ARTESOL

Why and How ELT Associations Build Bridges, Promote Collaboration

Building bridges and promoting collaboration are key ingredients of ELTAs worldwide. In this talk the presenter will share the reasons why collaboration and building bridges is key to member engagement and promoting leadership. She will also provide key aspects to consider when implementing extensive sharing, learning and cooperation among ELTAs teams. Participants will leave with clear ideas of projects that they can potentially engage in, examples on how collaboration develops, and a roadmap to promote collaboration in their own contexts.

Grazzia María Mendoza Chirinos holds a Master`s in International Education and a Master`s in TESOL. She has been active in ESL and has done curriculum development for all levels. She has experience in the Higher Education context teaching English for academic purposes as well as for specific purposes and developing curriculum and programs at all levels of instruction. She was a former president of Latin America and Caribbean TESOL and the founder, former president, and current advisor of HELTA Honduras TESOL. She was a former TESOL International Board Member and Chair of the Finance Committee. At present she is a Strand Coordinator Teacher Educator for IS TESOL International Association, Chair Elect TEIs TESOL International Association, and EVO Assistant Coordinator for CALL IS TESOL International Association.

Strategies for Students: Creating Independent and Confident Learners for the Future

English Language teachers have the power to prepare their students to tackle the variety of academic and life situations they will encounter in the future. Come away from this presentation with a better understanding of what language learner strategies are, why to use them, and leave with a small toolbox of strategies to improve students English Language learning skills.

Indira Marie Bakshi has taught ESL/EFL in the United States and Mexico for over 30 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Purdue University and a Master of Arts in Foreign Language Teaching, specializing in English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Texas at Austin. Her teaching experiences range from teaching basic literacy to college transition including EL/Civics, English for Specific Purposes, and family literacy. She has worked with all ages elementary to adult. Ms. Bakshi is a member of TESOL, ORTESOL and MEXTESOL and has led pre-service teacher training projects and professional development workshops in the US, Venezuela, and Mexico. She currently is a faculty member at Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon, and the English Language Fellow 2023, in Argentina. Her host institution is ATICANA the Binational Center in Tucumán.

ESOL instruction and social-emotional learning: bringing true stories to life

Social-emotional learning can help engage EL students in the class setting by nurturing clear communication, relationship-building, effective goal-setting. Students become more engaged, motivated, and integrated in the class, and this creates a safe environment for learning, promoting academic success as well. This demonstration intends to share the experience of SEL integrated in an ESOL context, where basic principles were put into action, encouraging students’ self-awareness and promoting social skills. The results obtained generated a welcoming and empathetic classroom environment, where students were able to use this opportunity for intellectual and emotional growth, and to make real stories come to life.

Rita Aldorino, Education MA, EFL instructor at high school and college, ESL and Spanish instructor in USA. Twice Fulbright recipient, US Embassy Alumna, she has lectured on ELT in Argentina, Chile, Peru, USA, and was member of ArTESOL Board of Directors in 2019-2021. Her main interests are foreign languages and cultures