ALC Newsletter - 03/16/2015 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
LEADERSHIP UPDATES
•  MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
•  MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
•  MEET DEBBIE WEST, INCOMING ALC MEMBER A
ARTICLES
•  JODI CRANDALL HONORED WITH WATESOL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
•  ACTA TESOL CONFERENCE IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: MEETING THE CHALLENGE
•  TESOL ARABIA SUPPORTS NEEDY WOMEN OF NEPAL
NEWS FROM THE AFFILIATES
•  MEXTESOL EXPANDING ITS HORIZONS
•  MATE CONFERENCE REPORT 2014
•  THREE RIVERS TESOL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS
•  TexTESOL V PUBLICATION OF TEXAS ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
•  12TH CA&CB CONFERENCE IN PANAMA CITY, SEPTEMBER 2014
TESOL 2015 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION & ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXPO
•  AFFILIATE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEETINGS

12TH CA&CB CONFERENCE IN PANAMA CITY, SEPTEMBER 2014

Ulrich Schrader, MEXTESOL-TESOL Liaison, Mexico City, Mexico

The 12th Central American and Caribbean Basin (CA&CB) TESOL Affiliates Regional conference took place in Panama City simultaneously with Panama TESOL’s 28th Annual Congress, 20–21 September 2014. Eight TESOL affiliates sent representatives to the conference: ASOCOPI (Colombia), ACPI-TESOL (Costa Rica), GELI (Cuba), MEXTESOL (Mexico), ANPI-NicaTESOL (Nicaragua), PanamaTESOL (Panama), PRTESOL (Puerto Rico), and VenTESOL (Venezuela). In addition, representatives from the following countries were also present: Belize (Belize TESOL), the Dominican Republic (DR-TESOL), El Salvador, and Honduras.

It was the most widely represented conference to date, thanks in part to the funds provided by the Regional English Language Office for Mexico and Central America in Mexico City. An academic speaker from the West Indies island of Grenada also participated.

In addition to individual academic presentations given by most of the representatives, thereby enriching Panama TESOL’s Annual Congress program and making many outside speakers available to the local audience, there were plenary sessions given by Dr. Juan A. Rios Vega, Christine Palumbo, Jen MacArthur, and Margareth Lund. There was also an interesting colloquium moderated by Ana Palencia (Panama TESOL) and given by all of the representatives from the 12 participating countries.

As the venue was a Latin American country, the social aspect of the event could not be left out, and there was a welcome cocktail around the pool of the host hotel as well as a gala dinner. Panama TESOL proved to be a great host affiliate, and we would like to thank Joel Alvarez, the president of Panama TESOL, and his National Board for organizing this conference, as well as the Universidad Latina de Panama for allowing us to use its installations.

As usual, there was a business meeting of the CA&CB group, and Nicaragua TESOL came prepared with the proposal to host the next CA&CB conference (the 13th) in Nicaragua in 2016.

At TESOL 2015, several representatives will be participating, including Grazzia Mendoza (Honduras), who is presenting at the session "Peer Coaching for NNEST Professional Development and Empowerment," on Thursday, 26 March 2015, at 10:30 am in room 203D at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The next business meeting of the CA&CB group will be held at TESOL 2015 in Toronto on Thursday at 3 pm in room 201C, after the Affiliate Editors’ Workshop. Anyone from the Central American and Caribbean Basin region who would like to find out more about the group is particularly welcome to attend; indeed anyone who is interested in the group’s activities is welcome to this meeting at TESOL 2015 in Toronto.

Ulrich (Uli) Schrader is the MEXTESOL-TESOL liaison and a long-time member of both MEXTESOL and TESOL.