Three members of TESOL Arabia gave presentations for the Professional Development Program at the 25th Annual Abu Dhabi International Book Fair held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center from 8–13 May 2015. TESOL Arabia Past President Dr. Melanie Gobert presented on “Gulf Arab Students’ Reading Challenges,” Young Learners Special Interest Group Treasurer Garlfar Andrews presented on “Advice from an Experienced TESOL Teacher,” and TESOL Arabia member and regular presenter and author Dr. Ghassoub Mustafa presented on the “7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers.”

Garlfar Andrews presents “Advice from an Experienced TESOL Teacher” at the Book Fair.

Dr. Gobert gave a talk on home literacy practices in the Gulf Region, the impact of Arabic diglossia on students’ achievement, the difference between the lexical access routes of English and Arabic, and how students are taught to read in Arabic and in L1 English. Andrews shared his experiences on best practices in promoting bilingualism and teaching English in L1 predominantly Arabic classrooms, which include a lot of support activities in the content areas, such as interactive speaking and listening activities, and reading and writing in collaborative groups rather than individually. Because students are learning content in a second language, they need a lot of support, and classroom activities have to be planned carefully to make up for any shortcomings in the children’s linguistic abilities.

Dr. Gobert poses with a graphic recording of her talk at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair done by Viz Think Lab.

Dr. Mustafa provided teachers with strategies and techniques to enrich their teaching career and strengthen their “immune” system to protect them from burnout and decline. The 7 habits presented were:

1. Be proactively inquisitive.

2. Be a reflective practitioner.

3. Be a researcher.

4. Be student centered.

5. Be humanistic, humorous, and a storyteller.

6. Synergize (i.e., create a collaborative environment).

7. Sharpen the saw (i.e., keep the items in your teacher’s toolkit sharp by using institutional evaluation; your own students’ feedback; peer, supervisor, and self-observation; along with intense and continuous reflection to keep your teaching sharp and up-to-date).

Dr. Mustafa concluded that teachers are in need of a deep look at their personal paradigms.

Dr. Ghassoub Mustafa shares the “7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers” at the Fair with Professional Development Program attendees.

This is the first time that members of TESOL Arabia were invited to participate as presenters in the Professional Development Program of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. More than 70 exhibitors offered more than 500,000 titles for sale in Arabic and English. In addition to the professional program, a cultural program was on offer featuring numerous local and international authors. The Sheikh Zayed Prize for Arabic Literature, one of the richest literature prizes in the world, valued at over US$200,000, is awarded during the fair. This year’s winner was Palestinian author Osama Alaysa forThe Fools of Bethlehem. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, was named Cultural Personality of the Year by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, at the fair. Iceland was the featured country at this year’s event.