Honors Projects for Second Language Studies

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On Becoming: An Autoethnography of a Language Professional

(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014-01-15) Preising, Jonah ; Harsch, Kenton ; Second Language Studies

This autoethnography is a reflective self-reconstruction of a non-traditional learner’s path of professional development in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) while in the University of Hawai`i’s Department of Second Language Studies (SLS) BA Program. In providing an academically oriented representation of experiences in undergraduate SLS/TESOL programs, the author provides examples of how steps towards professional development and the process of written reflection intersect with a personal philosophy of teaching that has helped him establish an identity as a globally aware language professional in the field of SLS and TESOL. This paper provides a reconstruction and reflection on the language learning experience while the author was participating in the 2009-2010 Freeman Vietnam study abroad program, attaining a CELTA certification and completing the Second Language Studies undergraduate program at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. The writer reflects on a variety of issues relevant to language learners as well as those entering the field of TESOL and how sociolinguistic frameworks are providing valuable insights that are bringing light on these institutional interactions, transforming the world of teaching in the modern landscape of Global English.