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Taylor Dukes was recently awarded Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) first certification in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and began her career teaching English in South Korea this fall.

Dukes, an English major, who speaks some Korean and Spanish in addition to English, aspired to teach abroad, but initially didn’t have a country in mind. Through research and learning the language, Korea became her focus, and she enlisted the help of a recruiter to find a job.

“I look forward to gaining new knowledge and experiences in Asia while doing something I love,” Dukes said. “After I attend orientation, I will teach elementary school children, and I couldn’t be more excited.”

The TESOL program helps address the shortage of TESOL teachers in the U.S. and around the globe, said Dr. Rong Liu, associate professor of English and TESOL coordinator at GGC.

“Graduates of the program will be ambassadors of GGC internationally since many will teach English abroad,” Lui said. “The program aims to be interdisciplinary, international and complementary to a student’s major.” TESOL graduates will directly contribute to the college’s internationalization efforts by cultivating intercultural competency in national and international communities.

Dukes said her GGC professors motivated her to succeed and were always enthusiastic and supportive of her goals to teach as an ESL teacher. They continuously inspired her to pursue her dreams and passions, despite pressure from others to pursue other career paths, she said.

“I truly felt seen as an individual by my professors and will be forever grateful for their support,” Dukes said. “I plan to model my professors’ patience and understanding in teaching because I feel these qualities are crucial in any classroom.”

“Taylor is enthusiastic and generous, and those attributes will definitely take her far in her teaching journey,” said Dr. Kristene McClure, associate professor of English and Dukes’ mentor. “She also has a love for learning, specifically learning languages, and her experience learning different languages helps her see the learning process from the perspective of the students, not just of the teacher.”

Dukes, who completed her studies in August, will regretfully miss GGC’s fall commencement ceremony in December.

“I’m disappointed that I won’t be there with my friends to walk across the stage,” she said. “I am, however, more excited that I will be doing something I love and hope the same for all my fellow graduates.”

Moving forward, Dukes plans to teach in Korea for the next five years, then hopes to either teach at an international school abroad or become a remote ESL teacher.

Dukes’ advice to GGC students considering TESOL is, “Go for it!” She said she believes it’s well worth the time and effort, offers an amazing chance for exploration, and helps define a student’s teaching style.