Concurrent Sessions 2022

29. May 2022 · Comments Off · Categories: Uncategorized

Triple-E Framework: Engage, Enhance and Extend with Technology Integration

Demonstration

How are you going to integrate technology into your post pandemic language classrooms? You have learned so much over the past two years and are ready to move forward. The Triple E Framework empowers you to make decisions about effective technology integration for both you and your learners. It includes simple rubrics for engaging, enhancing, and extending learning goals. The presentation will explain the framework and inspire good instructional practice.

Susan Gaer is a retired professor, and Past-President of California TESOL. She is passionate about the power of technology in student learning. She has two Master’s degrees. One is in English: TESOL San Francisco State University, and the other is in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University.

Kristi Reyes, MA TESL, has taught ESL to adults since 1998. She is a provider of professional learning opportunities for the adult education field in the state of California.

@Jane Austen: from heroines to media influencers

Demonstration

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813), a timeless realist novel, has been adapted and reimagined through different mediums and contexts. What if teachers stepped into Austen’s classic from the perspective of a YouTube series, which has given life to Austen’s heroines as social media influencers? Come to this talk eager to discover ‘transmedia storytelling’, a field which will enable you to look at your students’ digital practices as an alternative means to explore and analyze a literary classic. “It is universally acknowledged that any 21st century teacher in possession of a good literary classic must be in want of social media.

Romina Muse has a degree in English from ISP Dr Joaquín V González and a Diploma in Neuropsychology and Learning Disabilities from FNC-Universidad de Morón. She also holds a BA in English Literature & Film Studies from UNSAM. She is currently working for the British Council as a remote teacher of English. She studied in Cambridge, England, where she took courses in ESL and taught Spanish as a foreign language. She has been lecturing at conferences organized by TESOL, IATEFL AND FAAPI for several years now.

Increasing production and improving feedback with fun online tools

Demonstration

Giving corrective feedback is essential for language growth, but teachers need their students to communicate in order to correct them. Unfortunately, in an online environment, students are more likely to be reluctant to communicate, so valuable opportunities for correction are lost. This presentation will address these concerns. During this one-hour demonstration, participants will learn techniques for increasing students’ productive output through the use of go-to websites such as FlipGrid, Wordwall, Padlet, and Pear Deck. Then the participants will learn how and when to correct students’ mistakes that are produced during these engaging and interactive activities.

Andrew Nelson holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music Performance and a Master’s degree in TESOL. He has extensive experience teaching adults and teaching at the university level. He has been teaching at Yachay Tech since August, 2017, where he employs a teaching philosophy of helping students become self-directed learners.

I feel good: Academic response to texts

Demonstration

Abstract

Academic literacy involves the ability of reading and writing academic texts proficiently. While it is recognized that academic writing has been widely investigated, reading remains relatively unexplored. One gap to fill in academic reading and writing research is the fact that responses to academic texts rely too heavily on a personal perspective and do not generally include a reflection on the process of reading. This experience has a twofold purpose: to describe non-academic features and to find a way to help students improve their responses so as to produce an academic reaction to texts that focuses on the reading process.

Maria Rosa Mucci holds a PhD degree on Modern Languages, sp. in English (summa cum laude), Universidad del Salvador (USAL). She is a specialist in cultural studies and she teaches at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN – Facultad Regional Avellaneda) and at Universidad Nacional de Quilmes (UNQUI, Buenos Aires). She was a teacher at I.S.F.D. N° 24 and I.S.F.D. N° 100.

Beatriz Castiñeira holds a PhD degree in Modern Languages, sp. in English, Universidad del Salvador (USAL). She is a specialist in discourse analysis and composition. She is a teacher at ISFD N° 100 (Avellaneda) and at I.S.F.D. N° 11 (Lanús). She also teaches at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN – Facultad Regional Avellaneda) and Universidad Nacional de Quilmes (UNQUI, Buenos Aires).

Reflective Learning Strategies: Students’ Feedback for Teaching Practice Improvement

Demonstration

English teachers usually reflect on their practice to benefit their students’ learning experience. In this demonstration, participants will share strategies to get feedback from the learners that can provide essential information regarding their teaching practice. These reflective practices lead to changes in the students’ attitudes, and an improvement in their learning experience as a result of a positive impact on the teacher’s practices.

Beatriz Erazo, MA in TESOL, Fulbright alumna, is a highly committed and collaborative teacher trainer at San Andres Higher University and San Pablo Bolivian Catholic University. She is interested in promoting students’ autonomy, motivation, reflective learning-teaching, and critical thinking within the framework of Blended Learning, Flipped Classroom, and Experiential Learning.

Best of both worlds: supporting F2F classes with platforms

Demonstration

The presenters will share efficient online platforms that blend perfectly with face-to-face classes and offer entertaining learning strategies and effective follow-up activities which benefit both the students and the teacher.

