“When we teach, we legitimize certain views of the world, which means that others are disregarded.” (Grady, 1991)

Teaching is an act of empowering students to become independent thinkers and actors in society. But how can we do that? What does taking on that role demand of us teachers?

Critical Pedagogy is a teaching philosophy coined by educator and philosopher Paulo Freire in his seminal work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Freire maintains that we cannot separate political and social issues from our classroom content, and it is our job as teachers to problematize these social issues, prompt discourse, and find solutions.

In this episode, we are joined by the ever-inspiring Dr. Nassim Noroozi to discuss what critical pedagogy is and how we can practice it as teachers. Dr. Noroozi lectured at Concordia University’s Department of Education and is trained in philosophy of education. Her research focuses on ethics of resistance in today’s colonial context. Her work specifically examines the relationship between the phenomena of time, colonization, and resistances against it. In this episode we will address questions such as: what is critical pedagogy and why should teachers know about it? What is the banking model of education? Why is vulnerability an important aspect of being a teacher?

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Internships are an integral part of the TESL program. They are an opportunity to learn through doing, make connections with others in the field, and put the theory learned in class into actual practice. The internships may represent one's first foray into actual teaching in front of students. They can be all at once exciting, terrifying, challenging, and rewarding.

In this episode, we are joined by 4 amazing B.Ed. students to have a candid conversation all about their diverse internship experiences. They talk about the highs, the lows, what they wish they knew before starting out, and what they learned.

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The education system here in Quebec is full of programs, organizational structures and terms that to those unfamiliar can feel quite daunting and overwhelming. How does our evaluation system work? What are the competencies teachers must cover throughout the year? What kind of terminology does a new teacher need to know in order to navigate our educational system? In this episode, we are joined by Sarah, who is the Landscape Coordinator at the TESL Resource Centre. She creates our Moodle page, which is full of valuable resources for teachers looking for lesson plans, government documents, job-hunting toolkits, subbing toolkits, and much more. Sarah is a graduate of Concordia's B.Ed. in TESL and currently teaches in primary school. She's here to talk us through all the terms and systems we need to know to teach in Quebec, as well as discuss her own teaching trajectory and philosophy.

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Assessing students can be a point of stress for a lot of teachers. There are so many questions to consider: are my assessments fair? Have they been scaffolded? Is there a golden ratio between formative and summative assessments? What format should they be? Are my rubrics clear? Do my assessments reflect the competencies?

In this episode we are joined by Professor Heike Neumann to discuss this crucial aspect of teaching. Prof. Neumann is a faculty member in Concordia's Department of Education. Among other classes, she teaches courses on language assessment, and testing, evaluation and course design. In this episode we’ll be addressing questions such as: how should we balance initial, formative, and summative assessments? How should teachers approach external factors that may affect evaluation, such as mental health issues and unforeseen circumstances? Should assessment always be graded?

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Hi fellow TESL-enthusiasts! Talking TESL will be taking a month-long break. But don't worry! We'll be back in September right in time for the new school semester with plenty new interviews featuring teachers, TESL specialists, learners, and TESL students. Stay tuned, and we wish you all a wonderful summer! 

The first year teaching can be exciting as it is daunting. It's that step TESL students have been preparing years for. To really get into the nitty-gritty of that first year, we are joined by two graduates of the B.Ed. in TESL, Pilar and Rosa Li, to discuss their diverse experiences. How can new graduates best prepare for the year ahead? What do these new teachers wish they knew? What were some of the most rewarding moments? What were some surprising challenges? What were their organizational strategies?

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CEGEP is a wonderful institution unique to Quebec. Rather than diving straight into university at the tender age of 18, students are able to explore their interests and get a taste of independence. The CEGEP years are a special time for many students, as they are usually one step in childhood, and one in adulthood. It is also a fascinating teaching environment, where oftentimes teachers play a role in this transition. In this episode of Talking TESL, we are joined by Nick Walker, who teaches English at Ahuntsic College. Nick is the recipient of numerous teaching awards and is the creator of the Actively Engaged textbook series. In this interview, he discusses his own teaching trajectory, how to get CEGEP jobs, the challenges and rewarding aspects of the work, and the importance of innovation and reinvention.

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For some, grammar has a reputation for being the "boring" aspect of language learning. However, grammar is fascinating! All languages have their own unique grammatical system, and there is so much potential for it to be taught in a way that is engaging.

For that reason, in this episode we are joined by Professor Mark McAndrews to talk all about the history and different approaches to teaching grammar. Professor Mark McAndrews teaches courses in Concordia’s B.Ed. in TESL and M.A. in Applied Linguistics programs. He has previously taught in the U.S., China, and Nunavik, Northern Quebec. In this episode we’ll be addressing the questions: how can teachers make teaching grammar more engaging and student-centered? How have our approaches to teaching grammar changed over time? What discussions about grammar can we have with our students?

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Teacher shortages in Nunavik, Northern Quebec, often force these Inuit communities to hire teachers from “the south.” For these teachers, taking these contracts can represent a life-changing decision that is equal parts rewarding and challenging.

In this episode, we are visited again by Sebastien, a graduate of the B.Ed. in TESL. This time, we discuss Sebastien’s experience teaching in Kuujjuaq, Northern Quebec. Topics include becoming acquainted with the Inuit culture, the responsibilities of teachers in these communities, culture shock, and the neo-colonial aspects of TESL.

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Montreal is a city with a unique and fascinating linguistic history. It is not uncommon here to be sitting on the metro and overhear conversations that transition fluidly between English and French... and sometimes even a third language! People here grow up learning English and French from elementary school up until CEGEP. In this episode of Talking TESL, Sivan sits down with her close friend Sarah to talk about her experiences learning English in a francophone environment in the suburbs of Montreal. How did she feel about English growing up? What were her most positive and negative learning experiences? What aspects of the language came easily to her? What was difficult? Can you learn a language through video games? If you plan on teaching in Montreal, or are simply interested in candid opinions about language-learning here, then this is the episode for you!