Lawrie Moore

I work in the University of Applied Sciences system in Austria. There are about 16 of these education institutions in the country and I’ve taught at about eight of them. I teach English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in lots of different study programs, like entrepreneurship, tax management, media management, IT, or gaming (yes, there is a degree program in gaming, and it is so fun). I also teach English for Academic Purposes (EAP), which means that I help students develop academic writing skills, presentation techniques, and anything else they need to know to succeed at the university.

In addition to those language-focused areas, I also teaching Content-Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), both of which mean that I teach subject material in English instead of German, the primary language of instruction in Austria.

I teach in-person, online, blended, and hybrid.

I am passionate about teacher training, especially on the CELTA course. It is a rigorous certification course for future English-language teachers. I love getting to know new trainers and watching their careers develop.

I’ve also done teacher training workshops for school teachers in Austria. These have included integrating learner autonomy aspects into teaching, making classes more entertaining for students, and low-prep teaching.

A third area of teacher training I’ve done is at language schools and training institutions. I’ve led professional training workshops on teaching various areas of ESP, making sure that courses are student-centered, curriculum development, and using Moodle, just to name a few.

I have led corporate training workshops and courses at many, many different companies throughout Austria. I have held courses in Finance, Banking, Leadership Skills, Intercultural Communication, Business English, Academic Writing, and much more. Some companies I have trained include the Austrian National Library, Austria’s Ministry of Finance, Siemens, Deloitte, and many more.

Besides teaching, I work in areas related to testing and assessment. I create exams for the courses I teach, centered the thesis for my MA in Language Development on a type of assessment, and have given workshops in how to develop tests and grading for Moodle.

For many years, I was a writing and speaking examiner for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This exam is necessary for non-English speakers to gain entrance to universities or to get a visa for the UK.

A third area of assessment I am involved in is the Austrian school leaving exam (Matura), the centralized exam that all high school students in Austria need to complete in order to graduate. I proofread the English tasks and serve as judge on the grading committee.

Finally, I contribute academic service in a couple of different ways. I’ve been on the steering committee of IATEFL’s Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group since 2017. I also regularly give free-of-charge courses to refugees in Austria.