The presenters will show the resources, games, and features these platforms provide and the way each can be adapted for use both in and out of the classroom and how each helps the teachers keep track of the students’ activities. They will explain how to run the platforms, activities, and tracking according to the level and age of the students, to have an entertaining, dynamic, and successful ESL class.

Joaquín Anrriquez is a teacher of English Language. He works at one of the thirteen binational centers in Argentina, ASICANA; located in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. In recent years, he’s worked with a varied group of students of different ages, from young learners to adults.

Maria Lucrecia Japaze. English Language Teacher, graduated from Instituto Superior San José. She teaches at the binational center, ASICANA, in Santiago del Estero, Argentina with students ranging from age 5 to teenagers.

Learning singularities: inclusive English lessons at UNLaM

Research paper

The presentation will report on an ongoing research project entitled “Learning singularities: How to interpret them to facilitate inclusion in the English classroom at UNLaM”, which is being carried out at the National University of La Matanza (UNLaM), where English is a four-level curricular subject in all undergraduate programs. This project aims at analyzing the present English courses and making the necessary improvements to cater to the needs of students who have hearing impairments and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia. This will be achieved by designing and implementing a technological didactic resource that may facilitate their inclusion.

Saraceni, Ana Claudia: Teacher of English and researcher at National University of La Matanza, Argentina, Master’s degree in Applied English Linguistics from UNED, Spain. Bachelor’s degree in English Language from the University of El Salvador, Argentina. Bachelor’s degree in Administration of Higher Education from UNLaM, Argentina.

Fernández, Nancy Luján: Teacher of English and researcher at UNLaM. PhD student in English Philology: Linguistic and Literary Studies, UNED, Spain. MA in Applied Linguistics for TEFL, University of Jaén; Specialization in Reading, Writing and Education in Social Sciences, FLACSO; BA in English Language, University of Salvador.

Konicki, Bárbara Andrea: Teacher of English and researcher at the National University of La Matanza, Argentina. English Teaching Major, University of Morón, Argentina. BA in TEFL, CAECE University, Argentina. MA in Applied Linguistics to TEFL, University of Jaén, Spain.

Morena, Iris Susana: Teacher of English and researcher at UNLaM. Master in Teaching English as a foreign language, University of Jaen. Specialization in Higher Education and ICTs, .Argentine Ministry of Education. Specialization and Diploma in Reading, Writing and Education in Social Sciences, FLACSO. Bachelor in English, University of Litoral.

Rosas, María Ofelia: Teacher of English and researcher at the National University of La Matanza. Sworn translator, University of Morón. BA in Education, University of Quilmes. Specialization in university teaching, National University of Cuyo.

Engaging the self through arts and creativity in ELTE

Demonstration

Abstract

The presenters will demonstrate the ways in which a personal growth approach to the teaching of literature can be beneficial for the development of reading and writing skills in English language teacher education (ELTE). The experience was carried out in the context of an English language course at the ELTE program at UNLPam in 2021, and it required the students’ reflection on a central text in Mexican-American fiction written by women. The presenters also integrated artistic expression and creative writing to language teaching, in an attempt to make the case for personalizing the reading and writing experience in the language classroom.

Joana Belén Herrán is a Teacher Assistant at the National University of La Pampa (UNLPam). She has completed the MA in English with a concentration in Applied Linguistics (UNRC) and is currently working on her dissertation. Her main interests are teacher identity and ELT in the context of the Practicum.

Enrique Alejandro Basabe is a teacher educator in the Department of Foreign Languages at the National University of La Pampa (UNLPam). He holds an MA in ELT and BCS and a PhD in Education. His main interests are teacher education and cultural issues in the English, American, and Latin American contexts.”

The evolution of research in ELT: building knowledge bridges

Research paper

Research contributes to the construction of knowledge bridges among all fields. Since English teaching became a recognized profession and future teachers should pursue college preparation before they go into the classroom, research in ELT has evolved. This presentation will take attendees in a journey on how research in the ELT field has evolved and expanded along with the profession. The presenter will explain how research has changed in time from presenting teaching techniques to exploring internal and external factors that may impact on the teaching and learning of EFL. The presentation will end analyzing the current research topics published since 2020.

Araceli Salas has a PhD in Language Science and an M.A in TESOL. Dr. Salas is a professor /researcher at Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico. She is an associate editor of the MEXTESOL and TESOL journals and has published several articles and chapters in the field.

Reading-comprehension and ICT tools: blended learning at university

Round table

Abstract

This roundtable discussion will explore some didactic possibilities of using ICT tools when teaching reading comprehension skills to approach academic-scientific texts in English as a Foreign Language. Presenters will share some tools and reflections concerning the didactic potential of ICTs in the development of students’ digital skills in blended learning contexts in higher education.

