S.O. (Seyit) Gok

Education

·        PhD (2019) in Education (Applied Linguistics & TESOL), University of Leicester-UK

·        MA (2011) in Applied Linguistics & TESOL, University of Leicester-UK (Distinction)

·        BA (2001) English Language Teaching, Faculty of Education, Selcuk University, Turkey

Work Experience

·        06/2023-present, Board Member of EAN https://www.englishacademyfornewcomers.nl/about-us

·        07/2022-present, Head of the English Section, University of Groningen, Language Centre

·        02/2022-06/2022, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen

·        11/2021-present, Co-founder & Director of the English Academy for Newcomers Groningen

·        02/2022-06/2022, Co-coordinator of Economics & Business Economics English Program, University of Groningen, Language Centre

·        09/2021-06/2022, University of Groningen, Language Centre, Faculty of Arts – Netherlands; Position: EAP Lecturer

·        10/2021-1/2022, University of Groningen, Faculty of Arts – Netherlands; Position: Facilitated English classes for the elderly as part of https://www.balab.nl/ project

·        03/2021-07/2021, University of Groningen, Faculty of Arts – Netherlands; Position: EAP Lecturer

·        08/2015-07/2016, Izmir Gediz University, Language Centre – Turkey; Position: Director of the Language Centre

·        10/2011-07/2015, Izmir Gediz University, Language Centre – Turkey; Position: Assistant Director & Director of Academic Development

·        09/2008-08/2010, Izmir Schools – Izmir, Turkey; Position: Head of English for ten schools in the Izmir province

·        09/2004-08/2008, Izmir Schools – Izmir, Turkey; Position: Head of English

·        09/2001-08/2003, Izmir Schools – Izmir, Turkey; Position: English Language Teacher

Publications

1.      Gok, S. O. (2022) ‘Developing a primary coursebook series in Turkey’, in Norton, J. and Buchanan, H. (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Materials Development for Language Teaching. London: Routledge.

2.      Gok, S., & Michel, M. (2021) Designing pedagogic tasks for refugees learning English to enter universities in the Netherlands. In M. Ahmadian, & M. Long (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Task-Based Language Teaching (pp. 290-302). Cambridge University Press.

3.      Gok, S. O. (2016) 'Lesson Study in ELT'. ELT Research, Issue 31. http://resig.weebly.com/(...)6368747/gok_2016.pdf

4.      Gok, S. O. (2016) ‘Lesson Study Approach to Professional Development in ELT’. IATEFL Manchester Conference Proceedings. (Selected as the sample paper for conference selections)

5.      Gok, S. O. (2015) ‘Designing a Language Course for School Administrators’. International Journal of Literature and Language Education, 15, 1-26.

6.      Gok, S. O. (2015). 'Evaluating the Teacher’s Guides of a Recently Published Course Book Series for Young Learners in Turkey'. Mevlana International Journal of Education (Volume 5, Issue 1). http://dx.doi.org/10.13054/mije.14.69.5.

7.      Host Editor of the October 2014 Issue of the Humanising Language Teaching, a UK-based Online Magazine (Year 16; Issue 5, ISSN 1755-9715)

8.      Gok, S. O. (2014). 'Learner Autonomy and Learner Training at Tertiary Level in Turkey'. Humanising Language Teaching (Year 16; Issue 4, ISSN 1755-9715), UK.

Ongoing Research Projects

1. Language learning and mental health (with Marije Michel, Jelle Brouwer and Rawan Altakriti - funded by a Small Grant from the Rudolf Agricola School of Sustainable Development)
2. Needs analysis on academic writing (with Marije Michel, Mahshid Alvandi, Penny Heisterkamp and Serpil Meri-Yilan)
3. Newcomers' beliefs on language learning. (with Marije Michel and Kinan Alajak)
4. Lesson Study and TBLT (with Marije Michel)
5. Intercultural competence (with Junyao Zhang and Francesca Martignon)

Conference Presentations and Papers

·       27-29 November 2023, Gök, S.O. & Michel, M. (2023) Task design for highly educated newcomers: Improvement and implementation through Lesson Study. Zwolle.

·        18-21 October 2022, Michel, M., Gök, S.O. & Alajak, K. (2022) Updating beliefs about English for academic purposes: Tuning in teachers and students on the same page. Paper presented at the Integrating Content & Language in Higher Education (ICLHE) Conference. Maastricht.

