Fall 2020 Graduation Celebration

Heather Berghuis, CTESL

It was almost 30 years ago that I received my undergrad degree in Social Work, so I was quite nervous about going back to school. I had been volunteering in ESL with little confidence before getting certified. I am so thankful for the practical tools and advice Don and Michael provided in the Practicum and Methodology courses. I feel confident in my present volunteer ESL positions and am not only teaching but contributing to curriculum development using the practical tools and advice they gave.

My plans are to combine my training in TESL with my passion for sewing and hospitality in order to help build relationships between newcomers to Canada and their Canadian neighbours. I am also taking advantage of various professional development opportunities online.

I loved my classmates! Being about 30 years older than most of my classmates, I loved being in class with them. What a talented, passionate group of young people and how disappointed I was that our time together abruptly ended with the COVID restrictions! I know the world will be blessed as you break out and use your education!

Area(s) of Interest:
ESL for Newcomers to Canada

Caitlin Akiko Bergin, MA (ALDS)

I really enjoyed the overall experience! My courses were interesting, informative and the professors were very fair, knowledgeable, and experienced. Everyone I met was very friendly and welcoming. I made a lot of good friends in the program. It was a very positive experience!

I am currently pursuing a PhD in Linguistics, Language Documentation, and Revitalization at Carleton!

I will miss spending time in the ALDS grad lounge! Whether we were studying, writing, working on projects together, or socializing, the grad lounge was the perfect place. I was really grateful to have such a space available to us.

Area(s) of Interest:
Indigenous language education, revitalization and maintenance.

Samantha Harris, BA (ALDS), CTESL

Apart from the interesting course content, my favourite thing about the program is the professors and small class sizes. The professors in the applied linguistics department as well as those involved with the CTESL certificate were so knowledgeable and approachable. Their obvious passion for the course topics made it all the more engaging to learn. Specifically, my professors in the CTESL specialization became mentors that I really looked up to.

In my next steps I hope to pursue a career where I can implement the skills that I have learned over the past few years, ideally involving my passion for language, communication and helping others. My goal is to complete a Master of Science in Audiology and Speech Sciences. I am originally from Prince Edward Island and as much as I love home, I am always looking forward to my next adventure! I have recently moved to Vancouver, BC and I hope to gain hands on experience in a clinic setting.

Moving forward, I will miss the people the most! I have met so many incredible people in my program that I will never forget. This program has introduced me to some lifelong friends and hopefully some future colleagues. Whether we worked together in the classroom, a study group or on a committee I have so many great memories from my time at Carleton thanks to the amazing students and faculty within my program.

Area(s) of Interest:
Communication Disorders, Audiology, Teaching English as a Second Language

Roxan Heydarian Nemati, BA (ALDS), CTESL

The people. Almost everyone I met in my program was passionate about what they were studying. Linguistics is a vast field, and there are many areas that one can choose to focus on. This diversity (alongside the love and passion I felt from my fellow students and faculty) are something that I will always carry in my heart now that I’m ready to undertake new adventures as a Carleton alumni!

So I went on an academic exchange in France during my last year to learn some French. I loved my experience so much that I decided to stay one more year and register for a masters program here in Lyon. I’m hoping to apply to some French SLP programs for next year. For now, I’m interested in the relationship between bilingualism, pathology, and proper clinical screening and assessment tools in bilingual and multicultural settings. And well, I guess that for the rest, I will just continue to enjoy the good bread, the great cheese and the amazing boulangerie-patisserie goodies one finds over here in France. Thank you Carleton for all the great opportunities you have offered me.

The support and accompaniment I received from both faculty and the administrative staff. I’m so thankful for my academic advisors, who accompanied and supported me at every step of my journey through Carleton, their help has been crucial for the accomplishment of my goals. Big thanks to Joan of course (you are simply the best), and to all the professors that I’ve encountered (both inside and outside the classroom) during my journey at Carleton, you have truly inspired me through your love and dedication to what you do.

Area(s) of Interest:
Psycholinguistics, Bilingualism, Language and Culture, Indigenous Languages

Raoof Moeini, PhD (ALDS)

The courses covered key areas of applied linguistics and discourse studies. I had the option to choose whatever courses I thought I needed. I found the annual mini-conference held every winter quite useful in helping those who wanted to start presenting in international conferences. With the supportive environment one could experience in the whole program the whole experience was quite useful.

The next step is to begin looking for a teaching/research position and furthering my research interest in language assessment.

I will miss the classes, the professors, the chats and talks with other students, and most importantly the library and the campus.

