Staff profile

I teach French language classes as well as modules in Interpreting and Translation History. I also supervise undergraduate year-abroad projects. 

In terms of scholarship and research, my recent activities have focused on language learning pedagogy, study abroad, and the Modern Languages curriculum more broadly. 

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; I completed my undergraduate degree at Oxford before coming to Durham to study for an MA and PhD.

I am very much interested in the promotion of the French language and francophone culture in the UK as well as in encouraging study abroad. I play an active role in MLAC’s Outreach programme (feel free to email in relation to schools outreach/collaboration, etc).

Chapter in book

• McKinnon, Simon (2022). Understanding Diverse Learning Abroad Through Case Study Research. In Designing Second Language Study Abroad Research. McGregor, J. & Plews, J.L. Palgrave Macmillan. 193.
• Johnson, Penny & McKinnon, Simon (2018). Positioning Year-Long Study Abroad at the Centre of the Modern Languages Curriculum: Supporting and Assessing Learning. In Second Language Study Abroad: Programming, Pedagogy and Participant Engagement. Plews, John L & Misfeldt, Kim Palgrave Macmilan. 25-47.
• McKinnon, Simon (2017). Foregrounding intercultural learning during study abroad as part of a modern languages degree. In Intercultural Interventions in Study Abroad. Jackson, Jane & Oguro, Susan Routledge. 103-118.
• McKinnon, Simon (2016). Translating identity: The 'Debate Betwene The Heraldes', John Coke's 1549 translation of the 'Débat des hérauts d'armes'. In Interconnecting Translation Studies and Imagology. Doorslaer, Luc van, Flynn, Peter & Leerssen, Joep John Benjamins Publishing Company. 119: 21-35.
• McKinnon, Simon (2006). Les Anglais dans la documentation pamphlétaire française du début du XVIe siècle. In Les écrits courts à vocation polémique. Ertlé, Barbara & Gosman, Martin Peter Lang. 9: 129-139.
• McKinnon, Simon (2003). Jean Bouchet: 'L'Epistre d'Henry VII' à Henry VIII, son 'epistre dangleterre'. In Jean Bouchet: Traverseur des voies périlleuses (1476-1557). Britnell, Jennifer & Dauvois, Nathalie Honoré Champion (Classiques Garnier). 53-62.

Conference Paper

• McKinnon, Simon (2019), 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).
• McKinnon, Simon (2019), Encouraging students to value what we value: shaping student learning abroad'. – 'Thinking Global: Year Abroad Conference 2019 (University of Leeds, UK).
• McKinnon, Simon (2019), 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, Simon (2017), The Transformative potential of engagement with scholarship'. – 'EuroSoTL 2017: Transforming patterns through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Lund University, Sweden).
• McKinnon, Simon (2016), Teaching-focused academics and the scholarship of engagement'. – 'Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship 2016 (UCL, London).
• McKinnon, Simon (2015), 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, Simon & Johnson, Penelope (2014), 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).

Journal Article

• McKinnon, Simon (2020). Encouraging students to value what we value: recognising student priorities and shaping student learning abroad. The Language Scholar 7: 59-73.
• Johnson, Penelope & McKinnon, Simon (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, Simon (2015). Translation at the Service of Greater Britain. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 8(2): 252-262.