Category Archives: Interview

Spotlight — Jagrati Chauhan


Written by - An interview with Jagrati Chauhan

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Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Jagrati! For those that don’t have the pleasure of knowing you, tell them a little about yourself. 

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, Nicola.

I bring over 14 years of experience teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at York University English Language Institute, School of Continuing Studies, along with more than 27 years in English Language Teaching (ELT) and teacher training/mentoring. I hold a PhD in English and a Masters in Linguistics and ELT. Some of my teaching and research interests include content-based and skill-based academic English instruction, pragmatics, experiential learning, and evidence-based writing in EAP programs. I have presented on these topics at conferences and webinars both locally and internationally,  Continue Reading →

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Spotlight — Yaseen Ali


Written by - An interview with Yaseen Ali

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You’re currently working for the University of Toronto – tell us about your role as a Learning Strategist at the Centre for Learning Strategy Support (CLSS) and the workshops you have developed:

In my role, I support degree-seeking students in their academic performance and learning development through one-on-one-appointments. When I connect with these students, I find that they are curious about practical elements related to their studies, such as studying more efficiently and taking effective notes. Yet there is another domain that speaks to their emotions and that affects their all around learning—for instance, addressing the roots of their procrastination and reducing stress-motivated productivity—that students are eager to unpack as well.

At our department, learning strategists facilitate workshops on popular topics throughout the academic year,  Continue Reading →

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Spotlight — Rabia Khokhar


Written by - An interview with Rabia Khokhar

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The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) presented you with the 2021 Anti-Racist and Equity Activism Award. Talk to us about this special moment in your life.

This was such an incredible and humbling moment in my life! I have always been incredibly passionate about equitable education and to receive this award from ETFO; fellow educators was really affirming. I have always been interested in bringing equity theory to practice in tangible, relevant, contextual and accessible ways for students, educators, families and other stakeholders and so to be recognized for doing this work and some of its impact was really exciting and an honour.

One of the things this award recognized was the newsletter I had created around equity topics and book recommendations.  Continue Reading →

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Spotlight — Shahriar Mirshahidi


Written by - An interview with Shahriar Mirshahidi

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Congratulations! You received the OCAD University Employee Equity Award. Talk to us a bit about that award and what it means to you.

I am deeply honored to receive the 2023 Employee Equity Award for my work as an English Language Learning Specialist at OCAD University’s English for Art & Design Program and the Writing & Learning Centre. This award highlights the importance of fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning and work environment, a mission I am passionately dedicated to. My commitment lies in empowering racialized and multilingual students by providing them with an equitable pedagogical space through amplifying their unique resources and knowledges. I advocate for translingual approaches to teaching English as an Additional Language and creating more accessible curricula that cater to multilingual students’ needs to ensure their success.  Continue Reading →

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communication, culture, Curriculum, EAL, EAP, ESL, Interview, Journal, Language, Research, Speaking, Spotlight
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Spotlight — Lorenzo Sclocco


Written by - An interview with Lorenzo Sclocco

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You are an advocate for professional development–how do you maintain professional development with a busy schedule and how would you encourage others to get involved and develop their skills?

Teachers are life-long learners, so I always try to develop and hone my skills. Most of the opportunities I hear about come from LinkedIn: It’s thanks to LinkedIn that during the pandemic I had come in closer contact with the instructional design world and the content development field. In the last three years, I came to the realization that teachers have so many transferrable skills: research, project and time management, critical thinking, creativity, leadership (yes, leadership too!). This is the advice I would give my other colleagues—it might be an unconventional one: Create or polish your profile on LinkedIn where you can start your networking.  Continue Reading →

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Spotlight — Raj Bhandari


Written by - An interview with Raj Bhandari

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You presented at the 2022 TESL Ontario Conference (Integrating web-based formative assessment in test preparation courses). What is web-based formative assessment and why and how did it grab your attention originally? 

I believe that assessing learners’ language abilities is an essential part of language learning and teaching. In order to ensure success in language education, language educators must recognize the gap between what students are capable of and what they need to know to complete a task successfully. Observing and comparing a student’s performance helps teachers identify this gap and tailor future lessons accordingly. How can we do that? The answer is formative assessment. Formative assessment is used to identify learning gaps and assess learners’  Continue Reading →

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Spotlight — Danielle Freitas


Written by - An interview with Danielle Freitas

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Tell us a little about yourself. Who is Danielle?

I would say that I am a proud non-native speaker, Latina, immigrant woman who truly believes in the power of equity, diversity, and inclusion and works to support and enable whoever I can through the power of education to reach their full potential, regardless of who they are, where they come from, and how they look and sound like. I was born and raised in Brazil and had the opportunity to learn the value of education at a very young age—my parents, as mature students, worked really hard to obtain their higher education degrees while raising their two little kids, my brother and me, so that we could have a better life.  Continue Reading →

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Spotlight — Anna Bartosik


Written by - An interview with Anna Bartosik

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Who is Anna Bartosik?
Hahahaha!

Let’s start with how I introduce myself now. I’ve been saying my name in Polish since December and my identity is tied to my name. It has taken me a long time to stop making it easier for English speakers to say my name.

If you look at my email signature, you’ll know how to pronounce my name, my pronouns in the order of languages I am comfortable speaking (she/ona/elle), and my degrees.

I don’t know which identity I should highlight; I suppose language teacher because of the content of this interview. We can add professional details as well, such as: instructional designer, facilitator, researcher. These details don’t often help,  Continue Reading →

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Spotlight — Najwa Rahmani


Written by - An interview with Najwa Rahmani

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Who is Najwa Rahmani?
My name is Najwa Rahmani (she/her), and I am a meticulous, systematic, and personable being. My greatest fulfilment comes from my commitment to lifelong learning and passion for education. My commitment and passion have incentivized me to pursue a career at the intersection of adult education, digital technology, and social justice. Currently, I am completing my Master of Education in Interdisciplinary Studies online and part-time at the University of Calgary. The topic for my first year is Leading and Learning in a Digital Age. Thus far, I have examined the implications for designing and leading interdisciplinary and technology-enhanced learning experiences in addition to strengthening competencies in technological and digital literacies. I have completed a diploma (Assaulted Women’s/Children’s Counsellor/Advocate),  Continue Reading →

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