Biography
Dr. Kent Williams has been a Lecturer in the department of Culture and Language Studies at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo since 2017. He received the Renison University College Teaching Excellence Award in 2019. While teaching full-time, he completed his PhD in Applied Linguistics at Carleton University in 2020. His research focuses on the development and assessment of L2 speech fluency and pronunciation, and the use of computer-assisted language learning tools for assessment for learning purposes. His most recent work was published in System, which is a top-tier journal within the field of Applied Linguistics. Prior to coming to Waterloo, he taught for many years across the globe, including several stints in South Korea, Vietnam, and the Czech Republic. In his spare time, he enjoys playing and writing music, and spending time with his wife, step-daughter, and pets.
Education
PhD in Applied Linguistics, Carleton University
MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics, Brock University
BFA in Music, York University
Teaching
Applied Language Studies
APPLS 306 – Language Assessment and Testing
APPLS 391 – Intermediate Topics: Phonetics
Arts First
ARTS 140 – Language Learning Truths (specifically designed for EMLS students)
English for Multilingual Speakers
EMLS 601 – Speaking English for Professional Purposes
EMLS 621 – Speaking Effectively about Research
EMLS 103 – Effective English Pronunciation
EMLS 101 – Oral Communications for Academic Purposes
Publications
- Williams, K. (in press). Examining relationships between raters' conversational styles and their assessments of English language learners’ conversational fluency. Applied Pragmatics
- Williams, K. (2024). Exploring English for academic purposes instructors’ perceptions of speech fluency through developing and piloting a rating scale for a paired conversational task. System, 121.
- Williams, K. (2018). A mixed-methods study exploring perceptions of speech fluency. CONTACT, 44(2)35-40.
Awards
Renison University College Teaching Excellence Award – 2019
Selected Conference Presentations
- Williams, K. (2022, October). Using Auto Analysis to measure fluency and intelligibility gains [Paper presentation]. TESL Ontario Online Virtual Conference.
- Williams, K. (2019, December). Developing a rating scale to assess speech fluency [Paper presentation]. TESL Ontario. Toronto, Canada.
- Williams, K. (2018, November). Examining speech fluency development during repetitive interactive tasks [Paper presentation]. Toronto, Canada
- Williams, K. (2016, September). Exploring perceptions of second language speech fluency. [Paper Presentation]. Second Language Research Forum, New York, United States
- Williams, K. (2016, June). Exploring perceptions of second language speech fluency. [Paper Presentation] 19th Warwick International Postgraduate Conference in Applied Linguistics, Coventry, United Kingdom