His primary field of research is second language writing test performance. For his M.A. dissertation, he carried out a research project entitled "An investigation into the factors that affect computer-based language writing test performance." Other research interests include how peer reviews and computer-assisted language learning can be used to enhance language teaching and learning.
He is an experienced teacher of English for academic purposes (EAP) and other related subjects at the university level. He has taught English for more than 14 years in China, Turkey and the U.K. He has significant leadership experience, including leading EAP courses while at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) from 2011 to 2018, and at Bryant University, Zhuhai, from 2019 to 2021. He also has taken on a wide range of other university roles, such as chairing learning and teaching committees, and sitting on various scholarship panels and exam boards.
Shelmerdine has a B.A. in business studies from the University of Hertfordshire and an M.A. in applied linguistics for language teaching from Southampton University. In 2015, he was made a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.