Erin Bidlake, MA/05 (Carleton), PhD/10 (Newcastle University, UK)

Contract Instructor, School of Linguistics and Language Studies, Carleton University
Research Consultant, Academy for Innovation in Medical Education, University of Ottawa

In 2005 I completed my MA in Applied Language Studies at Carleton University. My MA research explored self-instructed language learning using commercial audio packages. After taking a year off from my studies to teach EFL in Japan, this interest in self-instruction led me to Newcastle University, UK, where I began my PhD in Education and Applied Linguistics in 2006. My PhD research grew out of my MA research – again exploring self-instructed language learning – but this time focusing on commercial CALL (computer-assisted language learning) packages. As a PhD candidate I had the opportunity to truly follow my interests and I was fortunate enough to attend international conferences in the UK, Greece, and the US. Since completing my PhD in 2010 (and having a baby in 2009!), I have been working as a Research Consultant in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and most recently I have been working as a Contract Instructor in the School of Linguistics and Language Studies at Carleton University.

Mish Boutet, MA/05

Research Coordinator, Academy for Innovation in Medical Education, University of Ottawa

I am currently working as a research coordinator at the Academy for Innovation in Medical Education at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. Among other things, my job involves helping PhD and clinician researchers apply for funding, obtain approval from research ethics boards, and write and revise research papers and abstracts. On occasion, I participate in data analysis on qualitative studies. I am certain that I would not be able to do this job, let alone have been hired for it in the first place, without having completed the MA program at SLALS first.

Katie Bryant, MA/05

PhD Candidate in Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University

In December of 2005, I completed my Masters degree in Applied Language Studies. My research was based in the Writing Studies stream of this programme. Since completing my studies, I have held numerous exciting professional opportunities that allowed me to use this degree. For example, I have worked as the Coordinator of Carleton’s Writing Centre, as an Instructor in Carleton’s School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, and as a Research Fellow at Canada’s International Development Research Centre.Currently, I am a second-year PhD student in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University. I have won a fellowship with International Development Research Centre which enables me to conduct my doctoral research that focuses on the potential rhetorical and epistemological reasons African researchers struggle to publish in the international journals of their academic fields. The fellowship has allowed me to travel to Africa and spend some time there interviewing African academics about their experiences publishing in international journals.One of the key reasons I strongly recommend pursuing graduate studies in SLaLS is because of the incredible amount of support offered by this department’s faculty members. They go out of their way to offer you the support and assistance you require to succeed in your studies. Without their unwavering support, helpful advice, and continual mentorship, I would never have been able to achieve my professional or academic goals.

Ann Evers, MA/06

Test Development Manager, GED® Testing Service

I decided to go to Carleton after working as an ESL teacher for five years. The Applied Language Studies program interested me because I wanted to learn new skills that would help me transition into another area of expertise within the field of education.  Many of the Linguistic graduate programs across Canada tend to focus their courses on theory rather than applied studies.  I wanted to learn applied skills that would translate into the work place. All ALS courses were grounded in theory but they were also blended with applied applications of the theory such as teaching English as a Second Language, curriculum design and language testing. These courses were designed to show students how to take the theory they learned and apply it in a real-life task. As a teacher I was often tasked with creating my own tests for my class but really knew nothing about how to create a test!  While studying at Carleton I expanded my language teaching skills, designed a curriculum in my thesis and began my career in language testing with the Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL).

After graduation, I moved to Washington, DC to work in the assessment field and currently work for the GED® Testing Service as a Test Development Manager.  I have often reflected on my classes at Carleton when I have shared certain resources or references with colleagues. Over the years, I have worked on many different kinds of tests at a variety of companies.  I began working on large-scale state assessments for the states of Ohio, Hawaii and the city of Chicago at the American Institutes for Research (AIR). I also led the test development for the Ohio Test of English Language Acquisition (OTELA). After several years of working on large-scale state assessments I decided to shift gears and managed the development of Translation and Interpretation language tests for a number of US Department of Defense contracts. Later, I decided to return to the field of English Language Learners and was offered a position at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) to develop a new nation-wide, innovative test for English Language Learners who are also Significantly Cognitively Disabled for the World-Class Instruction Design and Assessment (WIDA). I am currently working on my next task which is to create a new diagnostic test for test takers who wish to take the new 2014 GED ® Assessment. 

John F. Haggerty, MA/11

EAP Teacher, Sogang University, South Korea

I had spent many years teaching English overseas with a BA and a TESOL certificate when I finally decided that an academic upgrade was necessary. Given my age and the length of time I had been out of academics, I was somewhat apprehensive about coming back to do my MA. After receiving a very warm response from the School, I chose Carleton. Right from the start, the professors and staff made me feel right at home. Administrative staff was very responsive, informative, and supportive. Professors created an inviting classroom atmosphere where I felt comfortable sharing my experiences and offering my own opinions, I gained confidence in my research and writing abilities and have now conducted field research in Asia, been accepted to give a presentation at an international conference and submitted a research paper to an applied linguistics journal. This degree has already opened new doors for me and now, with my MA almost complete, I am sure I will be knocking on a few more soon.