Area(s) of Interest:
The next step is to looking for a teaching/research position and furthering my research interest in language assessment.

Amy Lynn MacSween,  BA (ALDS), CTESL

My favorite thing about the program was the willingness and the drive of all my professors helping me to succeed, even when the pandemic came crashing down. They all cared about us.

I will have to find a small job to save up for a ticket to Japan. Not only that, but I also need rent and other expenses. I will also be applying for JET in the near future.

I will miss my professors, my fellow peers & colleagues. I’ll miss the schedule and the routine of Carleton.

Area(s) of Interest:
I am interested in applying the CTESL program abroad, moving to Japan to teach English there.

Tori Novelli, MA (ALDS)

My favourite thing was definitely all the amazing people I got to meet and work with.

Some RELAXATION

The community.

Area(s) of Interest:
Language revitalization, language documentation, decolonial research

Christopher Smith, PhD (ALDS)

I took some extremely informative courses in critical applied linguistics, cross-cultural communication, and second language acquisition. However, my favorite aspect of SLaLS is the sense of camaraderie among the graduate students – everyone is willing to listen or ask questions.

Currently, I’m a sessional lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Western University. However, I’m looking for a teaching position around Canada that aligns with my interests in multimodality, discourse analysis, and critical applied linguistics research.

To expand on my “favorite thing” about SLaLS, I wish to note that Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies is a massive plane on which many fields and disciplines cross into various tidepools of research. For example, a simple study of the use of color in textbooks might lead one down paths of literature associated with socio-cognitive research into communication, design, marketing, etc. Even for a veteran instructor of ESL, I was always fearful of getting lost or losing focus among those intersections that are hallmarks applied linguistics research. I will certainly miss the faculty’s efforts to build self-efficacy in navigating those crossroads… because there is so much awesome stuff to research!

Thesis Title:
A Triangulated Accounting of Top Notch 2: Negotiating Ideologies in the Multimodal Discourse of an EFL Textbook in Korean University Classrooms

Area(s) of Interest:
TESOL studies, critical discourse analysis, critical pedagogy, multimodality

Adam Stone, PhD (ALDS)

One of the many aspects of the program I deeply enjoyed was the opportunity I had to participate in varied research roles and projects, which helped me develop new skills, while enabling me to explore my interests and strengths.

My dream has been (and continues to be) to explore the intersections between the languages we speak and the geographic spaces we inhabit. As an exciting move in this direction, I have just started work at the Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre (GCRC) at Carleton University, where I am working in a number of areas including semantic web ontologies, Arctic data interoperability, and digital atlas management.

Those “light bulb” moments when a I’ve been able to help a student of mine, previously puzzled by the material, make the connections they need to understand the concepts.

Thesis Title:
Expanding the Understanding of Language Mapping

Area(s) of Interest:
Linguistic mapmaking, cartography, Indigenous Language Education, language education technologies

Lisa Valenta, Ma (ALDS)

From day one of my MA, I was so impressed with how the Instructors/Professors, TAs, and my fellow students really made me feel welcomed and valued. We were encouraged to share our ideas and thoughts in class and truly made to feel like co-researchers with a role to play rather than just passively digesting information from lectures.

I am enjoying more time with my young son who can’t remember a time when I wasn’t studying/doing homework. I am volunteering as a language workplace trainer for immigrants and also looking at employment opportunities in government and would love to eventually do some type of curriculum design work for adult language learning programs.

I will miss the engaging atmosphere of campus, where everyone is eager to share what they’re learning and support each other’s work.

Area(s) of Interest:
ESL, curriculum design, bilingualism, translanguaging

Alisa Zavialova, PhD (ALDS)

It’s hard to pin it down as I really enjoyed my years as a student in SLALS, but if I were to choose one thing, I’d say it was meeting my exceptional supervisor, Dr. David Wood. He will remain my role model for years to come, and I owe my successful career in second language education to him.

Since October 1st 2020, I have been working as the Coordinator of the English Language Department at UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico)-Canada located in Gatineau, QC). At UNAM, I am responsible for assessment, curricular design, and successful delivery of various linguistic and cultural immersion programs offered throughout the year for Mexican students who wish to improve their English levels in Canada. In addition, I work as a teacher trainer in the TESL/FL program at Algonquin College where I teach a course on instructional pragmatics and cross-cultural communication.

Weekly interactions with my supervisor and other faculty members and fellow grad students!

Thesis Title:
Exploring the Potential of a Formula-Enhanced Approach for Speech Act Teaching in Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada

Area(s) of Interest:
Instructional pragmatics, formulaic language, instructed SLA, cross-cultural communication