On 21 March, 2023, the in-person TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo opened in Portland, Oregon, USA, with the virtual convention live 3–4 April. Known for its creative counterculture where art, music, and individuality thrive, Portland was the perfect host city for a convention that welcomed, in person, more than 3,000 professionals. In-person attendees also gained access to the virtual convention, where they joined another 4,750 additional professionals who attended online from all parts of the world, from more than 110 different countries.

Convention Highlights

In addition to academic, InterSection, and Professional Learning Network sessions, there were a number of special events. Preconvention Institutes offered in-depth, hands-on workshops designed and led by experts on high-demand topics, such as addressing newcomer learners, the power of collaboration, and creating equity for vulnerable learners. The Graduate Student Forum offered a place for master’s and doctoral students to support their peers, present their research, network with peers and faculty, and gain teaching ideas. There was also a special research mentoring workshop, organized by the TESOL Research Professional Council, for novice researchers. In Tea With Distinguished TESOLers sessions, attendees were able to gather with a small group of colleagues to discuss a current topic of interest with a leading TESOL expert.

After attending sessions, visiting exhibitors at the English Language Expo, and networking with friends and colleagues, many attendees shared thoughts and feelings about their convention experience. Here are a few of their comments:

• It was wonderful! It was well organized with diverse topics and experts in the field. My brain was so happy!

• I found the Thursday keynote [Rachel Elizabeth Weissler] so inspiring that I’m now considering going back to school.

• I really cherished the friendly atmosphere together with everyone's willingness to share knowledge and experiences.

• I got to meet many ELT specialists who I met online only. Meeting them in person was entirely an amazing experience.

• Overall, the conference was everything I'd hoped it would be: I learned relevant and helpful information and was inspired with new ideas and visions for the future of my career.

Attendees flocked to the TESOL Bookstore, where they received a special convention discount on books, including new releases like ELT Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to English Language Teaching; Fostering International Student Success in Higher Education, Second Edition; and the TESOL Zip Guide: Welcoming and Supporting Multilingual Newcomers.

New this year was the TESOL Fair, where attendees were able to engage casually with TESOL’s communities of practice (groups formed around professional topics) and professional councils (groups that provide professional expertise to help advance the association’s strategic objectives and activities) and learn about who they are and what they do.

To close the convention, TESOL held its Annual Business Meeting, where TESOL members gathered to hear updates on the association’s growth over the past year. New board members were sworn in, which included the passing of the gavel to the association’s new president, Shelley Taylor, and the installation of Debra Suarez as president-elect. Other new board members included Kisha Bryan and Cynthia Wiseman.

Popular Sessions

The 2023 convention provided attendees with many opportunities to add to their educator toolkits. Seven-hundred fifty in-person sessions and 160 virtual sessions covered strands like advocacy, social justice, and community building; language assessment; content-integrated approaches; and digital learning and technologies.

As always, the keynotes drew the largest crowds. Here were the keynotes in Portland:

Opening Keynote: Sammy Ramsey
Biodiversity and Diversity in Bio: What’s the Point?

Presidential Panel: Joyce Kling
Inspiring the Future of Research in ELT

Thursday Keynote: Rachel Elizabeth Weissler
Language, Power, and The Brain: Linguistics for Social Justice

James E. Alatis Plenary: Asmaa AbuMezied
Demanding Economic Justice for Care Work

For an idea of what else English language professionals found interesting in 2023, here are a few of the most attended and viewed sessions, in no particular order:

• Google Translate: How L2 Readers Use It and Its Effects
• Using Technology to Teach, Learn, and Assess L2 Speaking
• Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning (SWEL)
• Meeting the Needs of Newcomer Multilingual Learners
• Gamification Approach: Pear Deck and ThingLink as Interactive Teaching Tools
• Implementing Flipped Learning to Teach Source-Based Writing
• Decolonizing the English Language Classroom: A Guide to Self-Reflexive Practices
• Effective Teacher Training Strategies for Reluctant English Speakers
• Integrating Social-Emotional Learning Practices Into Daily EL Lessons
• Perspectives on Critical Language Awareness: Theory and Practice
• Empowering Classroom Teachers to Embrace Differentiated Planning for MLs
• From the Ground Up: Building Undergraduate and Graduate Pathway Programs
• Leadership Pathways in TESOL
• Your AI Tutor: Delivering Adaptive, Interactive Speaking Practice on Demand
• Diverse Family Engagement: Families Coming Inspired and Emerging Empowered
• Empowering College Faculty to Support and Advocate for International Students
• Enriched Language Learning Through Mindfulness and Exercise-Based Brain Boosters
• Instructor Fear of Student Plagiarism: Impacts on Instructional Practices
• Supporting Young Writers to Thrive in School
• Utilizing Reflective Portfolios in the Evaluation of Teacher Training Programs
• Incorporating Translanguaging Perspectives Into the ELT Classroom
• Overcoming Burnout: Livening Up Your Teaching Career With PD
• Ending the War or Ending the World? New Peace Linguistics

TESOLers in Motion

Take a look at some awesome photos from Portland covering just a handful of the many events and sessions—see if you can spot a friend, colleague, or yourself! Check out more convention photos here.

TESOL 2024

It’s never too early to start planning for next year’s convention! The 2024 convention will feature in-person presentations in Tampa, Florida, USA, Thursday through Saturday, 21–23 March 2024 and virtual sessions, 11–12 April. The deadline for all proposal submissions is 1 June 2023.

To learn more about TESOL's support of Florida English language educators, click here.

To become a proposal reviewer, apply here (deadline 5 May 2023).