Lieutenant-Governor's Literacy Award Winner 2006
(from the AL&L website)
The
recipient of this year’s medal, Gail Tiessen, has worked as an
ESL/Literacy teacher, program coordinator and curriculum developer, and
is currently an Associate Professor of Teaching English to Speakers of
Other Languages (TESOL) at Providence College and Seminary in
Otterburne.
In the past 17 years Ms Tiessen has made a major contribution to ESL/Literacy programming for adults in the southwest region of Manitoba. She was instrumental in the formation of SEELS (South Eastman English and Literary Services) where she worked as instructor/coordinator from 1989-1995 and served as board chair from 2000-2005.
In the photo above, Ms. Tiessen is standing with His Excellency, Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard. (Photo: Michelle)
The professional development of ESL teachers in the province and beyond has benefited from Ms Tiessen’s expertise. She has provided numerous workshops for literacy and ESL teachers, has worked on the TESL Canada board and has offered her expertise on projects such as the Manitoba Canadian Language Benchmarks Core Language Objectives, Canadian Language Benchmarks 2000 Guide to Implementation and Canadian Snapshots.
Ms Tiessen’s years of dedication and leadership in the field TESOL/Literacy are exemplified in her commitment to the needs and experiences of learners. In response to the unique needs of Low German Mennonite immigrants in southern Manitoba, she co-authored an ESL/Literacy workbook The Peace Seekers in 1995; Elma Street Treasure (2003) and Faith Encounters (2004). She is deeply convinced of the need for learner input into the instructional process.