Amanda Juby, MA/06

English Curriculum Development Counselor, Kativik School Board

My quality of life was and remains amazing. I have had the opportunity to explore who I am as a person and as a teacher. It has been an interesting journey, not always easy. My life has slowed down. I haven’t worn a watch in two almost three years. I am still working for the Kativik School Board but I am now working in curriculum development. My main projects include the construction of competency-based exams for the high school end-of-cycles (i.e. Grade 8 and Grade 11). In addition, I am working on constructing a competency-based Social Studies program. It is particularly challenging as it must be adapted to ESL, respect Inuit culture and traditions, and conform, to a certain extent, to the expectations of the MELS (Ministre de l’education du Loisir et du Sport). It is an interesting and motivating project.(This photo was taken at – 49° Celsius.)

Aman Khan, MA/12

Lead ESL Instructor, Saskatchewan Intercultural Association

I am writing today to express my great gratitude to School of Linguistics and Language Studies, Carleton University. The School awarded me with a scholarship and, over the past two years, gave me the opportunity to equip myself with an understanding of modern trends and traditions in Applied Linguistics, in particular Academic Discourse.  The School broadened the horizon of my learning and opened up new avenues for critical thinking. As well the School provided me with new tools of analysis and gave me enlightening insight into words and their meanings.

During my degree program at Carleton, I worked with several organizations as a material developer, course writer and reviewer particularly focused on creating language learning materials. Also, I was invited as a guest speaker to Boston and Monterey, California. The encouraging words of all my teachers kept me on track during my education and encouraged me to continue my intellectual search and research. My research interest lies in the identity formation and educational discourse of post-secondary students at a tertiary level.  I have been through many different stages during my research but finally I achieved my goal. I completed my degree program on December 31, 2011 and on the very same day applied for an ESL Instructor position at the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association. I was successful in this application and will soon begin my job as lead instructor at SIA where we teach English to immigrants from different countries around the world. Today, I feel so special and proud about my school experience and see it as the best experience I’ve ever had.

So again, thank you so much to everyone in the School. I will be in touch again soon. I am flying Saskatoon this weekend!

Heekyeong Lee, MA/99 (Carleton), PhD/05 (McGill)

Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation, & Language Education, Monterey Institute of International Studies (A graduate school of Middlebury College), Monterey, California

I came to Canada in 1997 as a high school teacher wanting to improve my English instruction. While enrolled at Carleton University I became familiar with various theories and practices of second/foreign language teaching and research methodologies and thanks to the esteemed and inspiring faculty at SLALS, I found my new passion: doing research to understand how students learn and what influences their learning process. I then subsequently enrolled in a PhD at the Faculty of Education, Integrated Studies of Education at McGill University.

Since I graduated from Carleton, I have worked as a language specialist and teacher educator in various linguistic, cultural, professional environments. One of the first challenges I had was to work as a pedagogy consultant for the Foreign Language Institute of Ottawa (FLIO) that offers 43 different foreign language training programs to the Canadian diplomatic corps and Members of Parliament in Canada. I was responsible for the in-service training of teachers from varied age, cultural, educational and professional backgrounds including African, Asian, and Arabic countries. I soon realized that I was able to put what I have learned at Carleton into practice by conducting workshops on various themes such as language teaching methodology, learning styles, material development, and intercultural effectiveness. After completing my doctoral study, I taught EFL at the University of L’Aquila in Italy where I also worked as a tester of PET (Preliminary English Test) and FCE (First Certificate in English) following the Common European Framework of Reference. I was Adjunct Faculty at College of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey teaching academic listening and speaking skills for international students. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor in MA TESOL/TFL programs at Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. I have been teaching various graduate courses covering principles and practices of language teaching, second language acquisition, applied linguistics research, and language teaching practicum. These days I often reflect on the excellent academic and professional trainings, tools, and supports I have received while I was in SLALS and try to practice with my current students and colleagues at the Monterey institute.

Xuemei Li, MA/03

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland

I spent two wonderful years at Carleton. What I learned and what I did research on while in SLALS contributed significantly to my subsequent doctoral research. This research was mostly centered on identities of cross-cultural individuals: academic writers, professional writers, and international students. After I graduated from Queen’s, I started to write a TESL textbook with two colleagues. The idea occurred when I was a graduate teaching fellow at Queen’s and I couldn’t find a suitable Canadian oriented textbook for my class. The book will be published by Oxford in 2011. Since moving to Newfoundland, I have become interested in the ESL and immigrant support programs at schools and in local communities. Today, part of my job is to develop B.Ed. and graduate courses for our new ESOL/TEFL program at the Faculty of Education. I would say my experience at Carleton was the first step toward my professional life in Canada.