Susana M. Company: Teacher of English (Universidad Nacional de Tucumán) and Master of Arts in English Language and Literature (University of Maryland, USA; Fulbright). She is a current lecturer and researcher in Anglophone Literatures at Universidad Católica de Salta and ESP at Universidad Nacional de Salta, focusing on intercultural issues, digital literacy and reading comprehension.

M. Soledad Loutayf (Hornby and Fulbright Scholar): Teacher of English (UNT), Sworn Public Translator (UCASal), Master Degree in Applied Linguistics (Universidad de Jaén, España), Master Degree in Teaching English (University of Warwick, UK). She is a current lecturer and researcher at UCASal and UNSa, focusing on ESP/EAP, criticality, intercultural issues and digital literacy.

Laura I. Bottiglieri: Teacher of English (Profesorado Superior de Lenguas Vivas, Salta). She holds a BA in English Language (Universidad Católica de Salta) and a Master degree in Language Sciences (Universidad Nacional de Salta). Her research focus is on legal language and reading comprehension in English in higher education.

Carina B. Ramallo: Teacher of English (Profesorado Superior de Lenguas Vivas, Salta). She holds a BA in English Language from Universidad Católica de Salta. She is a current lecturer and researcher at Universidad Nacional de Salta. Her research interests include L2 vocabulary learning and digital literacy.

Breaking the Classroom Walls

Demonstration

The presenter will start with a reflection on 21st century adolescents’ characteristics and their needs for a better future. She will also deal with the changes in education brought about by COVID 19 and she will be introducing the Sustainable Development Goals created by the United Nations in the year 2015. Teachers will leave the webinar with a clear idea on how to integrate these Global Goals into the EFL classrooms and what kind of teaching practices are necessary these days to help our students thrive in this modern world.

Marcela Villan is a qualified teacher of English from Argentina. She specializes in Education for Sustainable Development, Environmental Education and Global Competence. In the last years, she has delivered webinars on the topic all around the world.

Developing video literacy skills in the EFL classroom

Workshop

Videos are undoubtedly valuable resources that can be implemented in EFL classes in a variety of ways with different purposes. Throughout the history of ELT, videos have been employed mainly to practice listening skills. In this workshop the presenters will propose implementing videos to enhance visual literacy skills, emotional intelligence and critical thinking skills through a wide range of resources and frameworks for analysis. Video-based resources and practical activities will be shared and tried with the workshop audience

Alba Rioja, Licenciada and Especialista en Didáctica de las Lenguas Extranjeras, is a teacher educator at Lenguas Vivas Salta where she lectures in various pedagogical subjects. She also teaches at secondary school, university level and at ISICANA. In 2017, she was awarded the Fulbright scholarship “Teaching and Excellence Achievement Program”.

Patricia Pastrana has been teaching EFL for over 15 years. She works as a teacher at a state-run language school, as an Academic Coordinator at ISICANA and she is currently teaching at college level as well. She is a Fulbright alumnus as she was granted an FLTA scholarship in 2010

Developing Intercultural communicative competence in EFL reading comprehension classes

Round table

This roundtable discussion will examine the role of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in reading comprehension classes that approach academic-scientific texts in English as a Foreign Language. Presenters will refer to concepts and frameworks for the development of ICC and share some experiences, questions and reflections concerning the development of ICC, as well as the didactic potential of information and communication technology (ICT) in the development of students’ intercultural and digital competences.

M. Fernanda Irrazabal: Teacher of English (Universidad Nacional de Tucumán) and BA in English Language (Universidad Católica de Salta). She is a current lecturer and researcher at Universidad Católica de Salta and Universidad Nacional de Salta focusing on ESP, reading comprehension, digital literacy and intercultural issues.

Empowering English learners with games and creative activities

Workshop

Games are whole language activities that foster the development of the four language skills, cater for the three learning styles and bring energy. Students feel empowered when they are part of games and feel they can take action and make decisions for themselves and their group. In this workshop the presenter will show some examples of games making the audience participate in the activities. Participants will leave the session empowered and full of energy and ideas about how to implement games into their lessons.

Licenciada Celeste Grimau – director of STEPS, international speaker, specialist in games and creativity, story teller, drama student and writer. Author of Vitamin Shock Games. ARTESOL Board member

Grammaring or not Grammaring: That is the Question!

Demonstration

Learning preferences and teaching styles may collide when deciding how to learn and teach grammar. For example, while teachers might focus on the communicative aspect of teaching English, students would see learning grammar as long explanations of rules. Adopting the principles of grammaring (teaching grammar in terms of use, form, and meaning [Diane Larsen-Freeman, 2003]) could combine those two perspectives. In this demonstration, participants will be guided on designing lessons and strategies based on grammaring and communication. They will get a theoretical background and strategies that promote a communicative way of teaching grammar in the EFL classroom.

