On a summer day by the streets of New York, Winne Teng pulled an instant camera from her bag, aimed it at a sign in Chinatown, and pressed the shutter. She wasn’t snapping photos for sightseeing purposes; instead, she was completing a school assignment. It was for a course called “Workshop in Teaching World Languages”. At the time, Teng was a second-year student in the Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), jointly offered by NYU Shanghai and the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. She graduated in 2024. Her research focus was on empowering English education through drama. As for how Teng developed her interest in English drama education, here’s the story.
Professor Erica Saldivar Garcia, captured through the lens of Teng
Teacher, Principal, Teacher, Student
Teng was first exposed to English drama education when she was teaching at a public school. "The school would invite native-speaking teachers to conduct English drama classes," she recalled. "I noticed that drama classes were very different from traditional teacher-centered lessons." Teng observed that the atmosphere in drama classes was more open, allowing even typically introverted children to gradually relax and actively participate. The high level of student engagement left a lasting impression on her.
Feeling inspired, Teng and two like-minded teachers decided to turn their vision for education into reality by founding an English drama education institution. She transitioned from being an educator to a manager. As the principal, she not only led a team of foreign drama teachers but also got involved in every aspect of operations, including marketing, sales, and quality assurance of the courses. This entrepreneurial experience brought unprecedented challenges and valuable growth. Her multifaceted role significantly broadened her perspective.
Years later, when Teng returned to a public school and resumed teaching students face-to-face, she noticed significant changes in her approach and skills. She had begun to integrate the interactive teaching methods from the English drama education institution into her classroom. However, she also recognized serious limitations. “The rapid changes in teaching philosophies driven by policy updates every five years are pushing everyone to work extra hard to keep up,” she reflected.
Teng became increasingly aware that her lack of systematic theoretical knowledge and scientific research methods was starting to take a toll. "Although I was integrating drama into my classes through practice, I didn’t have strong theories and research to back it," she admitted. This realization motivated her to apply for the TESOL program, and became a graduate student.
Teng (far right) with Professor Robin Harvey (second from right) and students from the program
Learn As You Go and Apply As You Learn
The TESOL program not only provided Teng with the theoretical framework she needed but also placed a strong emphasis on research methodology training. As she aptly put it, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” The program’s small-class format allowed professors to guide students step by step through various small projects, eventually mentoring each student in compiling their acquired theories and research methodologies into a comprehensive thesis.
Thanks to the design of the TESOL program, Teng continued her work as an English teacher while studying, giving her a unique advantage that she could apply what she learned immediately. “It’s a magical feeling,” she shared. “What I study and research in the TESOL program can be directly reflected in my classroom.” She entered a virtuous cycle of learning, practicing, and researching. The theories and methods she learned in the program were directly applied to her daily English teaching, and the feedback she gathered from practice was analyzed and refined into research findings.
“For example,” she explained, “through standardized, quantifiable assessments, I could observe that after a period of drama classes, my students showed significant improvements in both fluency and accuracy in speaking. Moreover, their classroom participation and engagement also improved markedly. I believe that making learning enjoyable is a critical motivator for students to excel in a subject.”
Through continuous application, validation, and refinement, Teng amassed a wealth of research findings. Her graduate thesis, along with her paper and workshop presentation at the 2024 Global English Education China Assembly, was deeply rooted in these research outcomes and delved extensively into the field of English drama education.
Teng presenting at the TESOL seminar
Go Above and Beyond
Professor Liang Jiansong, the TESOL program director, had this to say about Teng: she never settles for simply meeting requirements. At the 2024 Global English Education China Assembly, where she could have simply submitted and presented her paper, Teng went the extra mile and reworked her research into an interactive workshop, delivering a vivid live teaching demonstration for the audience. “If I had just presented the paper, it wouldn’t have had the same impact as showcasing the teaching activities described in the research through an interactive classroom format,” Teng explained. Besides the factor of on-site effect, she cited inspiration by the proactive and rigorous attitudes of her professors, who constantly motivated her to push beyond her limits.
“Professor Liang was meticulous in helping me refine my paper, challenging me to think deeper and polishing my presentation script draft after draft,” Teng recalled. “Despite his decades of experience, he took notes on every scholar’s presentation during the conference.” In their teaching, the professors employed interactive and immersive methods to fully engage students. “Whether online or offline, they often used small group discussions or one-on-one Q&A sessions to keep us focused and actively participating,” Teng said. For assignments, she remembered, the professors maintained extremely high standards and provided extensive feedback.
Teng with Professor John Liang at the 2024 Global English Education China Assembly
Teng spoke very fondly of her time in New York. The curriculum stayed current on issues and practice of TESOL but also integrated the city of New York itself into the learning experience. For instance, in terms of the course “Workshop in Teaching World Languages”, Teng recounted how the class visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art to analyze photographs or excerpts by authors, using course knowledge to explore the meanings and deeper messages behind them. “The professor even gave each of us an instant camera and asked us to capture scenes from the city relevant to the course, like evaluating the accuracy of translations on Chinatown signs,” Teng shared.
The creativity and dedication of her professors profoundly inspired Teng. “Since they gave their all, I had no excuse not to give my best every step of the way,” she said.
Teng in New York during the summer semester
The Show Goes On
After graduating from the TESOL program, Teng found that her understanding of cutting-edge theories in English education and her academic research skills had advanced significantly. But what she valued just as much was the powerful professional network she had built. “My classmates came from diverse backgrounds. Some were public school teachers like me, while others were international school educators or even founders of educational organizations,” Teng shared. The TESOL cohort spanned all levels of education, from elementary and middle school to high school and university. “When we encounter challenges, it’s incredibly convenient to discuss and solve them together because we have experienced peers in almost every niche and educational stage.”
Teng at the Graduate Convocation
Teng credited the TESOL program with helping her break out of her existing social circles and providing access to educators she would not have easily encountered otherwise. This network fostered a collaborative, cross-disciplinary knowledge community, breaking down barriers and encouraging mutual support. “What I find particularly precious,” Teng noted, “is that our interactions have only increased after graduation. Whether it’s exchanging professional insights or exploring opportunities for collaboration, there’s always someone in the group who can help.”
For the TESOL program, graduation is not even the beginning of the end; it’s probably just the end of the beginning. The show goes on.