David Gallant
Teaching Second Language Certificate
David Gallant loves learning — and teaching — and has been involved with Continuing Education since 2013 as both instructor and student. Most recently, he graduated from the Teaching Second Language Certificate, Level 1, specializing in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) — a program he began shortly after earning a doctorate in history from UCalgary.
While working on his PhD, David worked part-time as a teacher in Continuing Education's English Language Program, a program primarily for international students. At that same time, TESL Canada — the national organization that oversees teaching English as a second language — announced updated certification requirements for instructors.
David says has always enjoyed teaching ESL and wanted to ensure he would always have the option to work in that field. So, rather than taking a needed break after earning his PhD, he became a student again and enrolled in the TSL Certificate, a program that meets TESL Canada's new requirements.
"Doing the program led to a secure, long-term, part-time teaching position at Bow Valley College," says David. "It is a rewarding job that allows me to do something I love — teach, while simultaneously helping newcomers to Canada improve their English skills so they can re-enter the workforce, advance their careers, go to college or university, or get credential verification for career/school attainments acquired in their home countries."
Prior to returning to UCalgary to pursue his PhD, David taught English and history at a South Korean University for almost a decade. Despite starting out with broad teaching knowledge, David feels he gained valuable learning from the TSL certificate program and is pleased to have been exposed to some newer theories and tools.
Despite being skeptical of online learning at the start, David was pleased with the experience.
"It actually turned out to be a real learning community," he says. "Assignments were submitted online but there was ample room for instructor-student interaction and interaction with other students enrolled in the program."