Beatriz Eraso, MA in TESOL, Fulbright alumna, is a highly committed and collaborative teacher trainer at San Andres Higher University and San Pablo Bolivian Catholic University. She is interested in promoting students’ autonomy, motivation, reflective learning-teaching, and critical thinking within the framework of Blended Learning, Flipped Classroom, and Experiential Learning.

Issues in ESP teaching and researching

Round table

Language instructors generally detect certain difficulties in their classes and they wonder how to solve them; such questions may become research questions. In this round table, a summary of three research projects developed in Argentinian Universities will be presented by instructors who do research in Higher Education. In this case, these projects studied two of the variables that affect the reading process: the text and the reader.

Adriana Adem is a teacher of English and a researcher at the School of Philosophy and Letters and a teacher trainer at the Escuela Normal Superior en Lenguas Vivas Sofía E.B de Spangerber. She has taught several courses and seminars to primary, secondary and university teachers.

Mónica Gandolfo is a teacher of English at the UNLAM (Universidad Nacional de la Matanza). She was a former teacher and researcher at the School of Philosophy and Letters (Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires). She was also a teacher trainer at Institutos de Formación Docente in the province of Buenos Aires. She has taught several courses and seminars to primary, secondary and university teachers.

María Susana González is a teacher of English, a BA in Letters and a MA in Discourse Analysis. She was a teacher of Spanish and English in High Schools in the City of Buenos Aires and a teacher and a researcher at the School of Philosophy and Letters (Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires).

Viviana Innocentini is a teacher of English and holds a Master’s degree in TEFL; she is an Adjunct Professor of ESP at the Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias and a researcher at Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata.

Patricia Insirillo is a teacher of English and she holds a BA in Education (Universidad Nacional de Quilmes). She is a teacher and researcher at the School of Philosophy and Letters (Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires) and she is also a teacher at the School of Psychology (UBA)

Susana Tuero holds a Master’s Degree in TESOL and a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics -English. She has taught ESP courses at Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, language courses at Facultad de Humanidades and is a member of the research group Cuestiones del Language, UNMdP.

The alpha and omega of next-gen teaching and learning

Demonstration

It is undeniable that English language learners’ collective identity has changed lately and that their distinct idiosyncratic needs pose a challenge to ELT practitioners. This demonstration will show how to connect teaching objectives with postCovid-19 students’ learning requirements by providing attendees with tools and strategies for the new academic normal. Participants will be introduced to ways of reaching students’ interest through less stressful teaching and their concrete take-away will include five keys for achieving successful outcomes with Generation Z and Alpha students.

Silvia Breiburd is a teacher and researcher with wide experience in primary and secondary teaching and managerial positions. Silvia has authored numerous articles on adjusting teaching to new educational paradigms. An international lecturer and teacher trainer, Silvia advocates generational-friendly sustainable leadership, teacher empowerment through action research and 21st century education. She teaches at INSPT (UTN) and the ISFD Pedro Poveda.

Repetition: key to learning. Make it fun with games!

Workshop

Repetition is essential for the brain to fix things in the long-term memory, and thus, to learn. However, this repetition should include some variety so as to be interesting and engaging for students. Come to this workshop and learn many useful ideas of very simple games to make repetition in your lessons fun and motivating. The games presented may be used with students of different ages and varied levels of English.

Nylia Monté is a Psychologist (USAL), English Teacher (UTN) and has Postgraduate Studies in Neurosciences (U.B., U.C.A., U. San Andrés and in the USA). Head of English at NEA 2000 School and English teacher at ICANA. Co-author of the book “Games Galore! A Treasury of Useful Ideas for Teachers.”

Natalia Carbonell is an English teacher (UTN), who has worked in primary and secondary schools for two decades. Currently works for School Publishing Group, translating and proofreading texts, and designing activities for educational books in the USA. Co-author of the book “Games Galore! A Treasury of Useful Ideas for Teachers.

Make it Stick: Vocabulary and Technology Come Together

Workshop

Do you want your students to really learn vocabulary? Word knowledge is a strong predictor of academic success, and through effective vocabulary instruction, students can develop literacy, retain what they learn, and use new vocabulary effectively. Participants will learn a process for teaching vocabulary that, when infused with technology, enhances students’ engagement as well as vocabulary production and retention.

Kristi Reyes, MA TESL, has taught ESL to adults since 1998. She is a provider of professional learning opportunities for the adult education field in the state of California.

Susan Gaer is a retired professor, and Past-President of CATESOL. She is passionate about the power of technology in student learning. She has two Master’s degrees. One is in English: TESOL San Francisco State University, and the other is in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University.

