Staff profile

I currently teach French language classes at various levels as well as an introductory module in Conference Interpreting. I also supervise undergraduate year-abroad projects.

My recent scholarship and research activities have focused on language learning pedagogy, study abroad, and the Modern Languages curriculum more broadly (see conferences and publications below).

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and mentor and assess applicants for HEA fellowships.

I am very much interested in the promotion of the French language and francophone culture in the UK. I play an active role in MLAC’s Outreach programme and have contributed to Sutton Trust and Supported Progression Summer Schools (so do feel free to email in relation to schools outreach/collaboration, etc).

Chapter in book

• McKinnon, S. Jean Bouchet: 'L'Epistre d'Henry VII' à Henry VIII, son 'epistre dangleterre'. In J. Britnell, & N. Dauvois (Eds.), Jean Bouchet: Traverseur des voies périlleuses (1476-1557) (53-62). Honoré Champion (Classiques Garnier). https://doi.org/10.15122/isbn.978-2-8124-5549-0.p.0053
• McKinnon, S. Translating identity: The 'Debate Betwene The Heraldes', John Coke's 1549 translation of the 'Débat des hérauts d'armes'. In L. V. Doorslaer, P. Flynn, & J. Leerssen (Eds.), Interconnecting Translation Studies and Imagology (21-35). John Benjamins Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.119.02mac
• McKinnon, S. Foregrounding intercultural learning during study abroad as part of a modern languages degree. In J. Jackson, & S. Oguro (Eds.), Intercultural Interventions in Study Abroad (103-118). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315276595-7
• McKinnon, S. Les Anglais dans la documentation pamphlétaire française du début du XVIe siècle. In B. Ertlé, & M. Gosman (Eds.), Les écrits courts à vocation polémique (129-139). Peter Lang
• Johnson, P., & McKinnon, S. Positioning Year-Long Study Abroad at the Centre of the Modern Languages Curriculum: Supporting and Assessing Learning. In J. L. Plews, & K. Misfeldt (Eds.), Second Language Study Abroad: Programming, Pedagogy and Participant Engagement (25-47). Palgrave Macmilan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77134-2_2
• McKinnon, S. (2022). Understanding Diverse Learning Abroad Through Case Study Research. In J. McGregor, & J. Plews (Eds.), Designing Second Language Study Abroad Research. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05053-4_10

Conference Paper

• McKinnon, S., & Johnson, P. (2014, December). From technophobe to technophile: getting students to see the benefits of electronic tools'. – 'DidTrad: Second International Conference on the Didactics of Translation (Universitat Autònoma, Barcelona, Spain)
• McKinnon, S. (2015, December). Bringing about a culture change: from gap year to year abroad'. – 'The Culture of Study Abroad for Second Languages Conference. St Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• McKinnon, S. (2016, December). Teaching-focused academics and the scholarship of engagement'. – 'Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship 2016 (UCL, London)
• McKinnon, S. (2019, December). Widening participation by improving employability prospects and confidence in the ability to succeed'. – 'Annual Cross-Sector Conference on New Perspectives on Language Teaching and Learning (University of Dundee, UK)
• McKinnon, S. (2017, December). The Transformative potential of engagement with scholarship'. – 'EuroSoTL 2017: Transforming patterns through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Lund University, Sweden)
• McKinnon, S. (2019, December). Encouraging students to value what we value: shaping student learning abroad'. – 'Thinking Global: Year Abroad Conference 2019 (University of Leeds, UK)
• McKinnon, S. (2019, December). Showing language learners the way by explaining why: (inter-)cultural learning while abroad'. – 'UK LINGUA 2019 – Multilingual Language Learning and Teaching Colloquium: Culture in the Language Classroom (Durham University, UK)

Journal Article

• McKinnon, S. (2020). Encouraging students to value what we value: recognising student priorities and shaping student learning abroad. The language scholar, 7, 59-73
• Johnson, P., & McKinnon, S. (2016). Preconceptions, perceptions and misconceptions: embedding scholarship in the teaching of modern languages at university. Practice and evidence of the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education, 11(1), 33-44
• McKinnon, S. (2015). Translation at the Service of Greater Britain. Žurnal Sibirskogo federalʹnogo universiteta. Seriâ Gumanitarnye nauki Журнал Сибирского федерального университета. Серия Гуманитарные науки (Online), 8(2), 252-262. https://doi.org/10.17516/1997-1370-2015-8-2-252-263