Marlene Toews Janzen

Language teacher, Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute

Office:70 Laurier Avenue East, Room 022
Telephone: 613-562-5800 ext. 3466
Email: janzenm@uOttawa.ca

have had a variety of language teaching experiences: Core French in junior and senior high school; French Immersion work in elementary schools; English for new Canadians from many countries, either as a tutor or in the classroom; EFL to young adults and professionals in Cairo, Egypt (1993-95); ESL at the University of Ottawa since 1995; and teacher training with both foreign-trained teachers and Canadian and international students in the Second Language Teaching program. I have also done some work in writing evaluation and rater training. I love my job because I meet so many students from different faculties and cultural backgrounds. I am interested in learning how to more effectively teach both language and language teachers, and I also continue to work at my own language learning (at present, French and Arabic).

University Degrees

  • 1996  - M.éd, Enseignement des langues secondes, University of Ottawa;
  • 1987  - BA (spec), Lettres françaises, University of Ottawa;
  • 1977  - Certificat en éducation, University of Manitoba;
  • 1976 - BA (Hon), Histoire, University of Winnipeg.

Fields of Interest

  • Academic writing and grammar instruction and assessment;
  • Immersion courses related to History courses;
  • Speaking instruction;
  • Cross-cultural aspects of language learning and teaching;
  • Teaching EFL to young adults, especially in Egypt;
  • Using folk tales in EFL instruction;
  • Language teacher development (especially in EFL);
  • EFL teacher identity.

Courses Taught

  • DLS1101 Introduction to Second Language Teaching II;
  • ESL1112 Oral and Written Communication in ESL: Elementary Level II;
  • ESL2111 Oral and Written Communication in ESL: Intermediate Level I;
  • ESL2121  Reading and Writing Skills for Second Language Learners: Advanced Level I;
  • ESL2181 Immersion Course in ESL: Receptive Skills (History and Administration);
  • ESL2331 Listening Skills for Second Language Learners: Advanced Level I;
  • ESL2351 Oral Communication Skills for Second Language Learners: Advanced Level I;
  • ESL2361 Writing Skills for Second Language Learners: Advanced Level I;
  • ESL2371 English Grammar for Second Language Learners: Advanced Level I;
  • ESL2372 English Pronunciation for Second Language Learners;
  • ESL3166 Advanced English for ESL/EFL Teaching: Practice;
  • ESL3371 English Grammar for Second Language Learners: Advanced Level II;
  • ESL 3375 The Cultural Dimensions of Communication in a Second Language.

Selected Publications

(Nov. 2008) Book Review of Marilyn Lewis and Hayo Reinders (2008) Using Student-Centered Methods with Teacher-Centered Students (2nd ed.) Pippin Press in

TESL Ontario Contact
, 34 (4 ): 19-21.

(Aug. 2008) Context-Sensitive EFL Teacher Education: Adapting Speaking Activities. TESL Ontario Contact, Vol.34 (3): 9-16 

(2008) Ryan, W., Gobeil. M., Hope, A., Toews Janzen, M. Evaluation of the French Inmmersion Studies Academic Stream. Report #2.  OLBI.

(2007) Ryan, W,Courcelles, P., Hope, A., Buchanan, B., Toews  Janzen, M. (2007) Evaluation of the French Inmmersion Studies Academic Stream. OLBI.

Presentations and Workshops at conferences

(Nov. 2011) Using Folktales to Develop Communication Skills (Particularly in Oral Communication)  

(April 2010) Context-Sensitive Language Education: Teaching Speaking and Writing in the Cuban University Context. Invited presenter, 4-hour pre-conference workshop for
EFL professors. WEFLA Conference in Holguin, Cuba.

(Nov. 2008) So you want to Teach Abroad? Some Lessons Learned in Cairo, Egypt. TESL Ontario Conference, Toronto, ON.

(April 2008) Improving Rater Reliability in ESL Writing.  4-hour pre-conference workshop. WEFLA Conference in Holguin, Cuba.

(Nov. 2007) Context-Sensitive EFL Teacher Education: Adapting Speaking Activities.  TESL Ontario Conference, Toronto, ON. Nov. 2007.

(Nov. 2005) with  A. Hope Training Raters for Reliable Assessment. 3-hour presentation and rater training session (40%)  TESL Ontario Conference, Toronto, ON. November, 2005.

(May 2005) with A. Hope, J. St. John, S. Burger, and D. Bayliss  Certifying Second Language Competence. TESL Canada Conference, Ottawa, ON.  May 2005

(Oct. 2004) with S.  Burger, S. Cross-curricular language learning in a post-  9/11 world: Content-based instruction at the University of Ottawa. LACxC  (Language And Cultures Across the Curriculum) Conference. Binghamton, New York.