LLE Program Updates for CTL Newsletter
LLE News & Updates: April 2026
New CTL Intersession & Summer Courses and Courses with Available Spaces
The following CTL graduate courses are new or still have available spots for the Intersession and Summer! Take this opportunity to explore cutting-edge research, innovative methodologies, and interdisciplinary topics alongside a dynamic graduate community. Final date to enrol in May-to-June (F) and May-to-August (Y) term courses via ACORN is Wednesday. May 6, 2026. Please check the OISE Summer Course Schedule 2026 for enrolment restrictions.* Course descriptions for those not listed in the OISE Bulletin are provided below.
Code | Course / Instructor | Delivery / Schedule | Why Take this course? |
| CTL1018HS 0101 Summer | Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning [RM] Karyn Cooper | In Person Tues & Thurs 5-8 pm | Jumpstart your research skills with hands-on qualitative methods and pilot your thesis with confidence. |
| CTL1042HS 0101 Summer | Introduction to Community-Based Research Methods and Practice* Carol-Ann Burke Now available for enrolment | In Person Mondays 9 am-4 pm | Learn how to design research that actually serves communities—not just academia—by combining theory with real-world application. Delivery Mode Instructions: This course take place on Mondays from 9:00-4:00 pm with a 1-hour lunch break. |
| CTL1623HF 0101 Intersession | Immersive Technology in Education* Paul Alexander | In Person Tues & Thurs 1-4 pm | Learn how to use VR, AR, and immersive tools to transform teaching and engage modern learners. |
| CTL1844HS 0101 Summer | Seminar in Evaluation Problems [RM] Tony Lam | In Person Mon & Wed 5-8 pm | Go beyond basic surveys and learn to measure what training really achieves with credible evidence. |
| CTL2001HF 0101 Intersession | Studies in Professional Skills and Development in Education* Arlo Kempf Now available for enrolment | In Person May 19-29 Mon-Fri 10am-2pm | Build the practical skills to translate your academic work into real impact across public, professional, and research settings. Delivery Mode Instructions: Intensive Course: May 19-29, Monday to Friday, 10am-2pm. |
| CTL3203HS 0101 Summer | Les approches pedagogiques plurilingues et pluriculturelles en education* Marie-Paule Lory | In Person Tues & Thurs 5-8 pm | Take this course (taught in French) to learn how to turn cultural and linguistic diversity into a powerful advantage for inclusive, modern language education. Delivery Mode Instructions: This class will take place in CREFO (OI 6-140) and taught in French |
| CTL3044HS 0101 Summer | Research Interviewing* Ashley Moore Now available for enrolment | In Person Tues & Thurs 1-4 pm | Master the art of conducting insightful, ethical interviews that produce meaningful and credible qualitative research. |
CTL1042H Intro to Community-Based Research Methods and Practice
Offered by Professor Carol Ann Burke
Summer Session: In person, Mondays, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (includes a 1-hour lunch break)
This introductory course explores principles of community-based research in informal education settings. It is designed for master’s (any program) and PhD students with limited experience in educational research and/or teaching. The course introduces the theory, skills, and practices needed to design and conduct social science research that centres the needs and priorities of a defined community.
Students can expect a challenging yet highly practical experience, with each class integrating theory, practice, and application. Readings are intended to support critical engagement rather than serve as definitive texts. The course emphasizes metacognitive reflection on both students’ own learning and that of science learners in informal contexts. It is guided by the central question: What are the key elements of community-based research, and how can they be applied in informal education settings?
CTL2001H Professional Skills and Development in Education
Offered by Professor Arlo Kempf
Intersession (Intensive): May 19–29, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (in person)
This course provides graduate students with opportunities for professional and skills development through a strong experiential component. Students learn to critically engage with educational research, participate in public discussions on education issues, articulate the skills developed through their degree, and explore how research contributes to the public good and social change.
Beginning with exercises that connect graduate study to students’ own learning biographies, the course examines how educational research impacts a wide range of settings, including schools, postsecondary institutions, cultural organizations, non-profits, and youth-serving agencies. A key goal is to help students position themselves in relation to both research and its diverse audiences.
Students also develop practical skills such as writing for academic and non-academic audiences, presenting research in varied contexts, using social media and digital tools for knowledge mobilization, drafting funding proposals, and applying for research ethics approval.
CTL3044H Research Interviewing
Offered by Professor Ashley Moore
Summer: In person, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
This course examines research interviewing as a widely used yet often under-theorized method of qualitative data generation. Interviews are explored as complex social practices shaped by interactional, material, spatial, temporal, and affective dimensions.
Through a blend of theory, hands-on practice, and reflection, students develop a strong understanding of the methodological and ethical considerations involved in designing, conducting, and analyzing interviews. The course highlights how different interviewing approaches influence research decisions and the knowledge produced.
