This week, we’re going to hear from Justin Davis, a more recent graduate of the Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages (MATL) program. After becoming a licensed teacher, Justin earned a teaching assistantship and joined the MATL with an emphasis in Spanish in 2021. I had become coordinator of the MATL at the start of Justin’s second year, so I got to know him quite well and I got to see him as a student and as an instructor. His students described him as compassionate, and they loved all the different authentic materials (especially music) that he shared with them. His skill in the classroom and the dedication he took to his own studies made the World Languages faculty nominate him for the title of “Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year” at the University of Southern Mississippi, and we awarded him the "Most Outstanding On Campus Student" honor at the School of Social Science and Global Studies awards ceremony. Soon after he graduated in 2023, Justin took a job as a mi...

In this blog entry, I’m going to showcase Margaret Kelly, a 2017 graduate of the Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages (MATL) program. I first “met” her in summer 2014 when Margaret was a student my French film course, the first online graduate course that I ever taught. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the orientation for new teaching assistants that fall and saw Margaret there. She spent the next three years in Hattiesburg completing a triple emphasis in Spanish, French, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). We have known each other for over a decade now, and we still keep in touch. She is a gifted language user, a creative teacher and researcher, and an enthusiastic and thoughtful friend. Read about Margaret’s journey to the MATL and what she has done since. As always, if you want more information about the MATL or want to be put in touch with Margaret, click on “Contact the MATL.” Margaret after her commencement ceremony in 2017 Dr. Katie Angus: Ma...

Today’s blog features Dr. Chimene Gecewicz , who graduated from the Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages (MATL) program at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in 1999 with an emphasis in Teaching English to Speaking of Other Languages (TESOL). Her perspective is quite an interesting one, as she is not only an alumna, but she is also now a faculty member in the program. Since being hired at USM in 2021 as our primary TESOL faculty member, Dr. Gecewicz has had the opportunity to teach all of the MATL core courses (i.e., Teaching Methods, Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Second Language Acquisition, and Practicum). She has also developed and taught a range of TESOL classes, including courses on multiculturalism, advocacy, and world Englishes. She is an attentive advisor, an invaluable colleague, and an instructor who good at drawing out the best in her students. This interview with Dr. Chimene Gecewicz took place in June 2024, on Zoom. Read along to hear about her ex...

Hello! I'm Dr. Katie Angus , and this is my blog. Even though I'm a full-time faculty member at Southern Miss, I love taking classes in my limited free time (it's a great benefit!). I get to learn new skills or just take classes for fun. It's also a great reminder about what it feels like in my students' shoes, and I get inspired by other faculty members' teaching. Since starting at USM in 2013, I've taken courses in Child Development, Spanish, Nutrition, Speech and Hearing Sciences, and more. This summer, I'm taking a Communications course about social media in which I have to develop a presence on several platforms. I didn't have a blog before, and I've been wanting to share about our amazing MATL students, alumni, and faculty... so now here is my chance! It only makes sense to introduce myself first, since I am often the first contact MATL students have, as applicants or recently admitted students. I'm the current MATL program director, an...

This blog showcases the enthusiastic and diverse students that are enrolled in the Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages (MATL) program at the University of Southern Mississippi and some of the hundreds of alumni that have graduated from it over the last 30 years. Read about their experiences during the program and after, and gather some practical ideas for your own language classroom along the way. This blog will also feature our dedicated faculty members in Spanish, French, and TESOL, one of whom is a MATL alum herself!  If you’re considering applying to the MATL program, the student and alumni profiles will give you an idea of who would be your classmates and how the MATL has impacted their lives. For those of you thinking about coming to Mississippi to be a student, you will also learn about what it’s like to live in Hattiesburg and be a teaching assistant on campus. Finally, the faculty posts will let you know more about the people who will guide you through this step i...