2010 TESOL CONVENTION

I want to thank the many members of BEIS who attended our Business Meeting in Boston. The discussion was lively because you were there ready to share your viewpoints and express your concerns. Thank you also to Nancy Dubetz for serving as an excellent moderator for our conversation.

THANK YOU, CONFERENCE PROPOSAL REVIEWERS!

Our interest section could not run efficiently without the members who helped review conference proposals during the 2010 summer. We had over 50 proposals so you can well imagine how important your contribution was as we began the task of preparing for the 2011 convention in New Orleans. Muchísimas gracias, merci, danke!

SPECIAL ACADEMIC SESSION 2010

This session titled "Advocacy and Activism: TESOL's Bilingual Tea Party" addressed issues related to multilingualism as an additive factor in today's schools. Presenters Jim Cummins, Ester De Jong, Joan Wink, Chris Carger, Khadar Bashir-Ali, and Mayra C. Daniel discussed ways to advocate for all learners and teachers so that they know their rights and can feel proud to nurture, develop, and maintain their multicultural multilingual identities. I want to thank every presenter for his/her willingness to honor the BEIS membership with his/her participation in and contribution to TESOL 2010.

INTERSECTION SESSION 2010

BEIS partnered with the Teacher Education Interest Section to produce "International Teacher Development in Multilingual Contexts" with Hema Ramanathan, Shelley K. Taylor, Jayashree Mohanraj, Alcione Ostorga, Jan Dormer, and Mayra C. Daniel. The session focused on teacher training that prepares teachers of English in multilingual settings and promotes validation of all dialects spoken in India, Nepal, Indonesia, Guatemala, and border communities. My thanks to the presenters for sharing details of their fascinating work and amazing research and advocacy around the world!

GENERAL SESSIONS TESOL 2010

Thank you to all the BEIS members who presented in Boston. We have received wonderful feedback about the BEIS presentations. When you receive notification of the status of your 2011 conference presentations, don't forget to let me know if you need any special arrangements, such as an interpreter. Contact me at mcdaniel@niu.edu.

Mayra C. Daniel, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, IL, mcdaniel@niu.edu