Former Director of the Centre for Language and Learning and leading Caribbean academic in learner autonomy
Dr Beverly-Anne Carter, an outstanding academic and administrator who served for 17 years as the Director of the Centre for Language Learning (CLL) at UWI St Augustine, has received her professorship appointment. The appointment was announced in a statement from The UWI’s Office of Administration.
Professor Carter joined The UWI in 1991. She served at the St Augustine campus as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the French language, as Deputy Dean of both Students, and Distance and Outreach in the Faculty of Humanities and Education, and then as Director of CLL. She retired in October 2022.
“Professor Carter,” said a statement from The UWI, “earned her promotion to the highest academic rank at the institution following a rigorous assessment process by independent external assessors, which included evaluation of the quality and quantity of her research, publications, and other professional activities, including enhancement of the university’s reputation. Her appointment took effect during the last quarter of 2022.”
Her most outstanding contribution was at the helm of the CLL. She led the Centre through numerous quality assurance exercises, and supervised postgraduate students at the Masters and PhD levels. In addition, she received grant funding for several projects, most notably for the establishment of the first Confucius Institute at The UWI St Augustine campus. She also received funding to carry out the multidisciplinary research project, Language and Competitiveness – Positioning Trinidad and Tobago for Sustainable Development.
Under her directorship, CLL received official recognition from the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago for its contribution to Japanese language education. The Embassy of Korea in Trinidad and Tobago also recognised the Centre’s dedication to the teaching of the Korean language and culture.
Among her professional accolades, Professor Carter is the recipient of the prestigious French National Award, Chevalier des Palmes Académiques, for distinguished academic service in propagating the French language and culture. She has also received highly-regarded fellowships and awards from the University of Oxford, Mc Gill University, Harvard University and the University of the South Pacific.
One of her assessors commented, “Without a doubt, Dr Carter, based on publications and the standing of her work, is the leading Caribbean academic in learner autonomy, and stands tall in the field internationally for her longstanding research and practice in this domain. Her research has made a singular and distinctive contribution to the international applied language research literature; her writings have challenged and complexified taken-for-granted assumptions about learner autonomy, teacher/student responsibilities, and technology-mediated language learning.”
