Sunshine State TESOL has recently increased its online presence via Facebook and Twitter. How did this come about? Over 2 years ago, at the 2010 annual meeting, the Sunshine State TESOL Executive Board discussed finding new ways to connect with local affiliate chapters and to recruit new members to the organization. In addition, the Board wanted a more efficient way to connect with the larger ESOL community to promote its annual conference as well as state and (inter)national events. James May, treasurer and webmaster, suggested that SSTESOL open social media accounts and add an ex officio position to the executive board called Social Media Liaison. After a unanimous decision by the board, SSTESOL created a Facebook page and profile as well as a Twitter account. Lindi Kourtellis was brought into this new ex officio position to lead the effort to increase the organization’s online presence.

Interest in SSTESOL’s Twitter and Facebook accounts was slow at first. Kourtellis states, “We were absolutely friendless. On day one I was looking at a blank account with only my personal profile and one other board member as friends. By day two, I had added the personal profiles of all the executive board members and I was careful not to add random people to the SSTESOL account.” She sought to add members, affiliates, and ESL teachers/administrators in the state. In order to connect with these people, she began an advertising campaign via email and at the 2010 Southeast Regional conference in Miami. In addition, she took the time to search one by one for SSTESOL members and regional affiliates. It didn’t happen overnight, but within a few months interest began to rise. Exactly one year after the Facebook account was opened, Sunshine State TESOL had more than 1,000 friends and 250 likes. Today, more than 2 years since the accounts were opened, the organization has 2,869 friends, 707 likes, 61 shared or tagged photos, and numerous comments and posts. It’s really exciting! Kourtellis states, “Every day I accept friend requests from people all over the world. I no longer have to search for friends; they come to the SSTESOL account.”

Sunshine State TESOL uses its Facebook and Twitter accounts in numerous ways. First, they are used as tools to promote the annual conference and other regional events. Photos and updates from the conference are posted in real time. At the 2012 state conference, attendees were able to tweet about those really “hot” sessions, ask questions, and receive immediate feedback from the conference team and/or other attendees.

Second, SSTESOL advertises grant opportunities and announces finalists and award winners through social media.

Third, social media has been an important avenue through which Sunshine State TESOL has provided important information and updates affecting ESL teachers and administrators in Florida, especially advocacy and state-mandated policies. In an effort to speak with one voice on policies affecting English language learners and ESOL professionals, the organization has also begun to post position statements on its Facebook page.

Finally, the organization has used social media to advertise and promote ESL-related jobs statewide. With the economy being the way it is, and with so many graduate students connected to SSTESOL on Facebook, the organization goes out of its way to find and post potential jobs.

Kourtellis says that the future for social media use by TESOL affiliates is bright. She states, “Continued growth is the main thing I see when I think about the benefits of using social media. Every day I accept friend requests . . . sometimes as many as 20 in one day. Also, our Twitter account is really growing. We’re continuing to accept followers and watch our tweets get retweeted. The other change I see happening in the near future is the increased involvement of local chapters.”

Lindi Kourtellis is a professor of EAP and the full-time EAP Lab coordinator at Valencia College East Campus. She received her master’s in TESOL from the University of Central Florida. She is serving on the SSTESOL executive board as social media liaison, second vice president, and program chair for the 2012 and 2013 conferences.

Kisha C. Bryan is the 2012–2103 president of Sunshine State TESOL. She has served on the Sunshine State TESOL Board of Directors for 7 years. She is assistant professor of EAP at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Prior to joining FSCJ, she spent several years as assistant professor of education at Edward Waters College, where she taught ESOL endorsement courses and several general education courses. She holds an MA in TESOL from SUNY Stony Brook and a PhD in curriculum and instruction (ESOL and bilingual education) from the University of Florida.