Dear ICIS Community,

As we know, the only constant in life is change. The structure of interest sections within TESOL International Association is undergoing some fairly significant changes this year. ICIS is dedicated to continuing as a community of practice to serve those who are interested and engaged in intercultural research and practice. We are very excited to continue engaging TESOL members in exchange, collaboration, advocacy, and professional development this year!

Looking forward to TESOL 2018 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, there will be more than 25 presentations focusing specifically on intercultural issues within TESOL. Through academic sessions and collaborations with other interest sections, we will be presenting on topics such as critical cultural theory and classroom practice, the sharing of immigrant and refugee voices through personal narratives, the representation of diverse cultures in EFL/ESL materials, and how computer-assisted language learning and technology can be used to promote cultural awareness and intercultural exchange.

ICIS will kick off the 2018 year by hosting a webinar with intercultural teacher educator and scholar Dr. Michelle Kohler on 28 February. You can learn more about how to connect to this webinar here.

As intercultural educators, we also understand the value and need for diverse perspectives that represent a variety of experiences and contexts. This is why we need you to participate! This year we aim to continue to facilitate exchange and dialogue among ICIS and TESOL members through online resources, publishing, and webinars. These are all excellent opportunities for you to get involved, be “in the know,” and share your knowledge and story. We invite you all to join the ICIS community, and we sincerely hope you enjoy this edition of InterCom.

Ramin Yazdanpanah, PhD
ICIS Chair, TESOL
English Language Fellow, Vietnam
raminyaz@gmail.com

Ramin Yazdanpanah, PhD, holds a doctorate from Florida State University for his research that analyzed the developing intercultural competence of preservice English language teachers through synergetic exchanges with English language learners. Ramin has extensive experience as an English language teacher, teacher educator, and program coordinator, and is currently serving as an English language fellow in Vietnam at Thai Nguyen University, School of Foreign Languages.