CTL1844 Seminar in Evaluation Problem (RM) – Assessing Training Impact
Summer: Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Training evaluation typically involves collecting post-training self-report data on participants’ satisfaction and perceived effects on themselves or their organizations. Methodologically, this single-group, post-only design is limited in its ability to accurately assess training impact. This seminar examines measurement and design methods that strengthen the validity of conclusions drawn from such weak experimental designs.
Measurement strategies focus on identifying sources of systematic and random error and approaches to minimizing them, including adherence to best practices in questionnaire design. Design strategies address ruling out threats to validity, documenting the training process to support causal inference, and constructing logical arguments linking training to participant outcomes using a theory of change. While the course primarily draws on quantitative research paradigms, mixed methods approaches are also discussed.
The knowledge and skills developed are applicable to evaluating a range of interventions beyond training, such as after-school tutoring or parental involvement initiatives.
This course extends CTL1046 (Training Evaluation) and is designed for both Master’s and doctoral students seeking deeper engagement with methodologies for assessing training impact. Although related, CTL1046 and this course are offered as independent courses. Prior experience in quantitative or qualitative research or program evaluation is helpful but not required. Foundational concepts will be introduced without assuming prior knowledge. While primarily delivered face-to-face, several sessions will be conducted online. For inquiries, please contact tcm.lam@utoronto.ca
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LLE News & Updates: February 2026
Official TESL Ontario Accreditation of LLE MEd Field in Language Teaching
The Language and Literacies Education (LLE) program is thrilled to announce that we have received official program accreditation from TESL Ontario. OISE’s MEd in Language and Literacies Education, Field in Language Teaching, is now an accredited TESL Ontario program.
Beginning in Fall 2026, incoming students in the new LLE MEd Field in Language Teaching will be eligible to apply for TESL Ontario certification upon graduation. This certification qualifies graduates to teach English to adult learners in publicly funded and private programs in Ontario, across Canada, and internationally. TESL Ontario certification also includes the following designations:
- Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT)
- International Certificate in Teaching English as an Additional Language (ICTEAL)
To obtain TESL Ontario teacher certification after completing an accredited program, graduates must join TESL Ontario as a Standard Member and meet the organization’s degree and English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements.
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LLE News & Updates: December 2025
Sixth Symposium of Southern Ontario Universities
From Silos to Solidarity: Rethinking Languages and Literacies in Education through Collaboration and Care
Now in its sixth edition, the Symposium of Southern Ontario Universities brought together scholars, students, and practitioners to critically explore the role of collaboration and care in languages and literacies education. Held on October 24–25, 2025, at Niagara College’s Daniel J. Patterson (DJP) Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the symposium responded to growing social and educational divides by fostering dialogue, solidarity, and community across disciplines and institutions. Participants shared research, reflected on practice, and engaged in meaningful exchanges that challenged traditional academic silos and hierarchies.
Hosted by Niagara College’s Centre for Research in Education, the symposium was jointly organized by the Center for Educational Research on Languages and Literacies (CERLL) at OISE–University of Toronto and Niagara College, with major collaboration from the University of Toronto Mississauga, Western University, York University, the University of Waterloo, and Glendon College. The hybrid format enabled broad national and international participation, building on the success of previous years. With local and international keynote speakers, plenary sessions, presentations, roundtables, poster sessions, mentoring opportunities for first-time attendees, and social events, the symposium provided a vibrant and inclusive space to strengthen collaboration, cultivate community, and expand academic and professional networks in language and literacies education.
LLE Courses with Available Spots
The following LLE graduate courses still have available spots for the Winter session! Take this opportunity to explore cutting-edge research, innovative methodologies, and interdisciplinary topics alongside a dynamic graduate community. The final date to add Winter courses via ACORN is Monday, January 12, 2026. Don’t miss out!
