About the Author

Joan Cutting (PhD Edinburgh) is a Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Edinburgh, UK, where she teaches courses on TESOL methodology, materials evaluation and design, curriculum development, and text and discourse for TESOL. She researches vague language, in-group code, English for Specific Purposes, Scottish English, cross-cultural differences, and international students’ interactions in UK Higher Education. She was meetings secretary of the British Association of Applied Linguistics 2004–06. She is author of Analysing the Language of Discourse Communities (2000),editor of Vague Language Explored (2007) and co-editor of the Edinburgh Textbooks in TESOL series (2013–17).

Jessica Watson, MEd (Applied Linguistics), has created the material on this website. She also hosts the website and blog www.DoitinEnglish.com, where learners of English are encouraged to practise their language skills. Jessica taught English in Europe and Asia, and is interested in learner motivation and autonomy.