SMU Grad Students at TESL Nova Scotia

Written by Mona Heidary

Thumbnail & Banner Photo by The Climate Reality Project on Unsplash

If you are a graduate student, consider attending a conference  to improve your professional and academic growth. The significance of this activity and how it can affect one's professional path were discussed thoroughly in the article What You Should Know About Attending a Conference. As mentioned in that article, Saint Mary's University provides students with the opportunity to attend a conference so that they can either benefit from the presentations or present the results of their research there. 

Additionally, conferences are beneficial because they offer networking opportunities, which is really important for grad students whether they want to pursue their education or find jobs. At conferences, students get to meet many experts in their fields who might be interested in hiring grad students or cooperating with them to conduct research. The significance of networking is evident when some of the students from Saint Mary's University can be seen as staff members running the conference.  

This article discusses some of the different opportunities that Saint Mary's University has created for its graduate students.  

One of the conferences that SMU grad students can attend is organized by the TESL Nova Scotia association, which is concerned with teaching English as a second language. This association organizes two conferences every year, and many teaching enthusiasts present the results of their studies there. These two conferences are great opportunities for people who want to develop their competence and expertise in both the theoretical and practical aspects of language teaching. 

Most of the students in the International Master of Teaching English program (IMTE) attended the virtual conference run by TESL NS in fall 2022. Different topics like teaching techniques, resource finding, and technology use in language teaching were presented, and students planned their time and attended the sessions that addressed their specific interests. Attending this conference motivated students to work hard to present in the upcoming conference, which has been scheduled for spring 2023. Three groups submitted their applications along with an abstract of what they would present at the spring conference, and all were accepted. In June, Saint Mary's University made the necessary arrangements and sent the three groups, along with the other IMTE students and some professors, to Acadia University- the event's location. The main themes addressed in these students’ work were artificial intelligence and intercultural competence.

Artificial intelligence and its role in different aspects of life attract scholars' attention in various fields of study, including education. A  presenter from IMTE focused on this issue. In this session, the presenter addressed AI's roles in language teaching and how teachers can benefit from this technology to enhance the quality of their teaching and facilitate the process of their work. 

Photo by Evangeline Shaw on Unsplash

Another current discussion in the field of language teaching is intercultural competence, defined as the capacity to operate proficiently in diverse cultural settings, have suitable behavior, and effectively engage and collaborate with individuals of varying cultural origins. A group of four students worked on the significance of this issue in language teaching and how an EAL lesson plan (English as an Additional Language) can be enhanced to ensure cultural inclusion. To this aim, they compared a lesson plan designed to depict a cultural phenomenon, explained its shortcomings in terms of intercultural competence, and suggested what changes and adaptations are necessary to ensure that this lesson plan is culturally enhanced.

The third group's work's theme was intercultural competence in the language teaching context. This group defined what intercultural competence means according to other scholars' works. They explained the rationale behind including this concept in the language teaching process and showed how a module could be interculturally enhanced. This group designed a thorough module and ensured that all the elements for a better understanding of intercultural competence were considered. During the session, they presented different module elements to the audience. 

Another opportunity Saint Mary's University provided for IMTE students was attending a virtual conference arranged by the TESOL International Association. This is a reputable association focusing on English language teaching. The presenters offered a wide variety of topics. While some sessions focused on different theories in language teaching, others offered practical suggestions with varying themes, including class management and the use of technology in class. Students planned their time and attended the desired sessions based on their aims and interests.

A discussion session arranged by the IMTE professors took the conferences to the next level. During this well-structured session, students were asked to talk about what they expected prior to attending the conferences, how they evaluated the experience, and what takeaways they had. This reflection session helped students develop critical thinking skills since they looked at the positive and negative sides of the experience. 

It is crucial for grad students to take responsibility for their learning and decide to what extent they want to improve their skills in different areas. Although attending conferences is not usually a mandatory part of a graduate program, it is highly recommended that students manage their time and make sure that they find academically renowned conferences related to their fields of study and interest. This way, they can equip themselves with up-to-date knowledge, which ensures academic growth. Moreover, if they decide to present at a conference, they can share the results of their work with other interested people.