In this segment of Let's Talk Design, Farnaz and Mike (MA, Applied Linguistics) get into the concept of multimodality in teaching, emphasizing its importance in accommodating diverse learning styles and engaging students in a media-saturated world. Mike shares innovative teaching approaches that incorporate multimodality, including a lesson plan that utilizes AI music creation, highlighting the need for educators to embrace new methods and technologies to enhance student learning.

They also, inevitably, discuss the current challenges in the ELT systems, particularly focusing on the precarious situation partial-load and part-time college professors are currently facing in Canada.

ELT= English Language Teaching

COMM= Communications (college-level writing courses)

ESL= English as a Second Language

EAP= English for Academic Purposes

C2 English level= the highest level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale, signifying near-native fluency 

LMS= Learning Management System

UDL= Universal Design for Learning

Suno AI Music: https://suno.com/

Mike Gagne holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and a Bachelor of Design in Illustration, and has over 15 years of experience teaching ESL and Communications across the private sector and Ontario colleges. His work stands out for its thoughtful integration of design into the classroom.Alongside teaching, he works as a graphic designer and illustrator, bringing a strong design lens to his learning experiences: creating accessible materials and project-based work that encourages students to think, create, and problem-solve. For Mike, design isn’t an add-on; it’s central to how he approaches learning.

⁠⁠www.learningoffthesyllabus.com⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: @learningoffthesyllabus

Email: ⁠learningoffthesyllabus@gmail.com

Theme music:

Periscope by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/