Our dedicated team have a combined experience in various countries all over the world.
The staff at the ELTC come from a variety of backgrounds including literacy, education, business, linguistics and marketing.
Director of the ELTC
Transition Strategic Lead - Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy
Christine Faulkner (SFHEA)
Programme Director of the International Foundation Course
IFC Module Leader - Professional Development
Christine is the Director of the English Language Training Centre and Programme Director of the International Foundation Course, and a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA). She teaches on the Pre-Sessional Programme and the International Foundation Course on which she is also the module leader for the Professional Development module.
Christine joined the ELTC at Cardiff Metropolitan (then UWIC) in 2008 having gained her CELTA in 2003 at Bristol University. Prior to joining the ELTC, she worked at The Parade ESOL Service for five years and completed her PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and Training in 2007.
She has attended a wide range of seminars and conferences, most recently the 2021 BALEAP conference (virtual). As part of Learn English in Wales, she has hosted and co-convened the 2016, 2018 and 2019 conferences at Cardiff Metropolitan.
Her Masters in Education dissertation examined the English language learning experiences of Chinese students.
In addition to her role as DIrector of the ELTC, Christine is also the Transition Strategic Lead for the School of Education and Social Policy.
In her spare time, Christine enjoys running and is passionate about travelling and exploring new countries.
Deputy Director of the ELTC (Monday - Wednesday)
Maria Bond (SFHEA)
IFC Module Leader - English for General Academic Purposes
Maria is a keen linguist who graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2009 with a BA (Hons) in Modern Languages with Interpreting (French and Spanish). Her experiences as an international student in both France and Argentina inspired her action research based around the promotion of learner autonomy and engagement of students using a variety of teaching methodologies combined with technology.
Maria began teaching in 2010, completing her CELTA qualification at International House (CLIC) Seville. After working in private language schools around Cardiff for a year, she returned to Seville in 2011 where she taught general English and Cambridge exam classes at the English Language Institute (ELI) until June 2013. Maria joined the ELTC in July 2013, first as an English Language Tutor on the Summer Pre-Sessional Course then progressing to the role of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Module Leader in September of the same year. In December 2014, she took on the role of Acting Manager of the ELTC and was appointed Deputy Director of the Centre in March 2015. In January 2018, Maria reduced her hours in the Centre and now shares the role of Deputy Director with Dorne Newland-Edwards.
In addition to assisting the Director of the ELTC with the running of the Centre, Maria teaches on both the Pre-Sessional and International Foundation Courses, on which she is currently the English for General Academic Purposes (EGAP) module leader. In June 2018, Maria successfully completed the Postgraduate Certificate Teaching in Higher Education (PgCTHE) at Cardiff Metropolitan University, and in doing so became a Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA). Maria became a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA) in May 2024.
When she's not working, Maria enjoys running and completed the Cardiff Half Marathon in both 2018 and 2022.
Deputy Director of the ELTC (Thursday - Friday)
Dorne Newland-Edwards (FHEA)
English Language Tutor (Wednesday)
IFC Module Leader - English Language Proficiency
Dorne shares the role of Deputy Director of the ELTC with Maria Bond, and is an English Language Tutor within the centre. She teaches on the Pre-Sessional Programme and the International Foundation Course on which she is also the module leader for the English Language Proficiency module. Dorne is a Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA).
Dorne moved from a business management position in the private sector to Cardiff University in 1996, where she spent many years in a senior position supporting learning and research. A major part of her role was coaching and mentoring, and having harboured a lifelong dream of teaching English to adults, Dorne decided to make the move in 2013.
Following successful completion of the Cambridge CELTA and Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS), Dorne then went on to teach Literacy to adults in the community and English Skills for Life to migrant workers, asylum seekers and refugees at Cardiff and Vale College. Dorne started working at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2014 as an English Language Tutor on the Pre-sessional Summer course, and then joined the ELTC's core team in April 2015. In March 2018, Dorne became the Deputy Director of the ELTC on Thursdays and Fridays.
Dorne's hobbies include cooking, photography and running, but she has a particular passion for hiking and has walked the length of Hadrian's Wall.
Teaching Team
Zobiea Nasir (FHEA)
English Language Tutor
IFC Module Leader - Context Analysis
Zobiea’s teaching career began in 2005, in both public and private sectors.
In 2008, she completed the Cambridge CELTA at Bristol University, followed by a Masters in TESOL in 2012, at the University of Wales, Newport (currently University of South Wales), and is a Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA).
Zobiea joined the ELTC in 2013, and teaches on the Pre-Sessional Programme, and the International Foundation Course on which she is the module leader for the Context Analysis module.
In 2016, Zobiea delivered the Pre-Sessional Programme at Renmin University, Beijing, China.
Other courses she has delivered at Cardiff Met are In-Sessional Foundation Support, the Cardiff School of Management International Foundation Course, General English to Ukrainian Gymnasts, and in 2022, she designed and delivered a virtual session to Uzbek educators combining teaching and training.
Zobiea is an avid sports fan, enjoys learning about various cultures, and is fluent in Urdu and Punjabi.
Pierre Gaite (FHEA)
English Language Tutor
IFC Module Leader - Critical Thinking
Pierre began teaching in 2009, working as a secondary school English teacher for a number of years. This often involved working with students who were new arrivals in the UK or were otherwise non-native speakers, and as a result Pierre has experience of teaching both the National Curriculum and English language skills. He has worked for the ELTC since 2013, initially as a tutor for the Summer Pre-Sessional Course before taking on a longer-term role in 2015, completing his CELTA at Cardiff Metropolitan in the same year.
Pierre teaches on the Pre-Sessional as well as the International Foundation Course, where he acts as the module leader for Critical Thinking. Outside of the ELTC, he has completed a PhD in Medieval History at Cardiff University, where he also carried out undergraduate teaching. His primary research and academic interests now involve cognitive neuroscience and how it can inform teaching practice.
Amanda Syder
English Language Tutor
IFC Module Leader - English for Specific Academic Purposes
Amanda began teaching in 2008 and has taught in various countries, including China, Morocco, Spain, Vietnam, and Colombia. She has a Masters in TESOL and has a keen interest in language learning strategies. Amanda has extensive experience teaching General English, Academic English, and exam preparation classes. In Colombia, she worked as a coordinator of a level, helping to develop a new program with a team, and independently developing the new course for her level based on project-based learning. In this role, she was responsible for coordinating a medium-sized team of teachers and large number of students. She currently teaches at Cardiff Metropolitan university in both the pre-sessional summer courses and the IFC program, where her role is also Module Leader for English for Specific Academic Purposes.
In her free time, Amanda enjoys practising Spanish with friends in the international community, travelling to different countries to learn about new cultures, and is passionate about dance.
Associate Tutors
The ELTC is supported by an exerienced group of Associate Tutors.
Centre Administration
Natasha Parry
ELTC Administrator
Natasha joined the ELTC in January 2019 and provides all the administrative support in the Centre. She is usually the first point of contact for our students and colleagues alike.
