With years of experience in the education field and multiple languages under his belt, our next Dear Language Lover is definitely an asset in the field. He is also a DOS English Language Fellow and longtime language professional. He served as a fellow from 2021 – 2023 in Montenegro which happens to be the same year I started with the program for a university in India. Although we facilitated programs in completely different parts of the world, we both started our journey at the same time with the hopes of providing well developed teacher training. The ELF program offers a notable opportunity for professionals to enhance their teacher training, curriculum development and leadership skills in various universities throughout the world. It’s a unique program which fosters professional growth and exposes individuals to a multitude of cultures and countries. In addition, the learners are able to enhance their English skills and prepare for different stages in their educational or professional journey. So, without further ado let’s take a deep dive into the responses from our newest DLL contributor.
I was quite curious to learn a bit more about when he became intrigued by languages and what he found most fascinating about the education field as a whole. Hansley shared that his interests in foreign languages peaked while he was completing his master’s in multilingual education. It was during this time that he was introduced to sociolinguistics and the interwoven paths between history, language and culture. While studying Japanese and experiencing the acquisition process he began to truly notice the minute nuances of language and the role of language in one’s thought process. “ Yeah, during my grad studies, I fell in love with foreign languages” (Cazeau, May 2025). For Hansley the journey of learner understanding that both the instructor and learners embrace is both fascinating and rewarding. Although each participant will have a different experience this is where the teacher has the opportunity to pull out all their creative tricks and tools. He compares this part of the classroom dynamic to a comedy show.
Have you ever watched a comedy show and you are telling your friends about it. You try to tell them the joke, but for Some reason, it’s not as funny as when the comedian said it? That’s because comedians are experts in delivering jokes. They know how to lead an audience in, giving you bits of information in the beginning so you can appreciate the punchline at the end. Facilitating that journey to a good laugh. That’s education to me. In what way can I facilitate this journey to Understanding. That’s where teachers get creative, and that is what I find the most Interesting (Cazeau, May 2025).
Hansley has studied Japanese more formally but due to his Haitian background he also is familiar with Haitian Creole and is interested in studying French in the future. As a language enthusiast he feels one of the biggest challenges that instructors face in the classroom is also an opportunity for creativity! He circled back to his analogy between comedians and teachers and their ability to share information in a manner that connects with their unique audience. In order to do this one must be cognizant enough of how an individual prefers to intake information and willing to make adjustments to how they present their material. As Hansley stated, “that requires a growth mindset and a practice of being a reflective educator” (Cazeau, May 2025).
So, another Language Enthusiast has shared their views on teaching and learning. Leave your experiences in the comments.
As a language learner and instructor how has your experience as a student shaped the way you conduct your classroom?
Has your experience as a student impacted how you view the classroom environment and student -facilitator interactions?
What role does a student’s personality, learning motivation and learning style play on a student’s ability to process and retain information?
What are the varying layers of language and is it important to explore all of them when studying a language?
Hansley is currently a Multilingual Specialist at the DoD Education Activity.
W Wanderland 