James NICOLL
Instructor I at Chan Feng Men-ling Chan Shuk-Lin Language Centre
Contact InformationOffice:LI-3400
Phone: (852) 3442 6434
Fax: (852) 3442 0359
Email:enjames@cityu.edu.hk

James has over thirty years' experience in in English Language Teaching (ELT), mostly in Hong Kong. For many years he worked at The British Council, before moving to the university sector. His experience includes creating, coordinating and delivering English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses, as well as Professional English courses.
As well as working in tertiary institutes, he has delivered ELT courses for a wide range of Hong Kong companies and the Hong Kong Government.
Recently, James spent six years at a division of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University where he was responsible for managing a variety of different courses. His responsibilities included curriculum development, generating materials, overseeing courses and assessment, as well as teacher training.
He has been an examiner for a number of different local and international exams.
He joined the City University Language Centre in the summer of 2020.
James has particular professional interests in Technology Enhanced Language Learning (TELL), materials development, academic literacy and teacher education.
In terms of classroom practice, he favours a broadly task based, "weakly" communicative approach, which actively involves the learners. He feels that affect and motivation are crucial elements of the learning process.
Outside City University, James enjoys experiencing different cultures and travelling. He has visited over 70 different countries.
Selected Conference Presentations
Nicoll, J. (2015 19 August). The SPEED BEES Quizzes [Symposium presentation]. Blended Learning @ PolyU: Case Studies, PolyU Blended Learning Symposium: Teaching Beyond the Classroom, eLearning Development and Support Section (eLDSS) of the Educational Development Centre (EDC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
Nicoll, J., & Yip, H., (2015, 25-26 April). Using Learning Management Systems (LMS) in an English for Specific Purposes context [Conference presentation]. International Conference on English Education, Shih Chien University, Taipei.
Nicoll, J. (2014, 7-9 March). Stirring the Pot at Cauldrons: An Ethnographic Case Study of Pedagogic Concordancing in a Hong Kong Workplace Setting [Conference presentation]. International Second Asia Pacific Corpus Linguistics Conference (APCLC 2014), Research Centre for Professional Communication in English, Department of English, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
Nicoll, J. (2001, 3-4 November). Various Practical Uses for IT for Teachers of English [Conference presentation]. Interface 2001, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education and The British Council Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Nicoll, J. (2013, 21 December). How do People Learn Languages? [Conference presentation]. (Guest Speaker), Foshan Foreign Language Education Forum, Foshan, PRC.
Nicoll, J. (2001, 17-21 April). Why do teachers choose, or not choose, to use CALL? [Conference presentation]. 35th International Annual International Association for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) Conference, Brighton, UK.
Nicoll, J. (2000). Keynote Address [Conference presentation]. 2000 China CALL Association Conference, Guangzhou, PRC.
Nicoll, J. (1998, March). Storybook Weaver [Conference presentation]. Interface 98, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, The British Council Hong Kong, Hong Kong.