SPLIS Newsletter - August 2012 (Plain Text Version)

Return to Graphical Version

In this issue:
Leadership Updates
•  LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
•  LETTER FROM THE CHAIR-ELECT
•  LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
ARTICLES
•  INCORPORATING NONNATIVE AND WORLD ENGLISHES IN LISTENING MATERIALS
•  FIELD-TESTED STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING SMALL TALK TO GRADUATE STUDENTS
•  DON'T ASK FAKE QUESTIONS: PROMOTING AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATION THROUGH DRAMA
•  PRINCIPLES FOR TEACHING PRONUNCIATION TO INTERNATIONAL TEACHING ASSISTANTS
•  KOREAN ELL REPAIRS TO ENGLISH WORD-FINAL CONSONANTS
•  ON BECOMING A HURDLER: TEACHING PRONUNCIATION IN AN ENGLISH FOREIGN LANGUAGE CONTEXT
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
•  WHAT IS THE SPLIS INTEREST SECTION?
•  CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Leadership Updates

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Michael Burri

Dear SPLIS members,

The 2012 TESOL Convention in Philadelphia has come and gone, and by the time you receive this newsletter the proposal adjudication process for the next TESOL conference in Dallas will have been completed. Our field never seems to be dormant, and as soon as one annual conference is done, preparations for the next convention are set in motion. I find this dynamic and evolving body of knowledge, passion, and dedication tremendously inspirational, and I am already looking forward to travelling to Dallas next March.

Regarding the 2013 conference, I would like to thank those who submitted proposals, and especially the ones who volunteered their time to review them. Reviewing proposals is one of the most important responsibilities of our interest section (IS), as this process ensures that the SPLIS sessions offered at the convention are of high caliber.

Over the past few weeks, I have been in contact with several ISs and we have been able to coordinate two excellent InterSections for you to attend in Dallas. For the first session we are going to team up with EFLIS and NNESTIS to discuss pronunciation practices and research in contexts where English is a foreign language. For the second InterSection, experts from the Materials Writers IS and SPLIS are going to form a panel, discussing a possible pronunciation framework that could be applied to second language learning and teaching materials. So, as you can see, things are shaping up nicely, and it won’t be long until the preconference booklet is available later this year.

Last but not least, I wish you all a stimulating and rewarding fall semester (or spring term, depending on what part of the world you live and work in). As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns, and please get in touch with me if you would like to get actively involved in shaping the future of our IS.

Michael Burri is an instructor in the International Student Entry Program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver, Canada, and an adjunct instructor in the MA TESOL Program at Trinity Western University.