Elizabeth Thomson
Aldershot,Hampshire
Summary
Highly motivated researcher with a PhD in Vietnamese lacquer painting, with extensive experience of research and writing in art, craft and design. Background in linguistics has informed approaches to communication and teaching when supporting students with study and academic skills, Proven ability to conduct independent research, secure funding, publish in journals and work on curation projects. Seeking a challenging research position to further contribute to the understanding and recognition of Asian art.
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
6037
6037
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Study Advisor/Learning Development Tutor
UCA Farnham
Farnham, United Kingdom
01.2008 - Current
- Planning & teaching workshops on study skills across a range of arts courses, from FE to Post Graduates, including reading strategies, note-taking, contextual studies, time management, academic and reflective writing, referencing, editing and proof-reading skills.
- Collaborate with academic staff, library and collections, including digitalisation so as to align teaching materials and delivery with curriculum
- Designing and writing content, including guides on writing and research for the library webpages.
- One-to-one tutorials for students at all levels (FE-PG, plus PGCE).
- Assisted students in academic writing and meeting assessment requirements, so as to improve grades and student retention.
EAP Teacher of Arts
London University
London
- Taught EAP & ESP to International students specializing in art.
- IELTs preparation and examining.
Assistant Academic Director
ILA
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
01.2004 - 01.2005
- Observed and mentored native English speaking TEFL teachers.
- Provided teacher training workshops, designed course materials, exams and assessment tasks, and generally oversaw academic issues in the young learners department.
Language Tutor for development studies
SOAS
London, United Kingdom
- Designed and developed subject specific learning materials.
- Planned lessons to target subject based assignments.
- Delivered lectures, seminars and 1-1 tutorials.
TEFL Teacher
The British Council
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
10.2002 - 12.2003
- Taught English at all levels.
- IELTS examiner (written and spoken).
- Piloted online blended-learning course.
TEFL Teacher
LMU
London, United Kingdom
08.2002 - 09.2002
- Taught pre-sessional English for academic purposes, focusing on study skills, self-access, giving presentations, and academic writing.
Teacher Trainer
OSI SPELT
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
01.2001 - 01.2002
- Company Overview: Soros foundation
- Trained university teachers in TEFL methodology.
- Trained primary and secondary school teachers.
- Developed syllabi & materials for teacher education.
- Developed syllabi online course for NGO staff in business communication skills.
- Wrote & edited reports, proposals and promotional texts for publishing.
- Taught and team-taught with local staff: general English students at a variety of levels.
- Collaborated with the British Council, the Peace Corps, and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Education to co-ordinate teacher training workshop delivery and establish a nationally-recognized, standardized TEFL qualification.
- Soros foundation
Learning Centre Manager
UNDP - UNV
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
01.2000 - 01.2001
- Managed the English language department as part of the public administrative reform project (PAR) VIE/96/029 in Ho Chi Minh city.
- Taught senior government officials: beginner-intermediate.
- Set up a monitoring and assessment system.
- Designed a syllabus for Vietnamese government officials, including creating activities to help with particular pronunciation and grammar problems, and about relevant issues in Vietnam concerning the environment, human resources, corruption, urban planning, analytical thinking and problem solving.
- Ran teacher-training workshops for Vietnamese teachers of English, primary level, and teacher-training Universities.
- Worked with national experts in urban planning to produce a bilingual dictionary for urban planning terms.
- Edited and proof-read reports and proposals for colleagues.
TEFL Teacher & IELTS examiner (written)
The British Council
Hanoi
01.1998 - 01.1999
- Invigilated IELTS and other examinations.
- Part time teaching: beginners to intermediate levels, including IELTS preparation classes.
TEFL Teacher
Apollo Education
Hanoi
01.1998 - 01.1999
- Teaching, elementary to advanced public classes (with a focus on building oral and aural skills).
- Selected and designed learning materials and tests.
- Performed placement tests, including interviews.
- Taught young learners.
- Teacher training: trained rural primary and secondary school level Vietnamese teachers of English in TEFL methodology.
ELT Teacher
The British Council
Hong Kong
01.1997 - 01.1998
- Taught all ages, elementary to advanced.
- Managed an open-access learning centre.
- Ran group activities, debates and competitions.
- Taught primary, secondary and adult students.
- Taught pre exam classes (HKCEE, IELTS).
- Cambridge Young learners examiner.
Teacher
NKK Management
Tokyo
08.1995 - 08.1996
- Taught Japanese engineers and businessmen.
- Developed syllabi and source materials.
- Videoed and taped materials.
- Proof-read reports and specifications.
- Developed an assessment system.
Education
PhD - Vietnamese Lacquer Art
University of The Arts
London07.2024
PGCE Module - Technology-enhanced learning – debates and practices
The Open University
Online07.2010
PGCE - English Language, Literature And Media Studies
School of Education, Durham University
Durham 01.2005 - 01.2006
Master of Arts - Applied Linguistics (TEFL)
Centre of Applied Linguistics
Distance Learning 01.2000 - 01.2004
TEFL Certificate - TEFL
Teacher Training International
London09.1993
Bachelor of Arts - Fine Art
John Moores University
Liverpool 01.1988 - 01.1991
Art Foundation course -
Middlesex University
London 01.1987 - 01.1988
Skills
- Subject specific research expertise
- Teaching material design and lesson planning
- Study skills development
- Curriculum Development
- Computer literacy
- Proficiency in e-learning platforms and online tutoring
- Editing and Proof-reading: (good attention to detail)
- Research funding
- Student engagement & retention
- Cultural awareness
- Exhibition curation
Accomplishments
- Awarded funding for research by University for the Creative Arts in 2019 and 2024
- Exhibited paintings in 'Fresh Art' the National degree fair, and in other independent galleries, including the Hong Kong Arts Centre and the Centre for Artistic Exchange, Hanoi.
- Computer literacy, in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Adobe Creative Suite, Internet applications, touch-typing.
Publications
Elizabeth K. Thomson (2023) Obscured Brilliance: Modern and Contemporary Vietnamese Lacquer, The Journal of Modern Craft, 16:2-3, 155-171, DOI: 10.1080/17496772.2023.2287373
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Study Advisor/Learning Development Tutor
UCA Farnham
01.2008 - Current
PGCE - English Language, Literature And Media Studies
School of Education, Durham University
01.2005 - 01.2006
Assistant Academic Director
ILA
01.2004 - 01.2005
TEFL Teacher
The British Council
10.2002 - 12.2003
TEFL Teacher
LMU
08.2002 - 09.2002
Teacher Trainer
OSI SPELT
01.2001 - 01.2002
Learning Centre Manager
UNDP - UNV
01.2000 - 01.2001
Master of Arts - Applied Linguistics (TEFL)
Centre of Applied Linguistics
01.2000 - 01.2004
TEFL Teacher & IELTS examiner (written)
The British Council
01.1998 - 01.1999
TEFL Teacher
Apollo Education
01.1998 - 01.1999
ELT Teacher
The British Council
01.1997 - 01.1998
Teacher
NKK Management
08.1995 - 08.1996
Bachelor of Arts - Fine Art
John Moores University
01.1988 - 01.1991
Art Foundation course -
Middlesex University
01.1987 - 01.1988
EAP Teacher of Arts
London University
Language Tutor for development studies
SOAS
PhD - Vietnamese Lacquer Art
University of The Arts
PGCE Module - Technology-enhanced learning – debates and practices
The Open University
TEFL Certificate - TEFL
Teacher Training International
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