Laura Edwards is a Lecturer in Business English. She has worked in English language teaching, teacher training and language assessment for over 20 years. She is completing a Professional Doctorate in TESOL at the University of St Andrews and is the author of a book on freelance English language teachers in Germany. Her research focuses on the professional lives of language teachers, particularly questions of identity and precarity.
Areas of expertise
Business English · Language assessment and test development · Teacher professional development
Research interests
Teacher professional development · Teacher identity · Precarity in ELT
Education
- Professional Doctorate (DProf) in TESOL, University of St Andrew, Scotland (expected 2027)
- MA Technology, Education and Learning (Distinction), University of Leeds, UK
- MEd Leadership and Management, The Open University, UK
- BA English, Philosophy and German, Maynooth University, Ireland
Publications
Edwards, L. (2026). Beyond the ghosts: Navigating identity, precarity, and haunting in freelance ELT. Practice Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/25783858.2026.2671672
Edwards, L. (2026). Beyond the classroom: Redefining identity and professional growth in freelance ELT. https://www.lauraedwardselt.com www.lauraedwardselt.com
In your Business English modules, you will develop your English communication skills to prepare you for work in an international environment, with colleagues, customers and clients from around the world. You will expand your knowledge of business vocabulary, topics and skills – through English.
To succeed, it is not enough to simply understand what you read or hear. Through your English modules, you will use English in a variety of different business situations: pitching ideas, giving feedback, taking part in discussions, and writing reports, emails and case studies. You will also learn how to communicate with people from different cultures and adapt your language to different situations.
The modules build on each other, so the knowledge you gain in one module will support you in the next.
The centre point of your learning will be the classroom, where you will develop your skill through practice, discussion and feedback with your teacher and other students. This means that regular attendance and active participation are essential to your success.
In addition to your classes, self-study is required to complete the modules successfully. Depending on the module, you should expect to spend around 2 to 4 hours per week on self-study. This time should be used to review and build on what you have learnt in class – it does not replace it.
Grammar is the building block of any language. As these courses start at either B2 or B2/C1 level, you are expected to have already mastered most grammar features. Your grammatical accuracy will be assessed in your written tasks, but you will be required to work on your grammar independently. It is therefore an essential part of your success. You will find a range of grammar books for self-study in the library, from Intermediate to Advanced level.
