Contact
Biography
Lorena Salud Gadella Kamstra (PhD, FHEA) works as an Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics in the School of English at the University of Nottingham. She has experience as a Language Teacher Educator and Language Teacher, and she worked as a Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the University of Essex from 2021 to 2023. She was awarded a PhD in English Language Teaching in 2020 from the University of Essex. Her expertise lies in the TESOL field and her research interests are language teacher motivation and demotivation, and language teacher education and training.
Teaching Summary
I contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the School of English as part of the English Language and Applied Linguistics area. I lecture and supervise on the BA English Language and… read more
Research Summary
My main research interests are in the field of teaching English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL), with particular reference to teachers' experiences, their motivation and their professional… read more
I contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the School of English as part of the English Language and Applied Linguistics area. I lecture and supervise on the BA English Language and Literature and the MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching. Some of the modules I am part of include: The Psychology of Bilingualism and Language Learning (BA), Teaching English as a Foreign Language (BA), Second Language Acquisition (MA) and Language Teaching: Speaking and Listening (MA).
Current Research
My main research interests are in the field of teaching English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL), with particular reference to teachers' experiences, their motivation and their professional development.
Past Research
In past research, I examined EFL teacher motivation, demotivation, and motivational awareness and aimed to find some solutions to teacher demotivation in the context of Spain. This PhD project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
In more recent publications, I explored teacher training, in reflective and inclusive teaching, as a way to respond to teacher demotivation. I have also written about research dilemmas and the importance of embracing and recognizing the challenges while doing research.
I have also conducted research on EFL teachers' challenges as pre-service and in-service teachers and their training in Spain, this was part of the English Language Teaching Research Awards by the British Council (ELTRA). This report can be found in this link.
Up to now, my work on teacher motivation and teacher education has been funded by the ESRC, YERUN Research Mobility Awards (YRMA) and the British Council (ELTRA).
Future Research
I am currently exploring other areas related to teaching EFL/ESL, such as teacher mindsets and pedagogy in the UK, and pre-service teacher training in diverse contexts.