Rate My Professor Rachel Tancred

Rachel Tancred is a committed educator serving as a Teacher at the University of Otago Language Centre within the Pathway and English Language Centre at the University of Otago in Dunedin. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts degree obtained from the University of Otago and a CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) qualification from Cambridge. Having graduated from the University of Otago's English and Linguistics programmes, Tancred leverages this background to deliver high-quality English language instruction tailored to the needs of international students seeking pathway programmes to undergraduate degrees.

Throughout her career, Tancred has accumulated extensive experience in English language teaching. She has been an ESL teacher at the University of Otago Language Centre and Foundation Year programme for the past decade as documented in 2019, indicating a tenure starting around 2009. Additionally, she brings international perspective from her teaching stint in South Korea. Her pedagogical approach emphasises practical, engaging activities that develop key language skills such as speaking, listening, pronunciation, intonation, stress, and rhythm. A notable example of her innovative teaching is her integration of World Read Aloud Day on February 1 into classroom assessments. Elementary-level students selected children's picture books, summarised the stories, explained their choices, and read favourite sections aloud, focusing on pronunciation and fluency. To extend this, she organised inter-level collaborations where elementary students shared their books with intermediate students in small groups, receiving feedback on unfamiliar words—like the silent 'p' in 'cupboard' or the meaning of 'imagination'—and corrections on pronunciation. Groups rotated multiple times, enhancing confidence ahead of presentations. Intermediate students benefited from listening and reading practice. Tancred further incorporated a running dictation activity using the classic tongue twister 'Betty Botter' by Carolyn Wells. Students practised reciting it rapidly, with some creating raps and videos on their phones. This competitive activity, divided by gender groups, sharpened enunciation of sound variations, with notable performances in rhythm and rapping. Such methods underscore her commitment to dynamic, student-centred learning that boosts engagement and skill acquisition.

Active in the New Zealand TESOL community, Tancred participated in the CLESOL conference, appreciating it as a platform for 'the sharing of practical ideas.' Her efforts contribute to the centre's reputation as a provider of quality programmes, supported by professional teachers and modern facilities, as a member of English New Zealand.