Andrea Leclerc had struggled to find a career that would inspire her. It took Douglas College’s Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)’s one-semester program to transform her life, allowing her to do what she loves every day: teaching English to adult students.

By Maggie Clark, Marketing and Communications

Andrea Leclerc’s passion for connecting with and helping others had always drawn her to the idea of working in education. But the two career paths she knew of in the industry – teaching in elementary and high school – didn’t resonate with her. After exploring jobs in administration, construction and more, she felt it was time to go back to her studies to open new opportunities. That led her to Douglas College’s Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program, giving her the tools she needed to have the career of her dreams within a semester.

Offering a well-rounded education

Douglas’s TESL program wasn’t the only one Andrea had been considering. But it was the one that stood out to her the most.  

“When I found Douglas’s TESL program, I realized it fit my career goals,” she says. “I loved the idea of helping international learners and new immigrants.” 

The program itself looked well-rounded when Andrea considered it further, providing an in-house practicum and a chance to tutor current international students at Douglas. On top of that, it would only be a semester long, which meant she could pause work for just four months and focus solely on her studies. 

What sealed the deal was that Douglas College is accredited with TESL Canada, making her education highly credible for those looking for TESL instructors. She felt that would help her stand out once she was ready to job hunt for a career in teaching English as a second language. 

“The program is considered high standard in the TESL industry,” says Andrea. “So I felt like it was the right decision to go with Douglas.”

Encouraging student confidence

As an older student, Andrea was nervous about going back to school. However, she was quickly put at ease, noticing the range of ages and educational backgrounds of her peers and the welcoming atmosphere.  

“Everyone in the program was supportive and excited that students like myself wanted to take a step in a new direction,” she says. “I felt empowered, like I would be helping other people by starting this new career, and that felt really special.” 

This encouraging learning environment forged a strong bond between Andrea, her peers and her instructors. It gave her the confidence to practise her teaching skills through tutoring a student from Douglas’s English Language Learning and Acquisition program.

“Even though I wasn’t fully trained yet, I was starting to get real hands-on experience by becoming this student’s tutor and learning about her journey,” Andrea says. “I was able to help someone at Douglas while studying there at the same time. So, it was pretty amazing actually.” 

Andrea went on to further these skills through TESL’s online teaching practicum, which had been offered in place of an in-person one due to the pandemic. It gave her the knowledge necessary to run classes effectively, whether online or offline, and keep students engaged. 

“At the time, it was challenging because I was so excited about being in a classroom and everything I had been taught up until that point was for in-person work,” she says. “But it just made me realize that you can pivot. There are so many different jobs and careers you can have with your TESL experience, whether they’re in-person or online.” 

It was an experience that Andrea felt was essential for her new career path. 

“I wouldn’t have even applied or considered working in this industry without my TESL experience from Douglas College,” she says. “I felt like the program really prepared me for work compared to regular college or university classes that just focus on one topic and not on next steps for your career.”

Opening job opportunities

With the skills and confidence she’d gained through the program, Andrea was able to set up her own successful private tutoring service before becoming an instructor and teaching assistant, for DIVERSEcity, an organization that supports newcomers to Canada with language instruction, citizenship test preparation and more. 

“Without the TESL program, I wouldn’t have a career where I actually love to go to work every day,” she says. “I never thought I’d have that for myself. I thought a job was a job, but now, that’s changed. And it’s all because I took Douglas’s TESL program.” 

Interested in the TESL program at Douglas College? Visit our website to learn more.