I work primarily on curriculum analysis, syllabus building, and the design of structured ESL materials for adult learners. My focus is on turning clear goals, can-do descriptors, and specifications into coherent, well-scaffolded courses and materials.
Alongside this, I support assessment-style content, editing, and quality assurance (QA), ensuring materials remain consistent, level-appropriate, and reliable across larger sets. I use AI as a drafting and refinement tool within clearly defined standards and style guides, with structured review processes to maintain accuracy and pedagogical intent. I also use advanced spreadsheets to support tracking, tagging, QA checks, and production workflows during development.
Selected work
The examples below illustrate how I approach curriculum design, materials development, and quality control in longer-term projects. They’re not an exhaustive portfolio, but snapshots of the kind of thinking and structure I bring to complex content work.
Selected project: IELTS test suite development
The challenge
A leading online language-learning platform needed six full IELTS practice tests covering Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The brief required authentic exam-style texts and scripts, high-quality audio, and question sets that closely matched IELTS task demands and difficulty.
The solution
- Wrote authentic IELTS-style texts, scripts, and question sets across a wide range of topics.
- Developed, edited, and adapted questions for texts and scripts produced by multiple contributors.
- Managed audio script finalisation and studio coordination, including recording briefs, examiner prompts, and post-production refinement.
- Carried out thorough copy-editing and test validation to ensure accuracy, consistency, and exam reliability.
The impact
- Successfully implemented six full mock exams, used by thousands of students for IELTS preparation.
Selected project: Innovative tagging system for syllabus analysis
The challenge
A language-learning platform needed a way to map and align multiple ESL syllabuses from major publications, so teachers could quickly identify gaps, overlaps, and suitable supplementary materials for different learner needs.
The solution
- Designed a comprehensive tagging framework to analyse linguistic, functional, and skills-based syllabus elements.
- Implemented structured metadata linking lessons, skills, vocabulary, grammar points, and aims-based learning outcomes.
- Used the resulting analysis to develop a clear aims framework, guiding the creation of new syllabuses and targeted learning materials.
The impact
- Enabled clear, data-informed curriculum decisions across multiple syllabus sources.
- Provided a scalable framework for future materials development, including supplementary grammar, vocabulary, and functional language units.
- Improved consistency and alignment across courses while reducing duplication and gaps.
Selected project: Adaptive testing models for CEFR and coursebook curricula
The challenge
An online language-learning platform needed two complementary testing models: one supporting incremental assessment mapped to CEFR levels (A1–C1), and another providing end-of-unit tests aligned with multiple major ESL coursebook series.
The solution
- Designed two structured testing models integrated with existing syllabus and curriculum mappings.
- Built and managed a large, level-calibrated question bank to support both CEFR-based progression and coursebook-aligned assessment.
- Oversaw writing, editing, and review processes to ensure level appropriacy, consistency, and pedagogical quality across all test items.
The impact
- Enabled granular tracking of learner progress, giving educators clearer insights into strengths and gaps.
- Improved alignment between teaching materials and assessment outcomes across courses.
- Increased learner engagement by making progress and improvement visible and measurable over time.
Selected project: AI integration for material development and rules-based automation
The challenge
A learning platform faced time and capacity constraints when producing high-quality ESL materials, particularly when filling gaps in an aims-driven syllabus. Fully manual writing processes limited speed and made it difficult to scale content development consistently.
The solution
- Integrated AI-assisted drafting into the materials workflow to support faster content creation, while keeping human review and editorial control at every stage.
- Designed structured prompts and rules-based constraints to ensure outputs aligned with syllabus aims, level requirements, and pedagogical standards.
- Embedded review and refinement stages so AI-supported drafts could be edited, validated, and finalised by experienced writers.
The impact
- Accelerated materials development without compromising quality or consistency.
- Enabled scalable drafting support while preserving human authorship and judgement.
- Improved turnaround times for syllabus-driven materials, particularly for targeted gap-filling content.
Selected project: Development of a scaffolding-based
General English syllabus for IELTS
The challenge
Many learners struggled to progress from General English into IELTS preparation due to a lack of structured scaffolding. This made it difficult to achieve meaningful band score improvements (for example, progressing from Band 4.5 to 6.0) without frustration or disengagement.
The solution
- Designed a progression-based syllabus that bridged General English and IELTS preparation through clearly staged skill development.
- Integrated exam-relevant skills and task types gradually, rather than introducing them abruptly.
- Created targeted scaffolding activities to support incremental skill acquisition and confidence-building.
The impact
- Helped learners transition smoothly from General English into IELTS preparation.
- Reduced learner overwhelm by clarifying expectations and progression routes.
- Improved learner outcomes by aligning language development more closely with IELTS performance demands.
💡 Want to discuss a project or see how I can help?
English (UK)