinclair

Contact

• workRoom B87 Dearing
  Jubilee Campus
  Wollaton Road
  Nottingham
  NG8 1BB
  UK
• work0115 951 4513
• fax0115 846 6600
• barbara.sinclair@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Barbara Sinclair is an Associate Professor in Education (TESOL). She studied in the UK at the Universities of Bath, London and Nottingham, and in Germany at the University of Cologne. She has worked as a teacher, lecturer, teacher educator, materials developer, project director and manager in educational organisations in the UK, Spain, Germany and Singapore. She joined the School of Education in 1992 and initiated a number of TESOL related programmes, including the MA in English Language Teaching.

Research

Barbara Sinclair has an international reputation for her research and publications in the field of autonomy in language learning and teaching. She has lectured and published widely on a number of themes related to this field, including 'learner training', teacher education, curriculum design, materials and task design, self-assessment, self-access learning and cross-cultural aspects of promoting autonomy. Consultancies and invitations to speak at conferences have taken Barbara Sinclair to Australia, The Far East, The Middle East, USA, Mexico, Europe and many points between. Her books include the prize- winning Learning to Learn English, (1989) co-authored with Gail Ellis, the Activate your English series of courses for adult learners (1996/97), published by Cambridge University Press, and Learner Autonomy, Teacher Autonomy: Future Directions (2000), co-edited with Ian McGrath and Terry Lamb, published by Longman.

Barbara is a member of the Centre for Research in Higher, Adult and Vocational Education.

Latest publications

Barbara's latest publications are:

• 'The Teacher as Learner: Developing Autonomy in an Interactive Learning Environment', in the forthcoming e-Learning initiatives in China: pedagogy, policy and culture. The chapter is available as an internet publication in pdf format. Click here to access the chapter
• 'Multiple voices: negotiating pathways towards teacher and learner autonomy' in the forthcoming Learner and teacher autonomy: realities and responses. The chapter is available as an internet publication in pdf format. http://www.benjamins.com/jbp/series/AALS/1/temp/sinclair.pdf

Barbara Sinclair received the Lord Dearing Award for Teaching and Learning in 2002.

Barbara acts as a supervisor for research students working for MPhil and PhD degrees in the following areas learner and teacher autonomy: socio- and psycholinguistic aspects of autonomy in language learning, e.g., learning style, learner strategies, learner beliefs; pedagogical approaches to developing autonomy in language learning, including curriculum models, materials design, methodology, modes of study and learning counselling; cultural aspects of and constraints to autonomy, as well as the assessment of autonomy.

Recent Publications

• SINCLAIR B, 2011. The Learner Training Worm. In: C.J. EVERHARD, J. MYNARD, R. SMITH, ed., Autonomy in Language Learning: Opening a Can of Worms IATEFL. 91-98
• SINCLAIR, B, 2009. Activate Your English: Pre-intermediate coursebook. Cambridge University Press & Kinseido Publishing Co. Ltd..
• SINCLAIR, B., 2009. The teacher as learner: developing autonomy in an interactive learning environment’. In: PEMBERTON, R and TOOGOOD, S, BARFIELD, A., eds., Autonomy in Language Learning: Maintaining Control Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. (In Press.)
• THANG S.M and SINCLAIR, B., eds., 2009. Learner Autonomy: Research and Practice in Malaysia and Singapore Pearson Longman. (In Press.)

• View all publications

Barbara is a member of the Centre for Research in Higher, Adult and Vocational Education. Her research supervision areas include:

Socio- and psycholinguistic aspects of autonomy in language learning, including:

• learning style learner strategies
• learner beliefs
• affective factors

Pedagogical approaches to developing autonomy in language learning, including:

• curriculum models
• methodology and cultural factors in learner training
• materials design
• non-traditional modes of study
• assessment of autonomy and learning counselling

Research topics of current and recent students include:

• Intersubjective Collaborative Teacher Autonomy in Virtual Learning Environments
• An Investigation into Chinese Undergraduate Learners' Motivation through Task-based Learning in the Context of Macao
• The assessment of autonomy in language learning
• Mexican university learners' affective reactions in a foreign language class and their effects on motivation
• Developing greater learner autonomy in English language learning in a tertiary institution in Hong Kong: an action research study
• An action research study on the development of learner autonomy in children: model development, framework construction, and practice
• Perspectives on Teacher Autonomy; An investigation into Teacher Autonomy and its affect on the development of Learner Autonomy
• Malaysian learners' conceptions of their learning processes and their perceptions of their English as a second language course in a tertiary distance learning context

Research proposals: please email Barbara if you would like to discuss the appropriateness of your research topic. See also: School of Education research supervision areas.

