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Setting teachers up for success when they鈥檙e at the front of a classroom is at the heart of every teaching program. 91亚色 U鈥檚 TESOL Certificate program provides a 50-hour teaching practicum that allows participants to observe and apply what they have learned in a range of English language teaching contexts, including internationally. The Meiji University partnership provides a field experience in a global setting and enables participants to explore their new skills while enjoying the rewards of teaching abroad.

This year鈥檚 field experience with Meji University took place in March. TESOL students Denise Suarez, Kelvin Luk and Veronica Ward-Bone travelled to Japan where they worked with 50 students and five faculty from Meiji University. They were able to do so through funding support from 91亚色 International Mobility Award and the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS).

Under the supervision of Antonella Valeo, professor and TESOL Certificate Program coordinator in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics of LA&PS, 91亚色 students participated in a week-long course with formal English language classes led by Meiji instructors.

The 91亚色 TESOL students helped provide lessons and support, while living together with Meiji students and faculty at a seminar house in a mountain setting just north of Tokyo. Teaching and learning inside and outside the classroom, the experience provided the 91亚色 students with an opportunity to learn how to run a class, as well as how to support other instructors as teaching assistants.

鈥淕etting to observe the teachers鈥� different instruction methods and activities, while seeing how the students respond to it in a new context, improved and expanded my own perspectives on teaching,鈥� reflected Suarez.  

鈥淚t was amazing to see the students鈥� quick progress in their English proficiency as they became more comfortable talking to us in the new setting,鈥� added Ward-Bone.

鈥淭he most valuable things I got out of the trip were the teaching practice in real classrooms and the opportunities to learn about Japanese culture through authentic interactions with Meiji students,鈥� said Luk.

According to Valeo, that is an important part of this opportunity. 鈥淭his unique international experience helps students broaden their perspectives and experience teaching abroad with personalized support and mentoring,鈥� she says. 鈥淔or many students, it is a life-changing experience that stays with them long after graduation.鈥�

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Students in programs such as TESOL must often complete field placements in a wide range of environments 鈥� from post-secondary academic bridging programs to community-oriented Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada programs. Because these environments are unique, students are often unprepared for these teaching contexts.

That鈥檚 why the Department of Languages, Literatures & Linguistics students in Professor Saskia Van Viegen鈥檚 TESL3300 class were assigned a project that could help.

Van Viegen鈥檚 14 students received instruction on digital media creation, then formed groups to complete videos about the diversity of experiential education environments 鈥� culminating in the creation of four Creative Commons-licensed OER videos to help orient future English as a second language (ESL) teachers to their practicum. The students did this while completing their own field placement, gaining paid practicum experience and hands-on learning about digital media creation in the process.

鈥淚 think this kind of digital storytelling project is wonderful,鈥� says Dawei Jin, one of Van Viegen鈥檚 students. 鈥淎t first I wasn鈥檛 sure what the connection was between this work and teaching ESL. But after we started, we experienced challenges with collaboration, video editing 鈥� all things we didn鈥檛 know how to do. We struggled to tell our story, but eventually we figured it out. That鈥檚 exactly how ESL students will experience the process of learning English. This program helped me understand the difficulties encountered by our students.鈥�

鈥淭his work increases access to work-integrated learning for students, especially equity-deserving students,鈥� says Van Viegen. 鈥淚t helps them feel more connected to each other, to their program and to a community, by offering enhanced opportunity for participation, stronger partnership with field placement hosts and greater integration with technology.鈥�

The project was a partnership between TESOL and 91亚色 Libraries鈥� Media Creation Lab, funded by the Co-operative Education & Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Innovation Hub program.

One of the co-founders of the Media Creation Lab, librarian Kris Joseph, sees the initiative as the culmination of a vision the Libraries had for the lab during its inception. 鈥淭he lab launched in 2022, but I think Saskia鈥檚 project is a sign that the booster rockets have been ejected and the shuttle is heading out to explore space. This kind of work ticks all the boxes for us: digital literacy and media creation, experiential learning and the development of open, accessible resources for the benefit of others.鈥�

Sarah Coysh, associate dean of digital engagement and strategy at 91亚色 Libraries, adds: 鈥淥ne of the biggest successes of this project was that the grant included funds for a dedicated librarian as well as additional library media lab staff to support the students鈥� learning and media creation work. Saskia鈥檚 foresight in this area ensured 91亚色 Libraries had the capacity to partner on this project, and this is a terrific model for future grants, the process for which we have outlined on our new .鈥�

The students鈥� videos, as well as their reflections on the project, . In addition, full-resolution copies are being deposited into 91亚色鈥檚 institutional repository, 91亚色Space, so they can be discovered and reused by other ESL teaching

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Antonella Valeo has been working with ESL learners and teachers for over 25 years and is currently an Associate Professor at 91亚色 where she teaches graduate courses in applied linguistics, TESOL, and ESL to undergraduate students. 聽聽As a researcher her interests are embedded within the ESL classroom and include a focus on classroom interaction and language teacher development. Over the years, her work with TESL Ontario has both inspired and reflected these interests. She joined TESL Toronto as membership secretary and later served as President, Conference Chair and Affiliate Representative. Her work with TESL Ontario was diverse and included involvement in the early development of TESL training institutional accreditation and serving as local Co-chair when TESL Ontario hosted the TESOL Convention in 2015. As an emerging researcher, TESL Ontario welcomed her contributions as Research Committee Chair and called on her to work with the team that developed the framework for Post TESL Certificate Training. Throughout her time in the field, whether as instructor, curriculum developer, language teacher trainer, administrator or researcher, her engagement with TESL Ontario has served as an anchor and reminded her of the community that continues to inspire her today.

