Shirley Lawes is Subject Leader for Modern Foreign Languages at the Institute of Education, University of London where she lead the PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages. She has a background of experience in teaching French in Secondary schools, Further Education, Adult Education and industry and for the past 13 years has worked in the university sector as a PGCE tutor and researcher. Shirley is a member of the CILT – National Centre for Languages - Advisory Group on teacher training.

Her main area of research has been into teacher education and she has worked on other research projects in a variety of fields, notably in those of vocational education, disaffection and exclusion. Within the area of foreign languages teaching and learning, she has a particular interest in the place of culture and is currently researching the potential of film and film-making in the foreign languages classroom to improve attainment and motivation of Key Stage 3 learners. Shirley has published widely on a number of aspects of foreign language teaching and learning and on teacher education.