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One of the oldest European TESOL International Affiliates, celebrates its 40th anniversary.
In pursuit of excellence indeed! This is TESOL Greece's (TG) celebratory banner for our 40th anniversary. And, I've been asked to write an article about these forty years. How does one broach a subject like this? How does a founding member from day one speak about all these years of hard work, of hopes and dreams, of friends and colleagues and fellow Board members who have worked side by side, and of those seminal people who came up with the idea, urged and encouraged and are now no longer with us?
TESOL Greece, the fourth TESOL affiliate in Europe (after Italy, Spain and Portugal), was born on January 30th, 1980, the feast day of the Three Hierarchs, patron saints of education. The date was symbolically selected as the day to present the idea of TESOL Greece to ELT people from all parts of Greece and from all sectors.
It was on that day that the founding members elected an Ad Hoc Committee, set the date of the first Annual International Convention (May 2-4, 1980), and brainstormed and set the TESOL Greece mission statement, as well as the association's goals. Thus, TG was established as a totally non-profit, non-unionized, non-political, volunteer professional association for all Greek and foreign nationals involved in ELT in Greece. Our membership includes teachers, teacher educators, university professors and students, FL school owners, writers, researchers and publishers. This is what makes TESOL Greece unique. We are an ELT “umbrella” which informs, supports, empowers and educates all ELT professionals, providing a forum for the interchange and development of ideas.
TESOL Greece Ad Hoc Committee and J. Alatis at the Opening of the 2nd TG Annual Convention in March 1981.3rd row first on the left, Terry Carroll, Ad Hoc Committee Chair, 2nd row from left to right: Robert Sugg, Vicky Megas, Ad Hoc members, Lilika Couri, Ad Hoc Secretary General.1st row left to right: Dr. Bessie Dendrinos, Ad Hoc V. Chair, Dr. James E. Alatis, plenary speaker.
Over these forty years, there have been many Board chairs and members, as well as Journal editors, who have helped TG grow and become one of the most influential affiliates in Europe. However, tribute must be paid to two very special people in TG's life, but also in the writer's life: James E. Alatis and Terry Carroll, who encouraged and urged a small number of ELT colleagues to think of founding a TESOL International affiliate. We thank them for their vision, but also for much more than just the idea to found TESOL Greece.
TESOL Greece Monthly Events and Community Support
With Athens as its headquarters, TESOL Greece organizes monthly events throughout the mainland, Western Greece, the Peloponnese and the islands for the benefit of its members and in order to reach out to new professionals. In addition, the association produces a high-quality quarterly Journal. TESOL Greece is a strong active supporter of community projects such as Disabled-Access Friendly, Archelon, No Trafficking, Susan Komen Race For Cure, and The Smile Of The Child.
Additional innovative events which have become part of TESOL Greece's offerings to members are the following:
- the Interactive Plenary Panel at the annual convention, where members can ask the plenaries questions, hear their opinions, and interact with them
Interactive Plenary Panel, TG Annual International Convention,
March 2015. From left to right: David Crystal, Burcu Akyol, Lilika Couri (moderator), Stephen Krashen, Agnes Alice Mariakaki, Luke Meddings
- the six Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which are organized according to the needs and interests of members and the annual Big SIG Day Event,
- presentations and a small bazaar featuring NGOs in our community outreach program,
- the New Year Pitta Cutting event,
- the annual TESOL Greece-HAEF event,
- the TG Summer event, often taking place on one of the beautiful islands or culturally attractive towns in the mainland, and
- recently the TESOL Greece-IATEFL Young Learners SIG Colloquium and the TG-IPSEN IATEFL-BELTA Specific Learning Differences Colloquium.[1]
TESOL Greece Annual International Conference
TESOL Greece hosts the largest international conference in the country. The conference provides information on current trends and research in education and technology, four distinguished plenary speakers, an interactive plenary panel, over 50 concurrent presentations, workshops and poster presentations, an extensive book & materials exhibit, theatrical performances, museum visits and social functions. In March 2015, the TESOL Greece AGA established the James E. Alatis Annual Honorary Plenary in memory and appreciation of Dr. Alatis for his initial encouragement and continuous support of the association.
