Michael Boutet graduated with his MA in applied language studies. Boutet credits the program with providing him with an opportunity to examine two academic interests. These included both language learning and teaching, while allowing him to expand his “knowledge of critical discourse analysis and rhetoric.”
Boutet, a former high school teacher, plans to relocate to England to continue his profession, while his wife pursues her PhD.
Michelle Beimers obtained her BA Honours in applied language studies. The program exposed her to a number of fields of study, which she feels enabled her to focus on those that interested her most.
She plans to pursue a Masters degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) housed in the University of Toronto. During her time there, she will examine second language education and its impact on language policy as well as the issues related to bilingual and multilingual educational settings.
As she prepares to leave Ottawa for Toronto, she gives thanks to faculty in SLALS.
“I am grateful to the support and encouragement that Prof. Ellen Cray gave me during the entire application process and throughout my honours’ project.”
Jessica Gilmour graduated with her BA Honours in applied language studies. Gilmour switched from the University of Ottawa where she completed her first year in math, to Carleton’s linguistics program. She found the program had many parallels to her studies in math and preferred the smaller class sizes.
This fall, Gilmour will pursue her Masters in speech language pathology at McGill University’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. After she has completed the two-year program, she hopes to return to Ottawa to practice.
George Ross has graduated with his BA Honours in general linguistics. When Ross first began his studies at Carleton, he intended to get his TESL certificate and move on to teach in more exotic climes.
Initially interested in a range of fields, among them history – in which he minored, and other subjects ranging from those offered in the arts and humanities to the sciences, Ross was least familiar with linguistics. Despite a propensity for learning language, it wasn’t until he reached his third year that he discovered a passion for theoretical linguistics and applied language studies that would come to shape his future.
Abandoning plans of travel to the future, Ross is pursuing his MA in applied language studies at Carleton. He will focus on writing and genre studies. He then plans to begin his PhD in either his current research area of in theoretical linguistics. Long-term, Ross hopes to continue to research or teach in the field. The world awaits…
Other medalists include:
Alison Louise Smith, BA, Applied Language Studies