• SINCLAIR B, 2011. The Learner Training Worm. In: C.J. EVERHARD, J. MYNARD, R. SMITH, ed., Autonomy in Language Learning: Opening a Can of Worms IATEFL. 91-98
• THANG S.M and SINCLAIR, B., eds., 2009. Learner Autonomy: Research and Practice in Malaysia and Singapore Pearson Longman. (In Press.)
• SINCLAIR, B., 2009. The teacher as learner: developing autonomy in an interactive learning environment’. In: PEMBERTON, R and TOOGOOD, S, BARFIELD, A., eds., Autonomy in Language Learning: Maintaining Control Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. (In Press.)
• SINCLAIR, B, 2009. Activate Your English: Pre-intermediate coursebook. Cambridge University Press & Kinseido Publishing Co. Ltd..
• SINCLAIR, B. and MCGRATH, I., 2008. Training e-tutors to support reflection in online learners. Malaysian Journal of Distance Education. 10(2), 51-69
• SINCLAIR, B., 2008. Multiple voices: negotiating pathways towards teacher and learner autonomy.. In: LAMB, T. & REINDERS, H., ed., Learner and Teacher Autonomy: Concepts, realities and responses. . Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 237-266
• MCGRATH, I, SINCLAIR, B and CHEN, Z., 2007. Designing an innovative online course in language teaching methodology for middle school teachers of English in China: encouraging learner and teacher autonomy. In: SPENCER-OATEY, H., ed., e-Learning initiatives in China: pedagogy, policy and culture Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. 57-78
• SINCLAIR, B., 2007. The teacher as learner: developing autonomy in an interactive learning environment (or: Do you want your hub nodes more web-like?) University of Nottingham. Available at: <http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/shared/shared_cartecp/pdfs/Teachers_as_Learners.pdf>
• MCGRATH, I, SINCLAIR, B and CHEN, Z., 2007. Designing an innovative online course in language teaching methodology for middle school teachers of English in China: encouraging learner and teacher autonomy. In: SPENCER-OATEY, H., ed., e-Learning initiatives in China: pedagogy, policy and culture Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. 57-78
• SINCLAIR, B., 2007. Multiple voices: negotiating pathways towards teacher and learner autonomy. John Benjamins Publishing Company. Available at: <http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/contact/index.php?id=NTI3MTUw&page_var=personal>
• SINCLAIR, B., 2006. Barbara Sinclair on Learner Training Japanese Association of Language Teachers (JALT). Available at: <http://www.jalt-publications.org/sigs/1d/learninglearning//2006/html>
• SINCLAIR, B., 2006. Learner Training Part II Available at: <http://learnerautonomy.org/learnertrainingarticle1.html>
• SINCLAIR, B., 2006. Learner Training Part I Available at: <http://learnerautonomy.org/issue38learnertrainingarticlel.html>
• SINCLAIR, B., 2006. Self-access language learning: conceptualisations, practice and future directions. In: DIXON, D., BABA, H., COZENS, P. and THOMAS, M., eds., Independent learning schemes: a practical approach Dubai: TESOL Arabia Publications. 3-18
• GU, Y., HALL, C.A., MCGRATH, I. and SINCLAIR, B., 2005. Developing Resources for MA in e-ELT. In: GU and Y., eds., Exploring Online Education Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Beijing.
• SINCLAIR, B., 2003. Language Learning Lite: the role of learner effort in language learning. In: Critical Reflection and Practice,. 97-114
• SINCLAIR, B., 2003. Language learning lite: the role of learner effort in language learning. In: SYED, Z., COOMBE, C. and TROUDI, S., eds., TESOL Arabia 2002: critical reflection and practice: selected papers from the 2002 international conference, vol. VII TESOL Arabia. 97-124
• SINCLAIR, B, MCGRATH, I. and LAMB, T.E., eds., 2000. Learner Autonomy, Teacher Autonomy: Future Directions: A critical appraisal of autonomy in teaching and learning Harlow, Essex: Longman.
• SINCLAIR, B., 1999. Learner Autonomy: Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going? Summer, 5-7
• SINCLAIR, B., 1999. More Than an Act of Faith? Evaluating Learner Autonomy. In: Innovation and Best Practice Longman Group Ltd, Harlow, Essex, UK. 96-107
• SINCLAIR, B., 1999. Survey Review: Recent Publications on Autonomy in Language Learning ELT Journal. 53(4), 309-329
• SINCLAIR, B.B., 1999. Wrestling with a Jelly: The Evaluation of Learner Autonomy. In: Experiments and Evaluation in Self-Access languare Learning 95-109
• ELLIS, G. and SINCLAIR, B.B., 1997. Grammar Strategies. In: Wordflo - Your Personal English Organiser Addison Wesley Longman, Harlow. 8-9
• SINCLAIR, B.B., 1997. Introduction. In: Learner Independence Worksheets, IATEFL 6-8
• ELLIS, G. and SINCLAIR, B.B., 1997. Learning Techniques. In: Wordflo - Your Personal English Organiser Addison Wesley Longman, Harlow. 13-28
• SINCLAIR, B.B., 1997. Learner Independence: how well are we doing? What do we need to do next? In: ELT LINKS Vienna Symposium. 53-55
• SINCLAIR, B.B., 1997. Activate your English - Pre-intermediate Self-study Workbook CD
• SINCLAIR, B., 1996. Learner autonomy and literature teaching. In: Literature, Language and the Learner Addison Wesley Longman, Harlow. 138-150
• SINCLAIR, B and MCGRATH, I., Training e-Tutors to Support Reflection in Online Learners. Malaysian Journal of Distance Education,: Jurnal Pendidikan Jarak Jauh,. Special Edition., (In Press.)