Maureen O’Connor, MA/07

Researcher/Project Manager/Consultant

I graduated in 2007 with an MA in Applied Language Studies, with a focus on French immersion, core French studies, and writing (through my Teaching Assistantship at the Writing Tutorial Service). Following my degree, I worked at Algonquin College as an instructor in the Language Institute and as a Research Associate at Carleton University on a study on language retention and motivation in the Canadian Public Service language training programs. With the experience I gained in qualitative and quantitative research at SLALS, I became a consultant with the University of Ottawa where I collected data on the communication and teamwork of health care teams and even had the opportunity to conduct observations in an operating room. Since then, I have continued to collect and analyze data, as well as manage research projects, and I am currently a Research Associate at the Conference Board of Canada. My 2 years in the MA program exceeded my very high expectations and were some of my favorite years thus far. The excellent and supportive Faculty, course content, and exceptional environment made it an unforgettable learning experience.

Cristen Rachul, MA/08

Research Associate, Health Law Institute

I graduated from the Masters program in 2008 where I focused on writing studies. Soon after I began working as a research associate in the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta. I applied the research skills and theory and that I had gained during the MA program to conduct studies in the field of health law and science policy. This was an invaluable opportunity to hone my research skills, learn about a new field, and further explore my own academic interests. In fall 2012, I moved back to Ottawa to begin the new PhD program in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies at Carleton. My research interests for my PhD combine my previous education in writing studies with my experiences working in the field of health law and science policy. 

Fathiya Al Rashdi, MA/07

PhD Candidate in Sociolinguistics, Georgetown University

Fathiya is a lecturer in the Department of English at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. Currently, she is also pursuing a PhD in Sociolinguistics at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

Lori Rosove, MA/09

Instructor (Communication Skills for Engineering Students), Carleton University

Coming back to university as a mature student certainly had its challenges, which I was only able to meet with the guidance of the outstanding faculty, whose compassion and wisdom exceeded my expectations. When I began the masters program, my goal was to gain a stronger knowledge base from which to teach ESL. My interests veered over to the writing studies stream after a few short weeks of working as a teaching assistant at Carleton’s Writing Tutorial Service. This experience ultimately led to my research topic on first year students’ writing needs.Since graduating, I have attained teaching positions at Carleton University and the University of Toronto, both in the areas of ESL and Engineering Communication. I would not have been considered for any of these positions without my masters degree in language studies. My new career in teaching, particularly in writing communication, has been rewarding and I look forward to ongoing opportunities within the field.

Phillip Sloan, MA/07

PhD Candidate in Literacy, Rhetoric, and Social Practice, Kent State University

The Masters program in Applied Language Studies played a pivotal role in launching my academic career, and represents a positive turning point in my life.I came to Carleton from Detroit after finishing my Masters in Education, hoping to build a theoretical knowledge base to support my experiences as a writing instructor. During my two years in the program, my general interest in written communication blossomed into very specific goals for research and pedagogy.The classes were compelling and challenging, encouraging me to reflect on my own knowledge and assumptions.I began to conceptualize and re-conceptualize writing in new and interesting ways, expanding my notion of what it means to write. The ALS faculty were simply wonderful – knowledgeable, accessible, and unequivocally supportive. Even now, years after completing the program, they continue to advise me, both personally and professionally. With their help, I developed the confidence to join professional conversations, presenting at international conferences and submitting work for publication. Through the ALS program, I became a more effective instructor and researcher, a teacher-scholar for whom theory and practice directly inform one another. Within weeks of my graduation, I landed a full-time position at a university writing centre. Today, I move towards completion of a Ph.D. in Literacy, Rhetoric, and Social Practice at Kent State University. I can honestly say that I found my direction through the Applied Language Studies program; it was, for me, a formative experience.

Karin Tomosky-Chambers, MA/09

Writer/Researcher, Academic Health Council

Hired by the Academic Health Council to write articles, documents and research regarding how to effectively use the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) to assess teams rather than individually assessing medical students/graduates.

Maria Wilson, MA/02

Senior Policy Advisor, Department of Health and Social Development, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

My MA degree has definitely helped me in my professional development. Studying genre, writing theories and workplace communication assisted me enormously in advanced comprehension of the context of workplace writing wherein organizational discourse is heavily influenced by the internal and external political, cultural and socio-economic environment.Since my graduation I have been in the milieu of written text as a means of communication and I have produced various pieces ranging from presidential speeches, briefing notes, federal government reports, proposals, and operational and strategic plans. Word and text are so powerful and disempowering at the same, which makes the whole process of creating texts engaging and exciting. Using emails on a daily basis as a key communication tool is another domain of its own. I was very lucky to have many professors who I still respect very much and remember.