Code | Course / Instructor | Delivery / Schedule | Why Take this course? |
CTL3008H 0101 | Critical Pedagogy, Language and Cultural Diversity Antoinette Gagne | Online Sync Thursdays 1-4 pm | Discover how language and culture shape power in education—join Critical Pedagogy, Language and Cultural Diversity to explore theory, challenge inequities, and transform classrooms locally and globally! |
| CTL3010H 0102 | Second Language Learning Shawna-Kaye Tucker | In Person Tuesdays 1-4 pm | Ever wondered how people learn second languages and what helps them succeed? Are children really better language learners? Does motivation matter? This course unpacks the major theories, learner differences, and instructional influences in second language learning. |
| CTL3010H 0103 | Second Language Learning / Apprentissage des langues secondes (Offered in French) Jeffrey Steele | In Person Thursdays 5-8 pm | Study second language acquisition theory in a fully French environment that deepens both knowledge and language skill. |
| CTL3011H 0101 | Cognitive Sociolinguistic and Sociopolitical Orientations in Bilingual Education Research Oguzhan Tekin | In Person Tuesdays 5-8 pm | Curious how bilingualism builds brains, identities, and societies? Take this course to discover the power of multilingual experience. |
| CTL3039H 0101 | Academic English Research and Acquisition Vijay Ramjattan | In Person Wednesdays 1-4 pm | Use action research to track and strengthen your own journey toward mastering Academic English. |
| CTL3040H 0101 | The Education of Students of Refugee Background in Canada and Beyond Emmanuelle Le Pichon-Vorstman | In Person Mondays 5-8 pm | Explore the challenges and strengths of refugee-background students through research that reshapes educational practice. |
| CTL3807H 0101 | Second Language Education Research Methods [RM] Shawna-Kaye Tucker | In Person Thursdays 1-4 pm | Preparing to do empirical research? Prepare for real research by practicing data collection, analysis, and ethical decision-making with human participants. |
| CTL3811H 0101 | Critical Perspectives on Language, Racism, and Settler-Colonialism Angela Easby | In Person Tuesdays 9-12 pm | Deepen your critical understanding of language and power by examining racism and settler colonial dynamics in education. |
| CTL5319H 0101 | Special Topics in Language Literacies Education Program: Master's Level - Critical Digital / AI Literacies Zhaozhe Wang | In Person Mondays 1-4 pm | Trace how digital technologies and AI mediate language and literacy practices, and imagine critically grounded ways of teaching, communicating, relating, thinking, and being in a post-digital, posthuman world. |
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LLE News & Updates: September 2025
Update on Pathway to TESL Ontario Certification
The LLE program is advancing an exciting new initiative — an optional pathway to TESL Ontario certification within the MEd program’s Language Teaching field. Earlier this year, the proposal received unanimous approval from OISE’s Academic Programs Committee and Council.
Our LLE faculty team — Dr. Jeff Bale, Dr. Shakina Rajendram, Dr. Vijay Ramjattan, Dr. Ashley Moore, and Dr. Joy Kangxian Zhao — has submitted the accreditation application to TESL Ontario, which is currently under review. If approved, the pathway will welcome its first cohort in Fall 2026.
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LLE News & Updates: April 2025
Update on Pathway to TESL Ontario Certification
The LLE program is making excellent progress in adding an optional pathway for TESL Ontario certification within the MEd program’s Language Teaching Field. The proposal was unanimously approved by OISE’s Academic Programs Committee and Council. Special thanks to Biljana Cuckovic in the Dean’s office for her invaluable assistance with the governance process!
LLE faculty will now begin the accreditation process with TESL Ontario, which we anticipate completing by the end of summer. This will enable us to start advertising the program and recruiting the first cohort of students in September 2026.
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LLE News & Updates: January 2025
Research Colloquium in LLE
Research Colloquium in LLE is a required course for first-year PhD and MA students, as well as a speakers series sponsored by CERLL. The Colloquium got off to an excellent start this year with a lecture from Dr. Khawla Badwan (Manchester Metropolitan University), in which she drew on Prof. Fikile Nxumalo’s (2016) work on ‘refiguring presences’ to articulate a new paradigm for children’s sociolinguistics. The remaining lectures this winter include:
Wednesdays from 5:00pm-6:30pm in 5-280
DATE | SPEAKER | TITLE |
| January. 29.2025 | Prof. Belinda Daniels University of Victoria, BC | Ethical Spaces of Engagement in Indigenous Language Reclamation |
| February.12.2025 | Prof. Ji-young Shin UofT Mississauga | Leveraging Generative AI in Refugee ESL and Less Commonly Taught Language Education: Exploring Moderation of Proficiency and Task Difficulty |
| February.19.2025 | Prof. Jungmin Kwon Michigan State University | Understanding the Lives and Literacies of Immigrant Children |
| February.26.2025 | Prof. Michael Skyer University of Tennessee | Deaf Epistemologies and the Deaf Biosocial Condition |
| March.5.2025 | Prof. Marika Kunnas University of British Columbia | Challenging Whiteness as a Legitimizing Force in Additional Language Education |
| March.19.2025 | Prof. Shireen Al-Adeimi Michigan State | Addressing Imperial Evasion: Toward an Anti-imperialist Pedagogy in Teacher Education |
Please contact Prof. Jeff Bale (jeff.bale@utoronto.ca) for a zoom link or for more information.
New Pathway to TESL Ontario Certification
The LLE program is in the final stages of curriculum innovation to add an optional pathway in the MEd program that qualifies successful graduates to apply for certification with TESL Ontario. TESL Ontario certification is required for almost all teaching positions in adult English-language programs in the province, and it is recognized across Canada. Once the governance and accreditation processes are complete, we can begin advertising this new opportunity and welcome our first cohort of students in Fall 2026.
