Affiliate News - November 2022 (Plain Text Version)
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WORLD TOUR WITH TESOL AFFILIATES Linh Phung, Incoming Chair of the ANPC, Founder of Eduling International
Different from last year, when the Affiliate Network Professional Council organized our year-round events based on topics, this year, each of our webinars will take you to a different region in the world. This structure allows us to highlight the geographical diversity of TESOL affiliates, choose a time that works for the speakers, and attract more attendees from a particular region and those who are interested in learning about that region. After each webinar, new connections among the speakers and participants are made, and existing connections are strengthened. On February 25, the ANPC hosted a webinar on innovation across Asian and Oceania affiliates with the contribution of Dawn Lucovich, President of Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT), who shared innovative changes JALT implemented including the use of smart speakers for meetings and a monthly series called Zoom for Professional Development (ZDP). Motikala Subba Dewan from Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA) shared about creative solutions from NELTA in addressing the local needs of Nepalese teachers and supporting a large number of chapters in the country. Kenny Nomnian from Thailand TESOL shared the success of Thailand TESOL’s virtual conventions and events, which helped to increase the reach of Thailand TESOL in the region. Fauzia Shamim from the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) focused on SPELT’s innovative teacher development ‘package’ for teachers and schools in Pakistan. Finally, Mabel Chan from Hong Kong Association for Applied Linguistics (HAAL) presented an initiative to encourage researchers and practitioners to contribute their knowledge in different innovative publication formats to the organization and the field. The April 28 webinar spotlighted affiliates from the Middle East and Africa with the participation of Hind Elkhatim Elyas representing Womentorship in ELT Professional Learning Network and Professional Development Professional Council, William Mwinuka presenting Tanzania ELTA, Marine Milad from Kuwait TESOL, Samir Omara from NileTESOL, and Aubain Adi from Africa ELTA. We learned about efforts to get teachers involved, innovative mentorship programs, and the contribution of such organizations as the U.S. Embassy and British Council in supporting teacher development in the region. In July, the ANPC had the pleasure of hosting an excellent panel to discuss global advocacy with Jeff Hutcheson, Director of Advocacy from TESOL International; Grazzia María Mendoza, Honduras TESOL; Anthony Burik, President of CATESOL; and Julio Gutierrez, Peru TESOL. It's interesting to learn about TESOL International Association's goal of advocating to increase "respect for the TESOL profession" through many efforts and strategies mostly at the US federal level so far to affect policies, legislation, and access. TESOL International Association is exploring ways to expand advocacy efforts at the state and international levels. It's also interesting to hear how CATESOL rallies around issues (DEI for example) as catalyst for advocacy by building internal capacity and planning for external work. In the Latin American and the Caribbean region, it's good to see teachers and teacher associations step up to provide access to materials and professional development opportunities that the governments do not provide. Much progress has been made by individuals, teacher associations, donor groups, and the private sector. In September, we shone the spotlight on European Affiliates and Teacher Associations with a webinar titled Beyond Teaching: Publishing, Crowdsharing, Creating Webtools, and Monetizing Your Resources. This webinar reflects a trend where teachers and educators create their own materials and resources and share with others. Nik Peachey, IATEFL, shares how he raised funds to publish his first book and now offers 182 products. Heike Philp shares her new platform called edtechtools.com, which allows educators to post and sell their courses on the platform and make some extra income. Theodore Lalos shares his webtool (wonder.me), which allows learners to move their avatars around a background image and engage in conversations by chatting or videoconferencing. The image serves to provide a context for their conversation. Rob Howard cautions users about materials available out there and urges teachers to do due diligence in checking the information and language used in those materials. He is also co-founder of an independent publisher organization that I need to learn more about. To wrap up the year, the ANPC is inviting you to join the following webinar with the information below. On November 2 at 7PM US Eastern Time, we will be hearing from affiliates from Latin America and the Caribbean with the participation of Affiliates in Peru, Mexico, Haiti, Brazil, and Colombia! Please check your email from Affiliate Leaders and Affiliate Network from TESOL International to receive registration information for these events. We hope to see many of you, learn from you, and make new connections. Biodata Linh Phung is Director of the English Language Program at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and Founder of Eduling International. She currently serves as the Incoming Chair of the Affiliate Network Professional Council of TESOL International. |
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