Professional Development Documentation

In the M.A. program, graduate students must participate in two professional development activities each semester. Although, for many students, the focus of the program is becoming an ESL instructor, studying in the M.A. program is much more than just teaching. It is learning about existing instructional and research opportunities and becoming involved in groups of like-minded individuals.

With these professional development experiences, I have had the opportunity to become not only a better applied linguistics student but also a contributor of research and a consumer of knowledge. The presentations that I have attended by both fledgling and prominent scholars in the field have helped me gain a clearer understanding of the various areas of applied linguistics. I believe it is fitting that my professional development experiences begin with me as a conference attendant and culminate with me as a conference presenter. I have evolved from a bystander into someone who is much more confident to stand up in front of groups of people. I now have a keener awareness of language testing, language learning, and research issues in linguistics.

Clicking the links below - or in the left sidebar - will take you to my description of and reflection on each professional development opportunity.