Importance of students’ recognition of moves in abstracts

Research paper

Information provided by abstracts helps advance reading hypotheses of research articles since they are concise summaries of longer pieces of writing that focus on the most significant ideas covered. If students can recognize the different moves in abstracts, they will advance specific hypotheses which will guide them in their propositional reading and personal reconstruction of the text. The presenters will show the results of the administration of an experimental instrument to detect advances in specific hypotheses formulation based on the tenets of the genre-based pedagogy developed in the Sidney School

María Susana González is a teacher of English, a B. A. in Letters, and an M. A. in Discourse Analysis. Until 2021 she was a professor and a researcher at the School of Philosophy and Letters (U.B.A) She is the director of ARTESOL ESP Journal.

María Claudia Albini is a graduate teacher of English, a teacher of Music, a B.A. in Education and a B.A. in Arts. She is a researcher and professor at FFyL-UBA and at DAMus-UNA. Editor of ARTESOL ESPjournal. Main research interests: Reading Comprehension and the relationship between Music and Languages.

Cynthia Quinteros is a teacher of English. At present, she is doing her M.A. in discourse analysis. She is a researcher and professor at FFyL UBA and UNGS. Main research interests: academic literacy and its relationship with reading and writing in the disciplines.

Tips, tools and techniques to make our lessons dyslexia-friendly.

Abstract

The impact of dyslexia is real and it affects millions of children and adults around the world. It is generally accepted that ten percent of people experience dyslexia, and about four percent in a significant way. Then, in classes averaging thirty students, there will be at least one child who experiences notable dyslexia, and a few more who may experience literacy problems. Therefore, adopting a dyslexia-friendly pedagogy can help dyslexic students to feel included in the learning environment. In this workshop, we will share tips, tools and resources teachers can use to make their EFL and non-EFL classrooms inclusive.

María Eugenia Ianiro is a teacher of English and holds a degree as Licenciada en Lengua Inglesa. She is writing her dissertation for the NILE MA in Professional Development for Language Education, Chichester University. She is a teacher trainer at Teacher Education Programs. She has specialized in phonology and methodology.

Sandra Guadalupe Ojeda is an EFL teacher, translator and holds an MA in TEFL. She has specialized in Education, Inclusion, Technologies and Teaching Practice. She is an experienced educator at EFL Teacher Education Programs and an active member of the ELT community, both as a participant and presenter.

English for academic and professional purposes: a didactic action

Research paper

Learning English for Academic and Professional Purposes (EAP) involves the identification, comprehension and production of genres that are typical of a certain professional and academic field. Nevertheless, only a teaching methodology focused on receptive competences is usually implemented at university. This paper presents a research project carried out in programs at Universidad Nacional de la Matanza which implement EAP in their curricula. Therefore, exposure to audiovisual genres and oral tasks relevant to the students’ specific working fields was the main focus of our didactic action requiring meaningful oral production. This would enable successful interactions in the professional and social environments.

D’Anunzio, Gabriela Ines is a teacher of English II and III, Technical English I and II, and researcher at National University of La Matanza. Sworn translator of English, University of Morón, 1995. Master of English as a Foreign Language, University of Jaén, 2010. Diploma in integrating TIC into the curriculum, University of Morón, 2018

D’Auría, Abigail is a teacher of English II and III, Technical English I, and researcher at National University of La Matanza. Teacher of English, Ward College, 2014. BA in English, University Nacional de La Matanza, 2017.

De la Orden, Cecilia is a teacher of English I, II, Technical English II and researcher at National University of La Matanza. Teacher of English I at National University of Quilmes. BA in Pedagogy in English, CAECE University, 2007.

Santinelli, Luciano Javier is a teacher of English I and IV, Technical English I, and researcher at National University of La Matanza, and a teacher of English, Ricardo Rojas Institute, 2011. BA in English Universidad Nacional de San Martín, 2014

Suchecki, Myriam Verónica teacher of English I and II, Technical English I and II and researcher at National University of La Matanza. Teacher of English, University of Morón, 2000. Master in Distance Learning, University of Morón, 2014.

Applying neuroscience strategies in the EFL classroom

Workshop

Many authors claim that neuroscience can help teachers understand how the brain learns new information. A large number of educators have implemented neuroscience in the EFL classroom for several years. However, there are several English teachers who are not aware of which strategies based on neuroscience they could incorporate in their lessons to help their students in their learning paths. The aim of this workshop is to share some insights into the theoretical background of how neuroscience can benefit both learners and teachers. Furthermore, diverse strategies, brain breaks and metacognition activities will also be presented.

Paula Araceli Diez: she is an English teacher graduated at the Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos (UADER), MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (UEA), Specialist in Neuroscience Applied to Education (UCU), Educator at Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos and an active member of the ELT community who has participated in several seminars.

