One of the first people in our lives who will inspire us will always be our teachers. This holds true for our Advanced TESOL NOW graduate, Ofelia Aranas, who began considering a career in education when a former English teacher of hers helped her realize the beauty of the English language. As an aspiring teacher herself, she understood the value of the English language as a medium of communication in day-to-day life. Wanting to further combine her interest in training and in English, she eventually made the decision to pursue English language teaching as a career path. In pursuit of this goal, she chose to enroll in ATI’s Advanced TESOL NOW, an asynchronous and self-paced course perfect for aspiring teaching professionals.
Holistic learning
When Ofelia first encountered Advanced TESOL NOW, she thought it covered everything she looked for in a certification program, “I’m a very practical and reasonable person and I want something that would perfectly fit my needs while meeting standards. The structure of the Advanced TESOL Now program of ATI matched my idea of TESOL Certification.”
Upon immersion into the program and its modules, she admits it was not always smooth and perfect, but this did not stop her from finishing it, “...I’d even set an alarm in the middle of wee hours just to continue the modules. Not because I’m pressed with time but more of eagerness to have a fluid learning process.” Despite the bumps she encountered in the program, it was the support that she received based on her feedback on the modules that made it a holistic learning experience, “I felt as though I was part of the program.”
Through her journey, Ofelia found that the most important lesson she learned was the core value of teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and building relations with ESL students. To her, teaching the language to other people widened her horizon beyond just speaking it on a day-to-day basis. Building towards a good relationship with her students is what makes her work so fulfilling for her, “It is hearing the improvement in the way my students articulate themselves in our conversation. It is seeing the happiness in their eyes glimmering with belief that they are speaking good English. It is reading their updates after passing a job interview or being applauded after an online global meeting.”
Moving forward
For Ofelia, getting her TESOL certificate is just the first step. Upon graduating from Advanced TESOL NOW, she hopes that this will serve as a clear path in fulfilling and creating her own teaching goals, “It feels like I’ve been given access to an arsenal of knowledge for success and no better way to utilize it than sharing it to the world.” Additionally, earning her certification has given her a new purpose in life, “Going through the program opened my eyes to endless possibilities of fulfilling my life’s desire. It has given me a new road to explore and achieve both personal and professional goals.”
Do you wish to find a space where you can discover your own personal and professional goals like Ofelia? Then Advanced TESOL NOW is perfect for you!