Kirstyn Kedaitis, MSc TESOL

Why I chose TESOL at Edinburgh

Having had prior teaching experience in English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries, I was certain I wanted to do a postgraduate degree related to language education in some way.

After carefully reviewing the courses available on various degree programmes, I ultimately decided on the MSc TESOL degree because I thought that the subjects covered by the degree would build off my existing English teaching knowledge and offer me the opportunity to learn about other facets of language education that I didn’t know much about.

A 'powerful and rewarding' dissertation process

Surprisingly, I most enjoyed the dissertation process. There was something very empowering and rewarding about designing and executing my own scientific study. I very much enjoyed searching for answers in my data while I reviewed relevant literature. I was incredibly nervous about the dissertation component when I started the program, but it ended up being the most satisfying element of the degree.

'I feel more capable of creating new knowledge and ideas'

I definitely developed my research skills and my critical thinking abilities. My ability to critically analyse academic texts grew significantly during the course of my degree, and I went through research training that I never had during my undergraduate degree.

The most useful thing I learned as a result of this degree was to never accept information at face value: you should always question or be critical of the information you’re taking in. Perhaps a newspaper article you’ve recently read might be biased, or maybe the figures in a TV newscast were altered a bit. The fact that my degree programme taught me to be critical of what I see has allowed me to realise that a lot of what we accept as truth might actually have varying levels of factuality.

As a result of this degree, I feel more capable of creating new knowledge and ideas rather than simply reading and repeating existing information.

'My degree has made me a more informed educator'

My degree has certainly made me a more informed educator, and it carries a bit of weight on my CV.

On top of this, the dissertation component of the programme has also made me consider pursuing further study in this field. I’m quite keen to keep finding solutions for problems that learners face, and I didn’t have this passion until I started doing research for my dissertation.

Overall, I am very happy with the education I received on this programme. I had the opportunity to make several new friends and professional connections, and I’m still in regular contact with several people I met while studying here. The programme as a whole exceeded my expectations, and I feel like a better teacher because of it.

'Don't let your fears stop you'

If you feel you might want to do this programme, don’t let your fears stop you. Don’t be afraid of the research, don’t be afraid of the dissertation, don’t be afraid of cultural barriers. Help is available to you if you ask for it, and the programme staff are there to guide you. The programme is definitely a lot of work, but if you want to complete it, you can. Don’t let your insecurities get in the way of your success.