The Puerto Rico Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (PRTESOL) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 with the purpose of developing and improving the teaching of English in Puerto Rico. PRTESOL was the first affiliate of TESOL International. Since then, we have organized six chapters that represent the geographical regions of the island. Each chapter organizes several conferences and activities throughout the year leading up to our annual convention. All of these professional development activities allow teachers to be up-to-date with the current trends in the teaching of English, to share knowledge and experiences, and to network with other professionals in the field. Our goal is to support ESL professionals and focus on improving the teaching of ESL in Puerto Rico.

The PRTESOL convention seeks to provide professional development sessions to teachers, administrators, and professionals through workshops, panel, and research discussions of effective practices in teaching English. The intention is to motivate the integration of strategies to address diverse populations in the teaching of English as a global language and to provide a forum to share innovative and successful teaching ideas with colleagues. In addition, it is our objective to offer hands-on experiences that can be applied and practiced in the classroom. Furthermore, the convention grants continuing education credits, an essential requirement for the professional teacher.

We will have many distinguished speakers, scholars, exhibitors, and presentations from all over the world. The CA & CB affiliates’ representatives will be presenting a panel titled “Teacher Training Approaches and Programs in Central America and Caribbean Basin.” The affiliates’ representatives from Venezuela, Belize, Honduras, and Panama will share ideas about teacher-training issues in the Central American and Caribbean Basin region. They will present their successes, challenges, and opportunities in their teacher-training programs despite the different approaches they follow in their institutions.

This year’s keynote speakers are Dr. Leni Dam and Dr. Sharroky Hollie.

The TESOL International Association is sponsoring our international speaker, Dr. Leni Dam from Demark. Since 1979, Dr. Dam has been an educational adviser and inservice teacher trainer at University College, Copenhagen. Dr. Leni Dam is a producer of materials for language teaching. Her areas of interest are closely connected to the development of learner autonomy, differentiated teaching and learning, internal evaluation, and the use of portfolios.

Pearson Education is sponsoring Dr. Sharroky Hollie. Dr. Hollie is an acclaimed author and professor at California State University in the Teacher Education Department. Dr. Hollie, who teaches reading for secondary teachers, classroom management, and methodology, is also the executive director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing stellar professional development for educators desiring to become culturally responsive. With the Center, Dr. Hollie serves as a national expert, traveling around the country training thousands of teachers.

For the first time, PRTESOL will host the TESOL International Symposium titled “Facilitating Learning Through Empowerment.” It will be held 15 November 2012, preceding the 39th annual convention at Intercontinental Hotel. This 1-day symposium will guide educators in empowering their university and adult learners. English language educators will interact with leading experts in the field and learn about collaborating with colleagues, fostering learner autonomy, and guiding English language learners through the complicated steps to becoming professionals in their chosen fields. Participants will be exposed to systemic approaches and a wide variety of practical strategies and techniques to more effectively meet the needs of their students. TESOL International President 2012, Suzanne Panferov, will join us for a welcoming message. 

Dr. Evelyn Lugo works at Universidad del Este in Carolina. She has more than 30 years of experience in the field of language teaching. Dr. Lugo has been in various positions but she has always kept teaching her primary practice. She teaches general education English courses and education undergraduate and graduate courses. As a professional in the field of language teaching, she also works directly with teachers in public and private schools. Dr. Lugo has collaborated in different positions within PRTESOL and the Eastern chapter for many years. At the present time, she is the 2012 PRTESOL president.