Today, the city of multicultural Melbourne continues to be a meeting place where people from all walks of life gather to exchange knowledge, share stories, celebrate success, ponder the challenges they face, and, importantly, enjoy each other’s company. The ACTA 2014 Conference continued this tradition and was a great example of what happens when people get together. From the outset, the Organising Committee planned to make it easy for delegates to meet and talk, both formally and informally, throughout the 4 days. We felt that what really counts for many people are the connections they make with others while sharing ideas, and listening to one another.

The Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA) is the umbrella group of the eight state and territory associations in Australia, and it holds a conference every 2 years on a different part of the continent. In 2014, it was the state of Victoria’s turn to host, with the state association, VicTESOL, responsible for making it happen. Dr Alan Williams took on the role of convenor and with his extensive experience in TESOL provided expert guidance and leadership to the Conference Organising Committee team throughout the preparations as well as during the event. The planning began more than 2 ½ years prior to the opening session, which took place on the evening of Tuesday, 30 September, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The opening keynote address was given by Professor Viv Edwards, from the University of Reading in the UK. She set the tone for the conference by presenting a series of fascinating vignettes drawn from many different settings, including Bengali-, Urdu-, and Chinese-speaking children in UK primary schools; African American students in the United States; and Chinese teachers of English on courses in higher education. She used these to explore important current challenges in TESOL.

Days two and three included workshops, symposia, and papers from more than 130 dedicated presenters. Keynote speakers over these 2 days came from different parts of the globe, inspired us with their ideas, and got us thinking about TESOL and language related issues in new and challenging ways.

On Day two, Professor Chris Davison, (University of New South Wales, Australia) skillfully articulated the various challenges involved in assessing language in the content areas and in supporting teacher-assessors with variable levels of language knowledge and skills and assessment literacy. Later that day, Professor Joe Lo Bianco (University of Melbourne, Australia) spoke about the shifting roles of English in South East Asia and discussed moral, political, and pedagogical dilemmas that arise from the multiple presences of English in several settings in this region.

On Day three, Professor Amy Tsui, (University of Hong Kong) provided a comprehensive overview of recent developments in language policies in Asian countries to meet the challenges posed by globalization. She also explored what ESL teachers need to be aware of as they engage in helping students acquire ESL competence in the context of bilingual education. Also on Day three, Professor Ester de Jong (University of Florida, USA) examined the role of multilingualism to prepare (mainstream) teachers for working with bilingual learners. She discussed how principles for quality education for bilingual learners apply in multilingual settings and considered the implications for language teacher preparation for diverse primary and secondary classrooms.

Our final keynote speaker for the conference was Ms. Belinda Duarte, a Wotjobaluk woman with extensive professional experience working on boards and in managerial roles with young people; Aboriginal communities; and sport/health and pathway programs in education, training, and employment. She is currently the director of the Korin Gamadji Institute, which provides leadership, accredited training, and career pathway programs for young indigenous people. Ms. Duarte inspired us by asking us to consider: What are the common threads that unite us and that define Australia? What are the opportunities that exist to build a strong contemporary Australia founded in lineage and the identity of who we are today?

More information about each of the keynotes along with presentations for many of the other presenters at the conference is available on the ACTA website.

Day four offered delegates a chance to undertake visits to sites in Melbourne that provide resources and run programs of interest to teachers and others working with learners from a range of language and cultural backgrounds. The Language and Multicultural Education Resource Centre, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and the Immigration Museum offered some great sessions to delegates who enjoyed the opportunity to venture out from the conference venue and learn about these great resources.

The evaluations from delegates included many comments about the friendly and social “vibe” of the conference. One of our favourite comments came from a first-time delegate to the ACTA conferences, a teacher who said: “Amazing experience—my first one and it's all shiny and dazzling and I admit, I have so much to take back to my school and think about.” Overall, the 2014 ACTA conference in Melbourne was judged to be a great success. We look forward to the next ACTA conference in April 2016 in Perth, Western Australia and we hope to see you there!

Dr Shem Macdonald is a lecturer in language and learning and has many years experience as a TESOL teacher and teacher educator. He is a member of VicTESOL and was part of the ACTA2014 Conference Organising Committee.