The U.S. Department of State has announced the selection of Plurilingual Lab alumnus Ben Calman for a virtual project, engaging with English language learners and teachers online in Russia at American Councils. Ben Calman, a McGill's Master of Arts graduate in Second Language Education, is among the first to be selected for the Virtual English Language Educator Program, a new program created for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Ben's MA thesis research, supervised by Drs. Angelica Galante and Mela Sarkar, explored the intersections of language and race through experiences of inclusion and discrimination among plurilingual international students at a Canadian university. This research also shed light on how plurilingual international students forge inclusive communities. Ben currently teaches full-time at the Royal Military College of Canada. He is thrilled to be contributing to the virtual language educator program by working with pre-service and in-service teachers, university students, and un(der)employed adults in Russia.
The Virtual English Language Educator Program is the premier online opportunity for experienced teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. English Language Programs has placed thousands of TESOL scholars and educators with international partner institutions, abroad and virtually, to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. These projects are challenging and the teachers selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. Virtual Educators are among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year.
Congratulations Ben!
