MA TESL Program Objectives

The ability to design and evaluate instructional materials, technology, media, and other resources that meet the specific instructional and language related needs and abilities of students.

My final paper for APLNG 589, titled Enhancing English Pronunciation Using ChatGPT, helped me achieve the objective of designing and evaluating instructional materials and technology for specific learner needs. I focused on Kuwaiti students' challenges with English pronunciation and created an AI-assisted program using ChatGPT to deliver targeted, interactive practice. The design included minimal pair drills, prosody training, and culturally relevant vocabulary, all personalized to support learner engagement and progress.

Through this project, I evaluated how generative AI can enhance language learning by offering immediate feedback, promoting autonomy, and reducing anxiety. I also developed a clear implementation plan with assessment tools and teacher support to ensure sustainability. This experience deepened my ability to integrate technology with pedagogy, aligning instructional tools with both linguistic goals and student profiles.

The ability to reflect on, critically analyze, and evaluate your own teaching practices.

As part of my graduate studies in TESL, I completed a practicum where I co-taught an undergraduate ESL composition course alongside Professor Amber Mentor. This hands-on teaching experience, guided by her mentorship and supported by my advisor, Professor Sharon Childs, helped me make significant progress toward this objective

Throughout the semester, I engaged in weekly reflective writing, mentor meetings, and classroom observations that encouraged me to think deeply about my instructional choices. For example, after leading a quiz activity, I assessed the clarity of my instructions, my pacing, and the effectiveness of student engagement strategies. Watching videos of my teaching and participating in stimulated recall sessions helped me view my classroom presence with greater objectivity. I began identifying not just what went well, but why it worked—or didn’t—and how I might adapt my strategies moving forward. This cycle of reflection and evaluation has strengthened my ability to grow purposefully as a language teacher.

The ability to articulate a philosophy of language teaching grounded in current language and learning theories.

My experience in APLNG 493: Teaching English as a Second Language with Professor Sharon Childs played a key role in developing my language teaching philosophy grounded in current learning and language theories. Through classroom activities, discussions, and reflective activities, I deepened my understanding of how beliefs about language learning shape instructional decisions. Observing two ESL classes with a classmate allowed us to analyze real teaching practices in relation to sociocultural and communicative theories, helping me see the importance of context, learner diversity, and responsive instruction in effective language teaching.

Co-planning and co-teaching a lesson on ethos, logos, and pathos further reinforced my belief in collaborative, learner-centered teaching. Working with my partner, we designed a lesson that connected rhetorical concepts to students' lived experiences, integrating scaffolding, interactive tasks, and clear instructional goals. This experience helped me reflect critically on my teaching practices and better align them with theories that emphasize engagement, scaffolding, and the social nature of language learning. As a result, I developed a teaching philosophy rooted in reflection, adaptability, and theory-informed pedagogy.

An understanding of the complex social, cultural, political, and institutional factors that affect language teaching and students' language learning.

My work in APLNG 597, especially through my final paper Language, Colonialism, and Power: A Critical Analysis of Language Politics in Southern Contexts, deepened my understanding of the socio-political forces that shape language teaching and learning. The course introduced me to Southern and decolonial perspectives that challenge traditional applied linguistics frameworks, highlighting how colonial legacies continue to influence educational systems, language policies, and learners' access to linguistic resources. Writing the paper allowed me to critically engage with concepts such as linguistic imperialism, mimicry, translanguaging, and the commodification of English. I explored how power operates through language to marginalize indigenous identities and how language education policies often reproduce colonial hierarchies.

This experience helped me recognize that effective language teaching must go beyond pedagogy and consider the broader social, political, and institutional contexts in which learners are situated. I learned that language policies, ideologies, and educational structures can either support or hinder linguistic equity. The course also made me more aware of the need to center marginalized voices, promote mother tongue instruction, and adopt reflective, justice-oriented teaching practices. This critical lens now informs my teaching philosophy, where I view language not only as a skill to be taught but as a site of power, identity, and resistance.

knowledge of research and research methods for studying language teaching and Learning.

Taking APLNG 597: Mixed Methods Research with Professor Robert Schrauf significantly expanded my understanding of research design and methodology in applied linguistics. Through the course modules, I engaged deeply with both qualitative and quantitative paradigms and learned how to integrate them in principled ways. I designed multiple variations of a mixed methods research proposal related to my interests in language teaching, developing skills in formulating research questions, selecting appropriate data collection strategies, and planning integration techniques such as linked data and sequential designs.

This experience gave me the tools to study language teaching and learning from a more comprehensive and nuanced perspective. I now understand how mixed methods research can provide a richer, more complete view of complex educational phenomena by capturing both statistical patterns and learner perspectives. The ability to construct visual representations of research design and findings also helped me conceptualize how theory, method, and practice connect. This course strengthened my confidence in designing rigorous research and deepened my appreciation for how methodologically sound inquiry can inform language pedagogy and policy.

Knowledge of the teaching field (English as a Second Language).

Co-teaching an ESL composition course with Professor Amber Mentor allowed me to apply and expand my knowledge of the ESL teaching field. I drew on second language acquisition theories and pedagogical strategies—such as scaffolding, communicative teaching, and peer feedback—to support student learning in both writing and speaking.

Through planning with Amber and reflecting with Professor Sharon Childs, I deepened my understanding of lesson design, learner variability, and classroom interaction. I also gained familiarity with using tools like AI-assisted writing and one-on-one conferences to support language development. This experience strengthened my ability to design instruction grounded in ESL principles and responsive to diverse learners.

participation in collaborative projects with others.

In APLNG 586: Analyzing Classroom Discourse with Professor Stephen Looney, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my classmate Sarah Baszczewski on a presentation about Multimodal Interaction Analysis (MIA). Together, we explored Sigrid Norris’s theoretical framework and applied it to case studies that analyzed communication beyond spoken language, incorporating gestures, gaze, space, and material artifacts. Working closely with Sarah allowed us to divide responsibilities based on our strengths—while one of us focused on the theoretical grounding of MIA, the other analyzed classroom-based research applying its concepts. This collaboration helped us synthesize complex academic readings and co-develop discussion questions to engage our peers.

This experience strengthened my ability to communicate ideas clearly within a team, negotiate different perspectives, and co-construct a meaningful academic presentation. Through peer dialogue and shared responsibility, I learned how collaborative projects can deepen understanding of course content and foster a supportive academic environment. The experience also mirrored real-world professional teamwork, where joint inquiry and shared expertise are essential in both classroom teaching and educational research.