Dr Amos Paran

  • Qualifications and position:
    • PhD
    • Senior Lecturer
    • MA TESOL (Distance) Course Leader
  • Faculty:
    • Faculty of Children and Learning
  • Department:
    • Culture, Communications and Media
  • Summary:
    • My background is as a secondary school EFL teacher in Israel and as a materials writer. My PhD was a study of reading in a first and second language, with a focus on processing words and decoding. My main interests currently are the use of literature in EFL.
  • Teaching:
    • I am the course leader of the MA TESOL by Distance Learning. I teach the following modules on the MA TESOL and the MA TESOL by Distance Learning:
      • Describing and Analysing Language;
      • Materials Development (on the MA TESOL by DL);
      • Language Teacher Development;
      • Basic Research Skills.
      • I have also contributed to the module on Technology in Language Teaching and Learning.
      • I also teach on the PGCE ESOL/Adult Literacy
  • Research Projects:
    • The Research Element in Masters Degrees in Distance Education: Literature Review and Mapping Study (together with Dr. Fiona Hyland and Dr. Clare Bentall, funded by the Centre for Distance Education, University of London.
  • Postgraduate Research:
    • I supervise the current postgraduate students:
      • Sam Duncan (EdD): Adult literacy learners' perceptions of reading
      • John Rodgers (PhD): Skimming in EFL
      • Miriam Symon (EdD): Business Communication
      • Alenka Umek (MPhil/PhD): Background Knowledge and Reading

      My main research interests are the use of literary texts in teaching foreign and second languages;
      teaching reading in a foreign language; distance education.
  • Professional Activities:
    • I am the treasurer of IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language).
  • Conferences/presentations:
    • I have recently given the following plenary talks:
      • Paran, A. 2008. Integrating Thinking Skills into the EFL Classroom. Plenary session, 1st International Conference on English Language Teaching and Learning, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, September 10-12 2008.
      • Paran, A. 2008. The First Years of Teaching: How to Become the Teacher You Were Destined to Become. Plenary session, 10th IATEFL Chile Conference, Santiago de Chile, 1- 2 August 2008.
      • Paran, A. 2008. Critical Necessities: Which Texts Should We Use in the EFL Classroom? Opening Plenary, 22nd APPI Conference, Aveiro, Portugal, 1-3 May 2008
  • Personal Country Knowledge:
    • I have country knowledge of Israel, France, and Chile. specifically in the policy and practice of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I have also spoken extensively at ELT conferences in Spain and have worked with many Spanish EFL teachers.
  • Languages Spoken:
    • French (Low Intermediate)
      German (Intermediate)
      Hebrew (advanced)
  • Languages Written:
    • French (Intermediate)
      German (Intermediate)
      Hebrew (advanced)
Dr Amos Paran

Contact details

Contact details

  • Email:

  • Address:
  • Culture, Communications and Media
    Institute of Education University of London
    20 Bedford Way
    London
    WC1H 0AL

  • Office Location:
  • Room 620b
    20 Bedford Way, WC1H 0AL

Publications

  • Clark, E. L. and Paran, A (2007) 'The employability of non-native-speaker teachers of EFL: A UK survey', System 35, 407-430.
  • Furneaux, C., Paran, A. and B. Fairfax, B. (2007) 'Teacher stance as reflected in feedback on student writing: An empirical study of secondary school teachers in five countries', International Review of Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching 45, 69-94.
  • Paran, A., Furneaux C. L., and Sumner, N. (2004) 'Computer-mediated communication in distance MA programmes: the student's perspective', System 32, 337-355.
  • Paran, A. and Williams, E. (2007) 'Editorial: reading and literacy in developing countries', Journal of Research in Reading 30, 1-6.
  • Paran, A. (2008) 'The Role of Literature in Instructed foreign language learning and teaching: An Evidence-based survey', Language Teaching 41, 465-496.
  • Paran, A. (2006) 'The Stories of Literature and Language Teaching' In A. Paran (ed.), Literature in Language Teaching and Learning. Case Studies in TESOL. Washington: TESOL.
  • Paran, A. (2003) 'Helping Learners to Become Critical: How Coursebooks Can Help' In W. A. Renandya (ed.), Methodology and Materials Design in Language Teaching. Singapore: SEAMEO RELC.
  • Paran, A. (2002) 'Current Practices in Teaching EAP Reading', Revista Canaria de Estudios Inglesas 44, 187-199.
  • Meecham, A., Paran, A. and Sturtridge, G. (1999) 'Issues in the development of materials writers', Working Papers in TEFL 2, 59-76.