MA ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
Marcel Daniels
What are you doing these days?
I am currently working as an English Language Lecturer at the American Language Institute (ALI) at NYU Shanghai, NYU’s most recent international language center providing English as a foreign language instruction for academic and professional purposes. As a faculty member, I design and teach courses and handle standard-related administrative responsibilities. I am also the coordinator of our professional English program, which involves proposing and developing Business English-related courses, establishing partnerships in the professional community, and advising the adjunct faculty teaching courses within my division of the ALI.
What do you enjoy the most about your current job/studies?
As this is the first academic year of our program at NYU Shanghai, we are building from the ground up. The responsibility and challenge of being the first to design the curriculum, hire instructors, and set the general direction of the program is an exciting opportunity and one of the major reasons I was attracted to this position.
How did the Department of Applied Linguistics/ESL prepare you for this?
Having been a graduate student, graduate teaching assistant, and visiting lecturer within the department, the many years of being able to learn from and observe the outstanding faculty best prepared me for my current position. Being able to “talk shop” with my former instructors and new colleagues granted me access to a trove of insight that spanned almost every aspect of language instruction and research imaginable. I came to my new position full of confidence and capability.
What are your long-term goals?
I plan on extending my international experience further while continuing my research within the areas of pronunciation/phonology and teacher training. I hope to gradually shift the focus of my teaching from second language learners to teachers and publish some books based on my research and experience across the years.
What do you miss most about Georgia State?
I earned both my undergraduate and master’s degree at Georgia State – the school has been a part of my life for many years. I think what I miss the most about Georgia State is bearing witness to the change and evolution of the school – both in physical expansion and program-wise. I’ve seen many buildings go up and down, parcels of land acquired, and programs develop during my time and am aware of some of the upcoming plans. I miss being able to see the day-to-day development of the university and the new benefits they afford the next generation of students, faculty, and staff.
What advice would you give current UG/MA/Ph.D. students based on your experiences?
I would advise current Panthers to spend more time with their fellow classmates and maintain close connections. Collaborate, exchange ideas, and network with people in your program and others. If you are offered the opportunity to do some field-related work, participate in a project, or assist a professor with some research, you should take advantage for both the experience and the opportunity to learn firsthand from others. All work is experience. Time is an extremely valuable commodity, especially for graduate students, but experience reigns supreme.
Helen Hobson
What are you currently doing?
I currently teach in the Intensive English Program at Kennesaw State University as a full-time instructor. Our program has five levels in which we teach English for Academic Purposes. Not only do we have F1 visa students, but also a number of students who are residents or citizens who have decided to pursue higher education and need stronger academic English skills to be successful. If students complete our highest level, they receive a TOEFL waiver for state schools in Georgia. Each 8-week session, I teach a variety of different proficiency levels and skill areas. In addition to the IEP, I also teach private classes in the metro area. I’m also becoming more involved in TESOL having presented at the international conference in Chicago in March 2018 and having served as a proposal reviewer for the 2019 conference here in Atlanta. I have also applied to serve on the Standards Professional Council for the organization.
What do you enjoy the most about your current position?
At KSU, our students come from very diverse backgrounds and have a wide range of academic interests, many having completed degrees in their home countries. This diversity creates high levels of interest and engagement in the classroom on the part of both students and teachers.
Given that our program is still relatively young, we are still in the process of revising and refining our curriculum, so there are opportunities to have a voice in the choice of materials and course sequencing. I have been able to move the program toward integrating skills and tying our content to more closely mirror that of a typical university classroom. The openness and collaboration in our department is very encouraging of professional growth
How did the Department of Applied Linguistics/ESL prepare you for this?
The Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL was fundamental in preparing me for my current position and for my wider involvement in the field of English language teaching. Although I had taught ESL for a number of years in a variety of settings, I did not have the theoretical and methodological basis for the pedagogical decisions I made. Likewise, I was unaware of the fundamental nature of language itself and the importance of corpus linguistics in describing language. Having completed the program, I can support with theory and research the judgments I make in day-to-day interactions and assessment in the classroom with students. I also feel that my participation in larger curriculum and assessment discussions and decisions in our program is more credible given the strong base I received in the AL/ESL program.
The teaching assistantship I did in the IEP at Georgia State was also crucial in developing the skills for collaboration and openness to constructive feedback that have proved essential to my growth as a professional and my role in our department. In addition, the curricular base and design of the IEP provided a solid model of English for Academic Purposes that has guided me in helping our program alignment.
Lastly, my interactions with the professors and their passion for scholarship helped me gain the confidence to become more involved in the larger professional community of TESOL. I was accepted to present at the TESOL International Conference in Chicago in 2018, an example of how I feel well-prepared to interact in various roles as an English language learning specialist.
What are your long-term goals?
My current position at KSU is amazing, so I don’t have plans to leave. We will most likely begin our CEA accreditation process in the next couple of years, and I know that all the theory and research from the GSU program will be invaluable. I hope to get more involved in leadership roles in the TESOL organization, in particular around advocacy for students from marginalized groups.
What do you miss most about Georgia State and the department?
I miss the incredible diversity of the GSU campus and its vibrant location downtown. Ebrik’s Coffee is hard to replicate! Because of the location of the Intensive English Program within the AL/ESL department, the bridge between theory and practice is dynamic. I miss the proximity to prominent scholars of language learning and teaching and being a part of discussions. I also miss the caring people; everyone in the department is truly committed to the success and well-being of the MA students
What advice would you give current UG students based on your experiences?
If you are thinking about teaching, get into the classroom as soon as you can as a volunteer. You will learn so much by observation. Go as often as you can and ask lots of questions. Take advantage of the practicum that you do and try to get a teaching assistantship. The IEP lecturers are phenomenal. Also, take advantage of the openness and willingness of professors who are willing to mentor you. If you are interested in presenting or research, ask for help.
Contact Us
Department of Applied Linguistics & ESL
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Department Chair
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Director of Graduate Studies
ESL Program
GSTEP questions
Testing
IEP Program
Office/Delivery Address
Dept. of Applied Linguistics & ESL
25 Park Place
15th floor
Atlanta, GA 30303
USPS Mailing Address
Dept. of Applied Linguistics & ESL
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 4099
Atlanta, GA 30302-4099
U.S.A.