Testimonials

When I reflect on my studies with the TESL program at the University of Alberta, it's easy to conclude that the experience not only made me a better educator, but also prepared me for the types of curriculum innovation and educational leadership that will be the focus of my career... (full story)

Amy Abe, MEd 2017


After teaching abroad for six years, I came home with the realization that I would need to update my credentials if I were to continue teaching in Canada and establish a career for myself in a field I had come to love. Applying to the TESL Master's Program ... (full story)

Rozita Amini, MEd
LINC Instructor, Faculty of Foundational, Career, and Intercultural Studies
NorQuest College


I joined the TESL diploma program after realizing that I was working at a job that I had no intention of turning into a career. I volunteered teaching ESL just to be sure I was making the right decision, and haven't looked back since. Some TESL students... (full story)

Celeste Bickley, MEd
LINC Instructor
Norquest College


The thing that surprised me and delighted me the most about my time in the TESL program was the aspect of mentorship. Although the classes are top notch, the instructors don't just teach you in the classroom. They go way beyond ... (full story)

Lori Diepenbroek, MEd
ESL Instructor
MacEwan University


A few years ago, after decades as a bookseller, I realized those days were over: I needed another career - one that would be both meaningful and make use of my life-long love of language ... (full story )

Jacqueline Dumas, MEd 2008


I graduated from the TESL program in 2000, and it has proven to be a great foundation for a diverse career. I found the program to be academically challenging and at the same time grounded in practical application ... (full story )

Leanne Floden, MEd., CHRP
Senior Learning Consultant | Enterprise Wide
Human Resources | Corporate Learning Centre
ATB Financial


I entered the TESL Master's program after spending three years teaching EFL in Asia and Europe. I decided to get my MEd for two main reasons. First, I wanted to have the knowledge base to consider myself a true professional in my field. Second, I wanted have the qualifications to get better teaching jobs both in Canada and abroad ... (full story )

Jennifer Foote, MEd
Fulltime Lecturer
Yeungnam University
Gyeongsan City, Korea


At the age of 43, I had begun to find my current job rather boring. I wanted an occupation that was both more challenging and gave me a greater sense of contributing something useful to society. So, as a part-time Open Studies student, I enrolled in two prerequisite classes for the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program at the University of Alberta. (full story)

Tabitha Gillman, MEd, LINC Instructor
Faculty of Foundational, Career, and Intercultural Studies
NorQuest College


In 1998, I decided to go to university to get a Bachelor's degree. I chose the U of A and worked a full time job while I finished my degree part time in 6 years. Once I had taken my first linguistics course, I knew I loved learning about language. I met some people who were taking a Masters of Education in TESL... (full story)

Bonnie Holtby, MEd
ESL Instructor
MacEwan University


I just graduated from the Master's in TESL program (Spring, 2010), and feel very ready to embark on the next part of my career. I gained the knowledge, skills, and confidence to successfully teach ESL, both in Canada and abroad. The professors were great and I learned much from them, both in class and out. They were all wonderful mentors, who were always willing to give their time to help students. The courses were relevant, with a nice mix of research and practice. The practicum allowed me to try out and reflect on what I had learned, and the feedback that I received was truly invaluable. As a researcher, I was given many opportunities to further my academic career through publications and conference presentations. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to further their knowledge and experience in the TESL field.

Amy Holtby, MEd


I still vividly remember the day when I left Japan for an unknown city, Edmonton, Canada. I spent two years from 2004 to 2006 there to obtain my Master's degree from the University of Alberta. Throughout my life I have faced many situations where I had to make decisions. I can state confidently that going to grad school in Canada is one of the best decisions that I have ever made ... (full story )

Yasuaki Kodama


This program has helped me to grow in so many ways and has helped me to launch a new career as a full-time LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) instructor. (full story)

Ardis Kolot, MEd
LINC Instructor, NorQuest College


Although my undergraduate studies trained me to be a science teacher, after three years of teaching English abroad, I decided to pursue further education in language pedagogy. The U of A TESL program stood out in my search for graduate schools; following a meeting... (full story)

Kent Lee, MEd


When I joined the TESL program at the University of Alberta, I had several years of teaching experience in a high school setting and working with international visa students studying ESL. I was motivated to learn more about technical aspects of teaching ESL, and improve my credential standing for employment ... (full story)

Justine Light, MEd
ESL Consultant
ATESL Best Practices - Project Manager


Applying to the TESL program at the University of Alberta was the beginning of an interesting journey that has opened many doors. Being accepted into the program allowed for a learning adventure... (full story)

