I studied English Language with Psychology at the University of Chester from 2013 to 2016. It was a winning combination which equipped me with essential skills and experience that have been a springboard for where I am today, and continue to guide me in my life going forward.
My latest pursuit has me embarking on a Master of Arts in Educational Studies at Concordia University in Montréal Canada, starting in September 2021, but before we get to the present day, here are the things I’ve done which have led me to this point.
I knew after graduating that I wanted to travel and live abroad so, during my degree, I looked for opportunities which would allow me to do this. Studying English Language opened my eyes to the possibilities of teaching English as a foreign language. Through modules such as Structures of English, Language Acquisition, Roots and Development of English and English Phonetics and Phonology, I developed crucial knowledge of the structure, composition, pronunciation and history of the English language which became invaluable to me as an EFL teacher.
After graduating, I completed a Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (for which you need an undergraduate degree as a prerequisite for the course). It opened the international door for me as I had hoped it would. My first job was teaching English in Cambodia to hospitality staff wanting to improve their service skills and connect better with tourists. I then returned to Cambridge where I taught adolescents from around the world at a summer school. I later went on to teach adults for two years in Paris. The knowledge and skills I had gained through my English Language degree gave me credibility, confidence and a genuine love of the English language, which as a result made me a better teacher. After leaving Paris, I taught primary school children in China which marked the end of my EFL teaching as I began to see other opportunities on the horizon.
My experience as a teacher and my English Language and Psychology background fed the flames of my fast developing interest in education on a broader scale. I had observed snapshots of different education systems in four countries and two continents, and met people from all walks of life and many cultures.
As with my desire to travel, I knew after graduating I would want to pursue further education and a Master’s degree but needed to gain some real life work experience first. It seemed that after four years ‘in the real world’; I was finally ready to get back to university.
Covid-19 struck and gave me the time, space and clarity I needed to assess my next move. I decided it was time to look for a Master’s degree in earnest. My slightly improved knowledge of French through living in Paris and my handy Canadian citizenship made Montréal the perfect destination in which to study. My educational background in English Language and Psychology, combined with my international teaching experience, led me to choose a course which would tie these elements together - enter Educational Studies MA, of which there are two academic tracks, non-thesis and thesis. My final year dissertation in English Language on the topic of objectification of men in the media had been an invaluable experience and one which I had learned from immensely. The whole process was enlightening and developed my academic skills in a way that only a third year dissertation can. Conducting novel research and using both quantitative and qualitative methods by which to analyse my linguistic data was something I had never done on such a scale. Presenting the results in an academic format and adhering to an accepted professional style improved my written communication skills and afforded an awareness and respect for academia and research as a whole.
The dissertation experience had been so important in my academic career but also helped me develop as a person. It was liberating and revealing having the freedom to explore a topic of my own choosing. I knew going forward that the thesis route was right for me, and that my third year dissertation had given me the skills I needed to feel confident in pursuing a Master’s degree. After nervously submitting my application in November, I waited four months for an acceptance letter onto the thesis program of the Master’s to start in September 2021. My wish was granted and now I am making plans to move to Canada in August.
My degree in English Language and Psychology has truly been an incredible foundation on which to build my life. I am so grateful I chose this course and as life goes on I realise more and more the world of opportunity that awaits me as a direct result of this degree. I look forward to where it will take me next!
