Tell us a bit about you and your background!

Hello! My name is Amber and I’m originally from the middle-of-nowhere in the Highlands of Scotland. Almost a decade ago I made the scary move to Glasgow as a first-year undergraduate and I am still here! During my almost 10 years at the University of Glasgow, I’ve studied English Language & Linguistics at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. This included spending a year studying abroad at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Following my year abroad, I have worked in various roles supporting and teaching international students since 2017. I am currently finishing up work on my PhD thesis which explores the rhetoric of food reform in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I am fascinated by how language can be used in different contexts, and I run a course called the ‘Power of Language’ for students on SLD’s Transitions to Glasgow (T2G) programme.

What is your job and what does it involve?

I am one of the Effective Learning Advisers for International Students. My job primarily involves helping our rich body of international students, who come from a vast array of geographical areas, transition to studying within the UK Higher Education context. This includes working with students in one-to-one, small group, and larger lecture-style settings. I advise students on everything from reading academic articles to structuring a dissertation, taking special consideration for some of the key challenges that international students can face during their academic journey. Alongside my core responsibilities, I am also part of the editorial team for [X]position, which is a multidisciplinary undergraduate journal. I actually wrote an article for [X]position myself back in 2017, so this is a bit of a full circle moment for me!

What are your favourite aspects of your job and your biggest passion project?

HAlongside getting to meet students from all over the world, my favourite aspect of my job is being able to combine my background in English Language & Linguistics with my support of international students’ learning. It is really rewarding to be able to employ my subject expertise in such a valuable way, teaching students about how language works in different contexts. This underpins my T2G course, the Power of Language, which I co-designed in 2021 alongside one of my English Language & Linguistics colleagues, Dr. Ewan Hannaford. This course is my biggest passion project as I love seeing students get excited about language and how it operates in society.

Outwith work, what are your favourite things to do?

When I’m not working with international students, my life revolves around my Japanese Shiba Inu Meeko. If enjoying the company of one Shiba wasn’t already enough, I also coordinate the Glasgow Shibas group, which involves lots of Shiba owners assembling in Glasgow parks to cause general chaos. Despite being only 3 years old, Meeko is a very lazy boy. When he isn’t being forced to socialise with his kind, he’s curled up on the couch with me whilst I am lost in a lengthy fantasy book. I am also a coffee enthusiast and enjoy hopping around Glasgow’s best coffee shops at the weekends, usually with a book and/or dog in tow! I even have a tattoo of a coffee plant. I highly recommend checking out Glasgow’s yearly coffee festival, which brings together some of Glasgow’s best coffee vendors (and there’s always a lot of cake!)

Before you go, what’s your one tip for succeeding in study/university/research/the workplace?

My biggest tip for succeeding is to not be afraid to ask for help when you need it, whether that be study advice from SLD, mental health support from Counselling & Psychological services, or even reaching out to a friend for coffee and a catch-up. I didn’t ask for help as often as I should during my undergraduate degree as I thought it would make me look like a ‘bad’ student – I couldn’t have been more wrong! During my Masters and PhD programmes I engaged in a lot more dialogue with lecturers which enabled me to develop my ideas and confidence.

Written by Amber Hinde, ELA International Students