·        17 November 2022, Invited Speaker/Panellist for the University of New Europe/UNE mentoring project -- a mentoring program for researchers and students in need from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia

·        29-31 August 2022, Co-presenter at 9th International Conference on Task-Based Language Teaching (Innsbruck, Austria); Title: Task design for highly educated newcomers: Improvement and implementation through Lesson Study

·        24-27 August 2022, Co-presenter at EuroSLA 31 in Fribourg, Switzerland - The 31st Conference of the European Second Language Association; Title: Updating beliefs about English for academic purposes: Tuning in teachers and students on the same page

·        9 June 2022, Invited Speaker at ‘Networking Event Teachers for Diversity’ in Diest, Belgium; Topic: Multilingualism in Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities

·        7 June 2022, Gök, S.O., Michel, M., & Alajak, K. (2022) Updating beliefs about English for academic purposes: Tuning in teachers and students on the same page. Paper presented at the Language & Diversity Research Seminar, Groningen University

·        3-6 Sep 2016, Co-presenter at the WALS Conference hosted by Exeter University, UK.

·        10-12 March 2016, Co-presenter at the 22nd TESOL Arabia International Conference held in UAE. (Travel-in Grant awarded); Title: Professional Development through Lesson Study in ELT

·        23-26 Nov 2015, Cajkler, W., Norton, J. and Gok, S. O. (2015) Lesson Study Research Impact: how do lesson study researchers understand and evaluate the impact of their research? The World Association of Lesson Studies International Conference, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

·        19-21 November 2015, Co-presenter at 2nd T-Plus and TESOL Arabia SIGs Joint Event, Bilkent University, Ankara-Turkey; Title: Using Mission Specific Peer Observations for PD and Administration

·        18-19 June 2015, Speaker at ‘Teachers Research! - IATEFL Research SIG Annual International Conference & 5th Gediz University Annual Teacher Research Conference’ http://resig.weebly.com/(...)h-10-06-2015_(2).pdf; Title: The Adaptation of Lesson Study to the Gediz University Preparatory School Context

·        12-13 June 2015, Speaker at 6th T-PLUS CONFERENCE, TOBB University (Ankara); Title: The Effectiveness and Impact of Lesson Study on Teachers' Professional Development

·        13 April 2015, Speaker at Annual IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) Conference and Exhibitions in Manchester, UK; Title: Lesson Study in ELT

·        2-3 February 2015, Sponsored Speaker at the 2nd British Council & Hacettepe University School of Foreign Languages Symposium on Continuing Professional Development; Title: Lesson Study Approach to Professional Development in ELT

·        2-5 April 2014 – Speaker at Annual IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) Conference and Exhibitions in Harrogate, UK; Title: What lies beneath the surface? Coursebooks and their classroom use

·        April 2013, Speaker at the annual IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) Conference and Exhibitions, Liverpool-UK; Title: How are materials actually used in classrooms?

·        9 June 2012, Speaker at 5th International ELT Conference organized by Fatih University, Turkey; Title: What really shapes materials? An author’s perspectives

·        14-15 April 2012, Speaker at the 3rd International ELT Students Conference at Boğaziçi University, Turkey; Title: Shaping the Materials

·        March 2012, Speaker at the annual IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) Conference and Exhibitions, Glasgow, UK; Title: What really shapes materials?

Professional Development Activities

·    24 September 2022, Intercultural Competences course by Jackie van der Kroft

·        15-19 July 2019, Develop your Intercultural Competences to Perform more Effectively Across Cultures, Summer School course by Jackie van der Kroft, Utrecht University

·        1-6 February 2016, A 27-hour training course on ‘Managing in ELT’ by Andy Hockley and George Pickering

·        3-14 February 2014, A two-week 60-hour training course on ‘Managing in English Language Teaching’ by Hox&Erix (Trainers: Andy Hockley & George Pickering)

·        18-31 August 2013, A two-week 60-hour Training by Pilgrims Teacher Training Centre, Course Title: How to be a teacher trainer (Trainer: Adrian Tennant)

·        16-19 April 2011, Annual IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) Conference and Exhibitions in Brighton, UK

·        16 April-10 July 2010, 50-hour Teacher Training Online course by British Council