Integrating digital storytelling and gamification in the EFL classroom

Demonstration

In this presentation, speakers will provide a theoretical explanation, examples and resources on digital storytelling and gamification in the context of teaching English to high-school students and teacher trainees. Digital storytelling is an amazing tool for students to communicate their personal understanding of topics since it creates a bridge across content areas and provides opportunities for students to break free from print literacies to add a deeper dimension to their work. Presenters will show how the different elements of a story within the digital world come into play in a concrete example of a project carried out with EFL learners.

María Laura Lovisa is a teacher of English (ISFD n°100) and has an Education Management degree (Escuela de Maestros, CABA). She has completed the Bachelor’s Degree in English Language (UTN). She is a teacher trainer and researcher at CIIE Avellaneda and at ISFD n°100.

Daiana Vázquez is an English teacher (UNMdP) and has a Master’s degree in TESOL (UEMC) and a diploma in Neuroscience and Education (Grupo Congreso). She is coordinator of the English Department in a private school and an instructor in writing and ESP courses

Flipping through digital pages: using literature in virtual contexts.

Workshop

Not many students (and teachers) like to study (and teach) literature. Reading, analyzing and interpreting a literary work may be a time-consuming and exhausting task especially for those who are not bookworms. How can teachers motivate students to read literary works and make them develop critical thinking? In the age of digital natives where everything starts and ends with a “click” on the swift keyboard, this seems to be a far-fetching undertaking. However, the use of audio-visual devices and various online educational tools in teaching both –foreign language and literature –may trigger motivation and encourage the learning process.

Cesar A. Correa holds a Diploma in TESOL, London University, where he lived in 2004, he has also been a student adviser and counsellor at Oxford University for more than 2 years. He is now shortlisted for the BEST DEDICATED TEACHER AWARD, 2022 by Cambridge University Press. He has been a Lecturer as per Pronunciation, Virtual Methodology in many URUTESOL Seminars around Uruguay, Paraguay, The Middle East and South Cone Conventions, more than 20 years of loving English Language and teaching.

The value of digital escape games as a learning experience

Demonstration

Our responsibility as teachers of 21st century learners is to design learning environments which foster collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity. Educational escape games are designed as adventurous environments, where participants have to cooperate, communicate and be curious in order to accomplish different missions and discover solutions for different challenges. The presenters will show the audience a demonstration, the key elements in the design of an escape game and how to use a variety of digital tools to create it.

Pagella, Mariana. Profesora de Inglés (UNLPam). Especialista en Educación y Nuevas Tecnologías (FLACSO). Cursa la Maestría en Tecnología Educativa (UBA), habiendo aprobado el trayecto de Especialización. Se ha desempeñado en todos los niveles educativos. Docente de Inglés en la Facultad de Ingeniería (UNLPam). Ofrece clases privadas presenciales y online.

Morán, Ana Belén. Es estudiante avanzada del Profesorado de Inglés (UNLPam). Dicta clases privadas de Inglés desde 2016 en modalidad presencial y en línea. En este momento está realizando una experiencia de Aupair en Estados Unidos. Es apasionada por la tecnología como mediadora de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje.

Fernández, Noelia. Es estudiante avanzada de la Licenciatura en Lengua Inglesa (UNLPam). Dicta clases privadas de Inglés desde 2018. A partir de la pandemia ofrece clases en línea. Es apasionada por el diseño de propuestas educativas mediadas por tecnologías.

Tools and strategies to foster interaction in online classes

Workshop

After two years of intensive online teaching, one might conclude that teaching an online class and a face-to-face class are quite similar. After all, the greatest challenge always lies in keeping students attention and motivation going! But are speaking skills equally developed in an online medium? The presenter will showcase tools and strategies to foster both verbal interaction and motivation in online classes.

Graciela Martin is a graduate from ISP Joaquín V. González and holds a degree in education from UNQ. Her areas of interest include technology in education, materials design and teacher training. Graciela is a former president of ARTESOL and a current member of the TESOL International Association Board of Directors. She is the academic programs coordinator at ICANA.

Reading comprehension at a school of sports journalism

Demonstration

The presenter will begin by describing the context of teaching at the School of Sports Journalism, characterizing the syllabus and pedagogical challenges that prompted this presentation.Next, the speaker will describe the methodology in use at the School of Philosophy and Letters, focusing on Goodman and Hirschmann´s approach. Then, she will describe how this methodology can be applied to the area of Sports Journalism as part of a reading comprehension course. She will finish by describing and reflecting on the most salient aspects of the techniques applied and she will show some samples of material elaborated following this methodology.

Marisa Tumbeiro is a teacher of English, an English translator, and a simultaneous and consecutive translator in English. At present, she teaches reading comprehension in English at the School of Philosophy and Letters and at the School of Pharmacology and Biochemistry (UBA) and at the Universidad del Museo Social Argentino. She also teaches English at the School of Sports Journalism.