Kerry Louw, MEd
Foundational, Career, and Intercultural Studies NorQuest College


After years of living and traveling abroad and intermittently teaching ESL/EFL, I returned home eager to apply what I had learned about living in the context of a new language and culture. I enrolled in the University of Alberta's TESL Masters programme and was delighted to find that the majority of courses were offered in the evenings... (full story)

Monica MacFadzean, MEd


While most individuals begin the TESL Master's program with previous ESL teaching experience, I had only the required 40 hours of volunteer work at the start of my program. With a Bachelor of Science, I wasn't sure I would be a fit... (full story)

Janice McCrimmon, MEd
ESL Instructor
Bow Valley College
Calgary, Alberta


Prior to enrolling in the TESL Master's program, I spent 13 years teaching English as a Second Language and English as a Foreign Language in Canada and abroad to both children and adults. I enjoyed the varied experiences... (full story)

Jill Munro, MEd
K-12 Teacher
Edmonton Public School Board


I graduated from the TESL Master's program almost five years ago. I had been interested in TESL for many years, and when the opportunity arose for me to go back to school, it proved to be a great career change for me. It was somewhat challenging... (full story)

Lesli Nessim, MEd
LINC Instructor
NorQuest College


When I was accepted in the TESL program at the University of Alberta, I had a little experience and less theory but a strong desire to succeed in this field. My studies in the TESL program have given me a solid grounding... (full story)

Bonnie Nicholas, MEd
LINC Instructor
NorQuest College


From my earliest memories, I had an interest in languages and culture. I first realized that teaching ESL to adults was a career option many years ago, but I wasn't able to pursue it at the time. 12 years later, after a career as a post-secondary advisor and after having lived in Peru for a year teaching English, I fell in love with teaching adults and decided that the time was right to return to school and make ESL my profession. (full story)

Stacy Norrbom, MEd
Consultant, Immigrant Settlement and Language Programs
Alberta Labour


As an Iranian immigrant myself, I joined the Master's program in TESL at the University of Alberta in 2004 hoping to acquire the knowledge and the practical skills to teach high school ESL students in content courses. The program went beyond my immediate goals. It offered a comprehensive study of the theoretical background and practical experience in teaching ESL in the field of applied linguistics ... (full story)

Nikta Razavi
PhD student
New York University


I began teaching at an immigrant language school shortly after graduating from the TESL program. Simply put, I can't imagine better training for this type of work. My approaches to instruction, assessment, feedback, immigration issues and culture itself have all been influenced by courses I took in the TESL program. The opportunity to conduct research during the program also motivated me to become involved in curriculum and assessment development projects after graduating. The TESL program not only prepared me to teach; it prepared me to continue learning.

Dan Ripley, MEd
ESL Instructor
Vancouver, BC


The courses encompassed both the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching, from the latest research on teaching methodologies to their implementation in the classroom, and were all delivered by dedicated professors with a wealth of experience in ESL research and teaching... (full story)

Greg Russell, MEd 2018


Following my graduation with an undergraduate degree in political science, I remained uncertain about what career path to choose. With the goal of traveling and teaching English, I drifted from Korea to Oman and finally back to Vancouver, Canada. I quickly came to realize that if I were to make a career of teaching ESL, I would need to complete a postgraduate degree in the field ... (full story)

Ron Thomson
Assistant Professor
Department of Applied Linguistics
Brock University
St. Catherine's, Ontario


Within one month of beginning to teach ESL, I had applied to the MEd TESL program at the University of Alberta. I felt that it was where I needed to be... (full story)

Oliva Wall, MEd 2018


After eight years of teaching English at a high school in Beijing, China, I made a bold decision to apply for MEd in Canada. I was really fortunate to be admitted to the Master's in TESL program (fall, 2013) at U of A. All my professors are well-versed in their field. (full story)

Yitao Wang, MEd
ESL Instructor
Faculty of Foundational, Career, and Intercultural Studies
NorQuest College


After spending close to 5 years teaching EFL in Japan and ESL in Vancouver, I decided that I needed to further my professional capacity as a second language instructor. The TESL program at the U of A was the perfect place... (full story)

Erin Waugh, MEd
Intercultural Trainer and English for the Workplace Instructor
Centre for Intercultural Education
NorQuest College


Completing the TESL Master's Program at the University of Alberta gave me the foundational skills I need to work in the field of ESL. Applying the knowledge I gained on second language acquisition to the world of teaching and learning of ESL... (full story)

Maroro Zinyemba, MEd
Instructor
NorQuest College