Thomas Farrell
Thomas S. C. Farrell is an Irish-Canadian applied linguist and Professor of Applied Linguistics at Brock University in Ontario. For more than two decades his central subject has been reflective practice in language teaching — what it actually consists of, how teachers can do it without it collapsing into either self-help or self-criticism, and how it interacts with teacher cognition and career development.
Farrell's contribution has been to turn a fashionable term into a usable framework. His "Framework for Reflecting on Practice" (philosophy, principles, theory, practice, beyond practice) has become one of the most borrowed structures in ELT teacher education. He writes in a mild, persuasive register that belies the persistence of the programme behind it.
Career
- Began his career teaching English in Korea
- PhD in Applied Linguistics
- Professor of Applied Linguistics at Brock University, Canada
- Has worked extensively with teacher educators across Asia, Europe, and the Americas
Published Work
- Reflective Language Teaching: From Research to Practice (2007, 2014)
- Reflective Practice in ESL Teacher Development Groups (2014)
- Reflective Writing for Language Teachers (2013)
- From Trainee to Teacher: Reflective Practice for Novice Teachers (2016)
- Numerous edited volumes on novice, experienced, and late-career teacher reflection
Influence
- Mainstream frame of reference for how Reflective Practice is taught to language teachers
- Provided a structured alternative to unguided "journaling" models of reflection
- Widely cited in programmes that use observation, discussion groups, and case-based inquiry as professional development