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All About TESOL 2015 (In Case You Missed Out)!

Truly the Most International of All TESOL Conventions

The association has always been a globally-focused organization, but this year TESOL literally crossed borders as the theme “Crossing Borders, Building Bridges” connotes.

On 25 March, the 2015 TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo landed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, making it the first time in 15 years that the convention has been outside of the United States. As one of the most diverse cities in the world, Toronto served as an appropriate context for this year’s event. Toronto embraces bilingualism and multiculturalism, with more than 140 languages spoken by its residents from more than 200 distinct ethnic and aboriginal origins. The convention attracted more than 5,600 professionals.

Location was not the only international component of the convention. The content mirrored the diversity of the city and attendees. The programs provided valuable opportunities to cross familiar boundaries of knowledge and experience and to build new understandings and networks across various contexts. More than 1,000 sessions were offered, ranging from language testing and assessment to technology in language learning, from bilingual education to standards.

There was more web access to the convention than ever before. While live streaming has been available in past years, the 2015 event marked the first time that all four of the keynote presentations were streamed live. This means that Sonia Nieto’s “Teachers’ Roles in Crossing Borders and Building Bridges”; Jim Cummins’ “Evidenced-Based TESOL: Teaching Through a Multilingual Lens”; Jun Liu’s, Lourdes Ortega’s, and Michael Byram’s panel on “Redefining Communicative Competence and Redesigning ELT in the 21st Century”; as well as the presidential keynote were all accessible worldwide.

However diverse the convention, the one unifying thread across attendees and content is the recognition of education being a key factor in the improvement of quality of life for ELLs. Upon his induction at the Annual Business Meeting, incoming president and first-ever TESOL president of Indian, South American and Afro-Carribean Pacific origins, Dr. Andy Curtis stressed this point when he was asked how one goes from a background of slavery and indentured labor to being the president of an international association. His answer: education

New Adult Ed Day Complements K–12 Dream Day

Alongside the already well-established K–12 Dream Day this year was the new Adult Ed Day. Adult education instructors and administrators as well as volunteers working in adult education programs were invited to the all-day event held on the eve of convention. The Adult Ed Day program consisted of 20 workshops covering five strands on topics such as best practices, administration and programming, funding, language standards, and assessment. Major themes echoed the pending convention’s theme, focusing on ways to remove barriers to language teaching and learning.


Awards for Excellence

Continuing the tradition of highlighting excellence, the 2015 TESOL International Convention saw the recognition of several leaders in the field, as well as those outside the field who have helped advance opportunities for ELs and their educators.

Among the recipients this year was Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn, who received the 2015 TESOL Outstanding Advocate Award. Wynne is an avid advocate for adult education, including ESL, having stated that “adult education programs help immigrants improve their level of language skills and their integration into the economic and social life of Ontario.” She accepted the award via video.

Read more about Wynne and the other honorees at this year’s convention.

Remembering James Alatis

Only weeks before convention, TESOL International Association founding member and first executive director, Dr. James E. Alatis, passed away at age 88. Dr. Alatis served from the establishment of the association in 1966 through 1987, at which time he became executive director emeritus. The convention aimed to pay homage to Dr. Alatis’ service to the association and to the field, and demonstrate how his efforts have helped provide educators at all levels with a home where their efforts are recognized and championed worldwide.

Dr. Alatis was recognized throughout the convention, most notably at the Annual Business Meeting, where members, staff, and former colleagues were given the chance to openly share their stories about Dr. Alatis. In attendance was Dr. Alatis’ wife, Penny Alatis, and their three sons, Bill, Steve, and Anthony.

Convention Highlights

Online

If you weren’t able to make it to Toronto, you can catch up on the event with recordings of more than 60 sessions. In addition, the four keynote sessions are available to members on the convention website. TESOL convention presenters are encouraged to submit their papers or presentations to TESOL. If you would like to submit a resource, please visit the TESOL Resource Center.

On-Site

Other notable TESOL 2015 features include:

The Exhibit Hall: Like every year, the exhibit hall was bustling with vendors and recruiters from all around the world. A great new feature was the affiliate booth, which was occupied by a different affiliate every few hours and showcased the wide spectrum of these TESOL partners.

Job MarketPlace: Elsewhere, the Job MarketPlace was a success, with nearly 25 participating companies, the majority of which were international. More than 400 job seekers arrived in hopes of securing a position in the field.

The Classroom of the Future: TESOL’s Classroom of the Future, in its second year, featured the latest in classroom furniture, technology, and pedagogy.  Lead sponsor VIRCO displayed their popular classroom furniture, while technology sponsors TutorGroup and VOXY demonstrated new classroom technology. New participant Blended Learning shared what they are doing in the classroom, while attendees learned about new technology and pedagogy from the more than 20 sessions in the classroom.

Reflecting Forward: 2016 in Baltimore

Next year’s convention will mark the association’s 50th anniversary. With the theme “Reflecting Forward,” TESOL will celebrate milestones and look toward the future of the association and the field in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Mark your calendars for 5–8 April 2016!

Read more about the 2016 TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo and, if you’d like to be a part of the program, read the Call for Participation.

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Table of Contents
TC Homepage
TESOL 2015 in Photos
Convention Overview
Tech Trends at TESOL 2015
Recognizing Excellence: 2015 Award Winners
Convention Resources
Job Link
Assessment Specialist - ELL, Questar Assessment, Inc., Apple Valley, MNinnesota, USA

ESL Lecturer (Core Faculty Member), English Language Training Institute, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

English Language Learner Specialist, Léman Manhattan Preparatory School, New York, New York, USA

Director of English Language and Global Bridge Programs, Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA

ESL/Sheltered English Teacher/International Student Coordinator, Orinda Academy, USA

Center Director, Language Consultants International LLC, Nationwide (USA)


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To browse all of TESOL's job postings, check out the TESOL Career Center.

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TESOL 2016
You are invited to present at the

TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo
5–8 April 2016
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Proposals are due Monday, 1 June 2015.

TESOL 2016 Call for Participation

Read "Tips for Writing a Successful Convention Proposal," written by past convention chairs.

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