Sharing Expertise and Experience in English Rural Education

Demonstration

In this demonstration, the presenter will talk about how Asocopi, in partnership with Colombian scholars and teachers, planned and carried out a professional development workshop with 50 elementary and high school teachers in the public sector from ten regions: the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, Andean, Orinoquia, and Amazon. During the exercise, the presenter will show the challenges English teachers have in rural areas and how through listening to their own voices- and recognizing what rurality really entails- takes Communities of Practice in co-constructing and creating projects that enrich the vision of English in our country.

Claudia Maria Uribe H. is a full-time faculty member from Licenciatura en Lenguas Extranjeras con Enfasis en Inglés, member of the research group Education, Childhood and Foreign Languages at Universidad Católica Luis Amigó (Medellin) and Asocopi Children Language Learning SIG´s Facilitator.

Capitalizing on the affordances of virtual professional development: PARATESOL’s case

Research paper

Since 2018, PARATESOL (TESOL International Affiliate in Paraguay) has been steadily increasing the number of professional development opportunities in the Paraguayan English teaching community. Due to COVID-19, all activities organized by the association at first were put on hold. In May, the Paratesol board decided to take the challenge offering weekly free online workshops for teachers in Paraguay and the region through the Zoom platform. This presentation will focus on describing how this organization capitalized on the affordances of the virtual environment to offer an unprecedented number of professional development activities for English teachers in Paraguay and around the world.

Valentina Canese, Ph.D. is currently the Second Vice-President of PARATESOL, TESOL International Paraguayan affiliate. She is also the Director at the Instituto Superior de Lenguas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Her research interests include: pedagogical and sociolinguistic issues in the teaching of languages, technology in education and distance education.

Rocio Mazzoleni holds a Master degree in Applied Linguistics (2000) and one in Neuropsychology and Education (2019). She is a professor of Sociolinguistics and Didactics as well as the Academic Coordinator at the ISL, UNA and a bilingual school in Asunción. She is currently the PARATESOL president.

Effectiveness of rubrics to assess writing: EFL student views

Research paper

Abstract

Many educators claim for the effectiveness of rubrics to assess writing in EFL and, as a result, they adopt them in their classrooms. However, the decision to use rubrics to assess students’ written performance is often based on teachers’ own perceptions of what they believe works best to assess their students’ linguistic competence. The purpose of this study is to explore students’ perceptions on the effectiveness of rubrics to assess their writing. Knowing their perceptions can help teachers make more informed choices about their feedback practices.

Marina López Casoli, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), holds a BA in TEFL (Argentina) and an MA in English Language and Rhetoric (USA). She is a high-school EFL teacher and a teacher-researcher in the TEFL program at UNMDP. Her research interests are feedback practices and grammar instruction.

Claudia Borgnia holds a BA in English teaching and an MA (UNMDP) in literary translation. She is pursuing a doctorate in linguistics (UNS). She teaches academic writing (UNMDP) and ESP reading comprehension and oral communication (UNCPBA). Her research interests include corpus applications in TEFL, literary translation and academic discourse.

Marina Selesán holds a BA in English teaching and is a Specialist in University Teaching (UNMDP). She teaches academic writing to TEFL majors at UNMDP. She does research on EFL college writing.

Rock your classes with games with movement!

Workshop

It has been thoroughly proved that movement deeply enhances learning. Having students sit quietly in rows is the worst scenario for the brain, since in order to learn, it needs participation from its partner, the body. Movement is crucial to every brain function, including memory, emotion, language and learning. Come to this workshop and learn a collection of useful ideas of very simple fun games that incorporate movement, to teach both vocabulary and grammar that may be used with students of different ages and varied levels of English and with different class dynamics.

Nylia Monté is a Psychologist (USAL), English Teacher (UTN) and has Postgraduate Studies in Neurosciences (U.B., U.C.A., U. San Andrés and in the USA). Head of English at NEA 2000 School and English teacher at ICANA. Author of the book “Games Galore! A Treasury of Useful Ideas for Teachers.”

Fair at last: Universal Design for Assessment

Workshop

Assessment is an integral part of the teaching-learning cycle. How can we ensure, then, that it becomes an effective way for students to show achievement instead of a possible obstacle in their learning process? The presenter will show the main principles related to Universal Design for Assessment and contrast them to the more traditional techniques we usually use. That way, participants will be able to find the main challenges our current testing techniques may have.

Carolina Vergara Mery, MA in TEFL, teaches graduate and undergraduate assessment courses at Universidad Católica del Norte in Antofagasta, Chile. She has also given presentations regarding assessment in national and international conferences. Her research interests are Language Assessment and Teacher Training.