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The program is held outside of Tokyo, in the mountains of Yamanashi Prefecture, and is open to undergraduate students of Meiji University. During their time in Japan, Giunta and Atay observed and participated in language classes taught by Meiji University faculty, and taught content-based classes in Canadian Studies. In the evening they held a Canadian Conversation Lounge, an all English-language speaking period where Meiji students could participate in activities that encouraged them to practise their speaking and listening skills in a fun environment.

Giunta and Atay described the Meiji Practicum program as a unique learning experience for 91亚色 students. 鈥淭his practicum provides an incredible and unique opportunity for TESOL students to experience teaching abroad, learning how to adjust our teaching strategies for an international audience and utilize this experience as future TESOL educators abroad or in Canada,鈥� said Giunta.

鈥淭here are so many highlights in this special practicum,鈥� added Atay. 鈥淭he most important one was having a chance to observe experienced instructors effectively use various teaching techniques which could also be applied in both second and foreign language teaching contexts.鈥�

Giunta and Atay, now graduates of the TESOL program, have recommended the international practicum opportunity to future TESOL students considering a career teaching abroad.

The TESOL certificate program at 91亚色 is a teacher education program that prepares teacher candidates to teach English language to adults. A key component of this program is a 50-hour teaching practicum that students need to complete. The practicum allows them to observe and apply what they have learned in a range of English language teaching contexts. The Meiji Practicum provides students an invaluable learning opportunity to experience teaching on an international stage.

91亚色鈥檚 TESOL students received funding support through 91亚色 International Mobility Award (YIMA) and LA&PS.

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This year, TESOL Certificate Program Coordinator, Professor Antonella Valeo, in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS), accompanied TESOL students, Ivana Kovacevic and Michelle Giatti, on this one-week intensive program. The program is held in the mountains of Yamanashi prefecture, outside of Tokyo, Japan and open only to undergraduate Meiji University students. During this time, Michelle and Ivana observed and participated in language classes taught by Meiji University faculty and carried out language lessons exploring different topics in Canadian Studies. In the evenings, they created activities for an evening conversation lounge, aimed at improving the students鈥� speaking skills and sharing cultural perspectives and experiences in a casual setting.

Michelle and Ivana describe this experience as quite unique. 鈥淭his truly opened our eyes to the value of such an exceptional overseas practicum,鈥� said Michelle.

鈥淲e have become aware of several teaching techniques and were given the opportunity to also adjust to the different learning styles of this particular culture while simultaneously self-evaluating our teaching practices,鈥� added Ivana.

Now graduates of the TESOL program, both teachers strongly recommend this practicum opportunity to future TESOL students.

The TESOL Certificate program is an accredited teacher education program that prepares teacher candidates to teach English language to adults. It consists of 30 credits and can be completed concurrently with a bachelor鈥檚 degree or post degree.  A key component of this program is the teaching practicum that students complete during the program. The partnership with Meiji provides an international dimension to this practicum experience.

91亚色鈥檚 TESOL students received funding support through the International Mobility Award, 91亚色 International and LA&PS, while the Canadian Studies section of Meiji鈥檚 International Office provided accommodation.

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The program is a one-week course open to Japanese undergraduate students of Meiji University.

TESOL students have been invited to Tokyo since 2007, as part of a long-standing partnership between 91亚色 and Meiji University.

Shira Packer, course director in the TESOL program and instructor at YUELI (91亚色 English Language Institute), accompanied TESOL students Jerome Fernando, Siranjivani Mariyadas and Lily McDermott to the spring seminar, which ran March 16 to 22.

The one-week intensive English language course was held at Meiji University's Kiyosato Seminar House, located in mountainous Yamanashi prefecture.

Affectionately called "91亚色ies" by the Meiji faculty and students, the four 91亚色 representatives conducted one-hour classes of Canadian Studies, where they introduced topics such as Canadian geography, food, sports and music. An excellent opportunity for professional development as language teachers, the TESOL students were also free to observe and participate in content-based communicative English as a foreign language (EFL) classes taught each morning by experienced Meiji University professors.

One important feature of the seminar is the strict 鈥淓nglish-only鈥� rule; students can speak only in English from 8am to 10pm. Each evening, the 91亚色ies mingled with Meiji students in the 鈥渃onversation lounge鈥�, giving the students a fun opportunity to use English in a relaxed setting after a day鈥檚 hard work in the intensive program.

After one week of cultural exchange, language learning and forming friendships, Meiji students gave the 91亚色ies a heartfelt send-off during the final ceremony at the completion of the intensive course.

91亚色鈥檚 participation in the annual language exchange is in part funded by Meiji University鈥檚 Office of Academic Affairs, as well as the Canadian Studies section of Meiji鈥檚 International Office. 91亚色 students in past years have received support from the 91亚色 International Mobility Award as well as through the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LAPS).

Fernando, a 91亚色 TESOL student who participated in the seminar this year, describes the experience as unforgettable.

鈥淭he role of a 91亚色ie is very special, unique, and one that I鈥檓 happy I was able to experience,鈥� He said. 鈥淚 also really hope that it will be possible for future TESOL students to partake in this once in a lifetime experience."

The TESOL certificate program at 91亚色 includes courses in language education pedagogy, linguistics as well as a practicum in teaching. Upon completion of the certified program, students are eligible for TESL Ontario accreditation as qualified ESL/EFL teachers.

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