Dr Watts, who has worked at the university for more than 30 years in the fields of language teaching and learning, said: “I am thrilled and honoured that this work has been recognised. I firmly believe that languages are of crucial importance to young people, enabling them to compete effectively on international stages and to maximise opportunities in the increasingly global economy of the 21st century.”
Professor Julian Crampton, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, said: “The award is richly deserved and we are delighted Catherine has been honoured for her commitment to such an important field of education.”
Dr Watts’ doctorate explored some of the reasons behind the declining numbers of young people willing to take up foreign language study at university, while her classroom methods are rooted in theories of second-language acquisition.
She said her teaching aimed to: enhance communication with peers, staff and the wider academic community; promote a learner-centred, inclusive academic environment; and foster a spirit of enquiry. Thus, relevancy to the outside world is central to her work and she provides many opportunities to engage students beyond the lecture theatre by, for example, organising visiting speakers, arranging study visits, helping final-year students to publish their work and encouraging students to present at relevant conferences and research symposia.
One student said of her: “I have met no other higher education tutor who gives so much to their course. Her passion for English language rubs off on all students and her enthusiasm for interactive study helps encourage her students to do the same. She has inspired many of the students to enjoy their studies through her excellent teaching strategies and she has also proven to be an excellent tutor who will do her utmost to help the students in any way possible, even taking time out of her schedule to listen to people’s personal problems and doing the best she can to support them.”
Dr Watts currently directs Routes South, one of nine national consortia under the Higher Education Funding Council-funded Routes into Languages initiative to promote the uptake of foreign language study in universities. She has attracted substantial research funding to enhance the learning and teaching of languages, is a frequent contributor to national and international conferences, seminars and workshops and has a robust publications record spanning three decades.