Since the first convention in 1980, TESOL Greece has become respected and well known both in Greece and abroad. Over the years, many internationally known figures in ELT have been plenary speakers at our annual conventions, including James E. Alatis, Louis Alexander, David Crystal, John Fanselow, Jeremy Harmer, Stephen Krashen, Bob Obee, Herbert Puchta, Carol Read, Mario Rinvolucri, Marjorie Rosenberg, Elana Shohamy, Adrian Underhill, and Henry Widdowson (to name a few), along with respected local educators such as Paul Bouniol, Lilika Couri, Bessie Dendrinos, George Drivas, Kia Karava, Eleni Livaniou, Agnes Mariakaki, Bessie Mitsikopoulou, Luke Prodromou, and Michael Robbs.
The 1st Convention, however, is of historical value, as Mary Finochiarro, then in Italy, accepted the invitation of the Ad Hoc Committee and opened the convention as a plenary speaker. As all novices, few of us were aware of the importance of that dynamic petite lady walking around the auditorium, mike in hand, talking to and 'chatting' with 320 attendees.
Mary Finocchiaro, TG 1st International Convention, May 3, 1980
The annual conventions are the highlight of the year for members, providing an opportunity for educators from all over the world to present the findings of their recent research and to share teaching practices and ideas with their colleagues.
Thanks to the dream, foresight and hard work of the founding members, the continued efforts and contributions of the subsequent Board members, and the generous support from members, publishers and sponsors, TESOL Greece has managed to grow and develop over the last 40 years from a dream of dedicated educators into an internationally known and respected professional association. Our association has served as a model and mentor for other European affiliates. TG is an affiliate of TESOL International and an Associate of IATEFL. The TESOL Greece Newsletter (now TG Journal) is considered to be one of the best affiliate publications. This has been made possible due to the efforts of its Editors over the years.
TESOL Greece has led the way to a number of innovations both in the ELT field, but also in the transformation of our values as citizens and as individuals. This was done more out of "instinct" rather than set goals. It's been a gradual transformation of the individual beliefs, values, and philosophy of the founding members and of all those who have followed. We have remained non-political, non-unionized, non-profit, despite the hardships of an almost 10-year recession. And, whenever it is necessary, we have volunteered, whether we are current Board members, former, or members to-be.
Our 40th anniversary year will conclude with the Annual International Convention on 2-3 March, 2019. The theme of the convention is, "The 5 Ts of TESOL: Teach, Train, Transform, Transcend, Trust." In many ways, it represents the 'quest' of excellence of TESOL Greece and the evolvement of our members.
Luciana de Oliveira, Malcolm Mann, Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto, and Dorothy Zemach will be the plenary speakers, supported by forty-nine parallel speakers from all over the world and Greece. Six former TG chairs, Suzanne Antonaros, Valia Gkotsi, Vicky Megas, Maria Makra, Penny Masoura, and Mandy Watkins, and who represent different 'eras' and generations of TG, will participate in an Interactive Panel and the convention will close with the theatrical performance of Luke Prodromou's "The English Language Voice Theatre."
And, TESOL Greece will embark on a new voyage, looking ahead again towards the 21st century and the challenges of a world totally different from, but as promising as the world of 1980.
TG Board and TG members visiting the Ancient Agora, June 17, 2018.
Lilika Couri has conducted teacher development and EFL School Management courses in Greece and abroad, as co-director of Educational & Training Consultants. She is co-author of EFL teaching books. Lilika is TESOL Greece chair for 2018-2019.
[1] An excerpt from Joanne Stournaras's article in the TG Journal, December 2018. |
