ITAIS Newsletter - March 2018 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
LEADERSHIP UPDATES
•  LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
•  LETTER FROM THE CHAIR-ELECT
•  LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY
•  LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
ARTICLES
•  USING YOUGLISH WITH ITAS TO INCREASE INPUT AND SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES
•  INTELLIGENCE SQUARED DEBATES IN THE ITA TRAINING CLASSROOM
•  TEACHING SMALL TALK SKILLS: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF NETWORKING
ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY
•  WHAT IS THE ITA INTEREST SECTION?

LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY

Morag Burke, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Dear ITA Professionals,

I am looking forward to the month of March 2018 as one of the highlights of the academic year. Two of our most important annual ITA events will be held in March: the ITA Symposium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, and the international TESOL convention in Chicago, Illinois, USA. I hope to see you all at one or both of these events. For me, it is a chance to gain insight and inspiration, enjoy networking with far-flung colleagues, and grow professionally through learning from my peers in formal presentations and through informal conversations.

I will be presenting in an hour-long discussion session from 2 pm–3 pm at the ITA Symposium on the topic of “Classroom Observations for Assessing ITA Teaching.” Observing ITAs and assessing their teaching is a significant area of responsibility for many of us. I look forward to sharing our diverse methods and approaches with a view to surfacing best practices for implementing this technique.

As secretary of the ITAIS this year, it has been interesting and fun to work with Stephen Looney (chair) and Derina Samuel (chair-elect) as I have been on a learning curve to understanding how an interest section works. Many thanks to both of them for all their hard work this year, especially to Stephen who has put in so much effort during this transitional year. He recently completed and submitted to TESOL the ITAIS transition plan outlining our direction and goals for the next year. The contents of this document will be discussed at the business meeting in Chicago: It promises to be an interesting dialogue.

As chair-elect for the 2018–2019 year, I will be responsible for organizing the academic panel presentation for TESOL in 2019. In Pittsburgh and Chicago this year, I will be looking for ideas for the panel theme, and for people interested in participating in the panel. Please do not hesitate to let me know your thoughts and interest in this area of our interest section for the upcoming year.

I feel fortunate to be part of a strong and vibrant ITA professional community. Many thanks to the ITAIS for the year-round support that enriches my professional experience.

Best wishes,

Mo Burke