In this segment of Let's Talk Design, Farnaz and Mike (MA, Applied Linguistics) get into the concept of multimodality in teaching, emphasizing its importance in accommodating diverse learning styles and engaging students in a media-saturated world. Mike shares innovative teaching approaches that incorporate multimodality, including a lesson plan that utilizes AI music creation, highlighting the need for educators to embrace new methods and technologies to enhance student learning.

They also, inevitably, discuss the current challenges in the ELT systems, particularly focusing on the precarious situation partial-load and part-time college professors are currently facing in Canada.

ELT= English Language Teaching

COMM= Communications (college-level writing courses)

ESL= English as a Second Language

EAP= English for Academic Purposes

C2 English level= the highest level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale, signifying near-native fluency 

LMS= Learning Management System

UDL= Universal Design for Learning

Suno AI Music: https://suno.com/

Mike Gagne holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and a Bachelor of Design in Illustration, and has over 15 years of experience teaching ESL and Communications across the private sector and Ontario colleges. His work stands out for its thoughtful integration of design into the classroom.Alongside teaching, he works as a graphic designer and illustrator, bringing a strong design lens to his learning experiences: creating accessible materials and project-based work that encourages students to think, create, and problem-solve. For Mike, design isn’t an add-on; it’s central to how he approaches learning.

⁠⁠www.learningoffthesyllabus.com⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: @learningoffthesyllabus

Email: ⁠[email protected]

Theme music:

Periscope by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

In this segment of Teacher Real Talk, Farnaz and Sharmaine (EdD) discuss the misconceptions surrounding English language teaching, the importance of pedagogical qualifications when it comes to curriculum design, and the impact of institutional decisions on ESL and EAP programs today. They also talk about what the future of language education might look like in light of AI and changing educational landscapes, emphasizing the need for qualified language educators and the relational aspect of teaching.

The discussion also highlights the challenges faced by language programs in Canada and the hope for a more integrated and valued approach to language instruction in the future.

ESL= English as a Second Language

EAP= English for Academic Purposes

COMM= Communications (College-level communications courses)

Dr. Sharmaine Itwaru has 20 years of experience teaching and rethinking curriculum across ESL, EAP, TESOL, and teacher education. She is currently an EAP and Communications professor and Faculty Developer at George Brown College, where she supports instructors with assessment, instructional design, and navigating change in higher education. Her work is grounded in close collaboration with both instructors and students and shaped by a strong background in adult education and curriculum design.

⁠⁠⁠www.learningoffthesyllabus.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: @learningoffthesyllabus

Email: ⁠[email protected]

Theme music 

Periscope by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Welcome to Learning Off the Syllabus, where the real learning unfolds!

Learning Off the Syllabus started from the conversations we don’t usually get to have in English Language Teaching; the ones after class and sometimes after hard days, over coffee (or wine) or the ones sitting quietly in our heads.

I’m Farnaz. I’ve spent years teaching, designing curriculum, training educators, and working alongside international students, newcomers, and refugees. I started this podcast during a moment of real precarity in my own career. Losing work in a field I care deeply about forced me to sit with hard questions about value, care, expertise, and what language education is becoming.

This podcast is a space for honest conversations about ESL and EAP; the emotional labour, the contradictions, the pressures, and the quiet ways people keep showing up (or pushing back) anyway.

You’ll hear from students, teachers, leaders, and thinkers grappling with what teaching and learning actually look like right now.

If you’ve ever felt the gap between policy and practice, care and control, or ideals and reality, then you’re in the right place! Join us as we go off the syllabus!

ELT=English Language Teaching

ESL= English as a Second Language

EAP= English for Academic Purposes

Farnaz Karimian (MA, OCELT) is an English language specialist with over 15 years of experience across Ontario’s ESL sector, including colleges, universities, private language schools, and settlement programs. Her work is driven by a central question: how can language education be more responsive, inclusive, and reflective of learners’ realities?

Drawing on Applied Linguistics, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Critical Digital Pedagogy, she designs learning experiences that centre equity, multimodality, and real-world relevance. She is particularly interested in removing barriers in language education and exploring practical approaches to decolonizing ESL curriculum.

Farnaz has held roles as a teacher, teacher trainer, curriculum developer, academic coordinator, and event planner, and is now a podcast host and producer. She previously served as President of TESL Toronto and currently sits on the TESL Ontario Board of Directors, contributing to ongoing conversations about the future of the field.

⁠⁠⁠www.learningoffthesyllabus.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: @learningoffthesyllabus

Email: ⁠[email protected]

Theme music 

Periscope by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/