Nicola McNab

Although I started out in the field of sport, teaching figure skating for over 8 years, the majority of my professional career has centred around language teaching, academic management and teacher training. I have taught English within a variety of contexts, ranging from teaching young asylum seekers in London, to teenagers in Argentina and young professionals in Colombia. My passion for language teaching motivated me to move into academia and research, with the ultimate goal being to discover methodologies and practices which can benefit language learning communities. I obtained my undergraduate degree from The Open University, where I studied modern languages (English and Spanish), and I later completed an MA in Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching at King's College London. During my MA, I discovered a great interest in pragmatics, an area of linguistics which focuses on the importance of context, as well as the subtle implied meanings of what we say and how this is often culturally dependent and based on social rules. I recently completed a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching at Nebrija University, Madrid, with my thesis addressing the topic of individual judgements of rudeness. My research interests are focused on perceptions of polite and impolite language and the emotions that language users experience when communicating in a second language. My current research looks into assertive language, and the complexities involved in being assertive rather than socially appropriate. Whilst continuing to carry out research, I also provide teacher training to language teachers on Erasmus+ programmes and teach English to a number of students.