·        27 March 2010, ELT Methodology Training by Oxford University Press

·        19 December 2009, ‘Principles and Practice in Testing, Designing and Evaluating Tests’ training by Keith Morrow (Editor of ELT Journal) organized by OUP for Oxford Excellence Schools

·        11-12 April 2009, Excelling in ELT seminar by Oxford University Press (OUP)

·        4-5-6 February 2009, ELT training by Express Publishing in Athens/Greece

·        January 2007, 15-hour Oxford Teachers’ Academy Teacher Training Programme

·        15-24 August 2006, 40-hour In-service Teacher Training and Development Course by British Council

·        15 February-31 May 2005, 30-hour ‘Teacher Trainer Course’ by British Council

Teaching Innovation Projects

·       2023, Accreditation of the TOEFL IBT Test Centre: In collaboration with ETS, I made the Language Centre of the University of Groningen an accredited TOEFL IBT Test Centre. The centre became the only English proficiency test centre in the north of the Netherlands.

·        2015-2016, CEA Accreditation (http://www.cea-accredit.org/ ) for Gediz University, School of Foreign Languages, Language Centre / Position in the project: Project Coordinator

·        2014-2016, Lesson Study (*) project conducted by the lecturers working at Izmir Gediz University, School of Foreign Languages under the guidance and supervision of the LSRG (Lesson Study Research Group) at the University of Leicester, UK / Position in the project: Project Coordinator

·        2004-2006, Comenius School Partnerships Project titled ‘Eco-school’ (jointly run with 6 European countries) / Position in the project: Project coordinator of the school

* Lesson Study is a model of professional development designed to assist teachers to produce quality lesson plans and gain a better understanding of student learning. The project I initiated at Gediz University has been known as one of the first applications of Lesson Study in an ELT context in Turkey. Please see my publications for further details.

Awards and Funding

·        Impact Award 2022-23/Faculty of Arts - Impact grants for the English Academy for Newcomers project, Faculty of Arts, UG €3,000

Conference and Event Organisations

·        Co-organiser of the Study Day, a professional development programme for the lecturers of the Language Centre at RUG on 4 April 2022; Theme: Reconciling Theory and Practice

·        Co-organiser of the Teacher Training Day for the teachers at the English Academy for Newcomers on 2 April 2022; Theme: Intercultural Communication

·        3-4 June 2016, Conference President of ‘Glocalisation of Professional Development in ELT’ – Gediz University & NILE (Norwich Institute for Language Education), joint International Conference held at Gediz University in Izmir, Turkey (Plenary speakers: Prof David Nunan, Prof Wasyl Cajkler, Prof Yasemin Kirkgoz, Dr Julie Norton and Dave Allen)

·        April-June 2015, A member of the organising committee of 'Teachers Research!' - IATEFL ReSIG Annual International Conference & 5th Gediz University Annual Teacher Research Conference held at Gediz University on 18-19 June 2015 / Conference Programme: http://resig.weebly.com/(...)h-10-06-2015_(2).pdf

·        General Organiser and Head of the Testing Committee: ‘Happy Communicators’ English Contest held among the primary schools in the Izmir province -13 May 2007 & 10 May 2008

Teacher Training Courses Delivered

·        16-22 March 2016, 5-day 25-hour Teacher Training for Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Erbil, Northern Iraq / Role in the project: Teacher Trainer

·        2014-2016, a series of workshops and seminars delivered to a group of instructors carrying out ‘Lesson Study (Research Lesson) as part of their professional development activities at Gediz University, School of Foreign Languages, Language Centre

·        10-19 August 2015, Leadership and Management Course designed for the Heads of English and School Principles in various schools in Tirana, Albania / Role in the project: Course Designer and Trainer

·        January 2015, 1 week 15-hour training course on Teaching English to Young Learners in Ankara, Turkey / Role in the project: Course Designer and Trainer

·        16-29 August 2014, a two-week Leadership and Management Course designed for the Heads of English, Istanbul - Turkey / Role in the project: Course Designer & Teacher Trainer

Professional Memberships

1.      MATSDA (Materials Evaluation Association)

2.      A member of the Lesson Study Research Group at the University of Leicester, School of Education

3.      A member of BALAB (https://www.balab.nl/) at Groningen University