Chichester Masters student visits campus after global teaching award
A University of Chichester postgraduate student has visited the University’s campus while in the UK, following international recognition for her innovative approach to English language teaching.
Indeewari Mendis, who studies on the online MA Education (TESOL) programme, travelled to the UK to attend the IATEFL annual conference in Brighton after being recognised by Cambridge University Press & Assessment for work supporting learner independence. While in Sussex, she took the opportunity to visit the University of Chichester campus and meet academic staff connected to her studies.
Indeewari, originally from Sri Lanka and now based in Vietnam, has been teaching English since 2015 and currently works as a Young Learner Coordinator in Ho Chi Minh City. Although she began her career without formal qualifications, she went on to complete her CELTA and later achieved a Trinity College London teaching qualification through the British Council. She moved to Vietnam in 2022, progressing into academic management while continuing her professional development through postgraduate study at Chichester.
Her recognition by Cambridge University Press & Assessment followed collaborative work developed with fellow educators, including Ahisha Haneef of the British Council Sri Lanka. After identifying that learners often repeated the same mistakes due to limited opportunities for self-reflection, the group established a community of practice in which teachers designed tools such as learner diaries and progress monitoring portfolios. These tools enable students to reflect on their learning, track progress and take greater ownership of their development.
The approach has since been trialled successfully with students in Vietnam and Sri Lanka and is now being used within British Council Vietnam.
Indeewari is currently adapting this work for her MA dissertation at the University of Chichester, which is funded by the British Council. Her research explores how reflective learning tools can be tailored for primary-aged learners, using simplified language, visual cues, ‘can do’ statements and emojis to support younger pupils’ cognitive and linguistic development.
Speaking during her visit to Chichester, Indeewari reflected on the value of studying alongside her professional practice.
“Studying at Chichester has been very interesting. The research module gave me the confidence to question my own practice and test ideas in a structured way. The academic support, tutorials and library resources have been incredibly helpful, especially for my dissertation.”
She also described attending IATEFL as a scholarship recipient as a major milestone: “This was my first international conference, and attending as a scholarship winner was incredibly inspiring. I came away with new ideas, new perspectives and connections with teachers from all over the world.”
Dr Francisco Melara Gutierrez, Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Chichester, said: “Indeewari’s work demonstrates how research-informed teaching can make a real impact in classrooms around the world. We have very high expectations for her future career.”
Heather Green, MA Education Online Programme Coordinator, added: “It was a pleasure to welcome Indeewari to campus and hear first-hand about the impact of her work. Her story highlights the global reach of the MA Education Online for learners across the world.”