Moving beyond personal interviews for speaking assessment

Demonstration

For many years the personal interview has been the principal tool used to evaluate students’ speaking skills. However, ‘real’ life communication requires speakers to interact in many other types of situations. How can we incorporate other types of activities in our evaluation of students’ speaking? In this presentation, the speakers will share how ‘Oral Assessment Tasks’ were successfully incorporated into the curriculum to offer a broader range of speaking activities and opportunities for students to practice and excel in their speaking evaluation. The speakers will demonstrate a variety of activities that have been used with different age groups and levels.

Erika E. Roger is an English teacher with 22 years of experience teaching students from 5 years old to adults, she completed her studies at ISFD N 1. Mrs. Roger has been working at ASICANA since 2008, where she is an English teacher and assistant in the academic department.

Paula A. Patanchon is an English teacher who completed her studies at ISFD N° 1. She has been working as an English teacher in ASICANA since 2017 and is an assistant in the Academic Coordination department.

Acculturation among Venezuelan Youth Learning English in Trinidad

Research paper

This study views the second language acquisition circumstances in Trinidad among Venezuelan youth ages 15-24 as non-ideal. It considers the impact of potential hardships in language acquisition. Traditional acculturation models have overlooked the community experience of forced migration in favour of classroom-based studies. Results indicate that younger migrants in Trinidad with fewer familial responsibilities have an easier time adjusting to life in the host society.

Tessa Mohammed is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, and a member of ACTION TESOL Caribbean. She taught English in France as an Assistant Teacher in 2019- 2020, and holds Bachelor of Arts Suma Cum Laude in French and Spanish. Her research focus is on language acquisition among youth in the context of forced migration.

ESP/EAP contributions to academic literacy development in higher education

Round table

Academic literacy (AL) has been identified as a key issue in higher education since students are not only confronted with specialized content, but rather with disciplinary discourse practices and genres circulating in the academy. Despite sound evidence from research around the world on the importance of AL, its development across the curriculum in Argentina is still under explored. The purpose of this round table is twofold: a) to describe ESP/EAP approaches to AL in three Argentinian universities (UNCUYO, UNER, and UNMdP) and b) to highlight potential contributions to other ESP contexts.

Viviana Innocentini is a teacher of English as an additional language, holds a Master’s degree in TEFL and is a Doctoral candidate. She is researcher and Assistant Professor at Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Her research interests include academic writing, metadiscourse, multilingual communication skills and academic literacies.

Diana Waigandt, MA in TEFL. Professor of English (ESP, EAP, ERPP) at the Facultad de Ingeniería (Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos – Argentina). Her research interests focus on academic literacies development in the disciplines in higher education, both in L1 (Spanish) and in English as an additional language.

Jorge Sánchez, MA in Applied Linguistics; Professor of English language and literature; Specialist in Teaching at Higher Education and Diplomado in Social Sciences. Professor and researcher at National University of Cuyo (Mendoza-Argentina). Areas of interest: Genre Analysis and English for Academic and Specific Purposes. Member of TESOL and IATEFL international associations.

Lyda Leibovich, teacher of English (UNLP). Researcher and teacher of English (ESP, EAP) at the Facultad de Ciencias de la Alimentación ( UNER) and at Facultad de Humanidades, Artes Y Ciencias Sociales (UADER).Her research interests focus on genre pedagogy, English for Academic and Specific Purposes and academic literacies.

Patricia S. Sampietro, licenciada en Inglés (UNL) and teacher of English (I.E.S. “Victoria Ocampo”). Teacher and researcher (ESP, EAP) at Facultad de Ciencias de la Alimentación (UNER) and teacher trainer at ENS N° 15. Her research interests include academic literacies, genre pedagogy, English for Academic and Specific Purposes.

Issues in EFL teaching and researching

Round table

Language teachers generally detect certain difficulties in their classes and they wonder how to solve them. Sometimes, such questions may become research questions that are answered by the conclusions of an action research project or they may trigger a theoretical reflection on the topic that causes difficulties. In this round table, a summary of an action research project about the teaching of argumentation and a theoretical reflection to establish differences in writing progress tests in English for General Purposes (EGP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) will be presented by teachers who work with higher education students.

Beatriz Castiñeira, holds a Phd. degree in Modern Languages, sp. in English, Universidad del Salvador (USAL), a specialist in discourse analysis and composition. She is a teacher at ISFD N° 100 (Avellaneda) and at I.S.F.D. N° 11 (Lanús). She also teaches at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN – Facultad Regional Avellaneda) and Universidad Nacional de Quilmes (UNQUI, Buenos Aires).

Abigail D’Auria is a teacher of English and holds a BA in English, Universidad Nacional de La Matanza. She teaches English courses at Universidad Nacional de La Matanza (UNLaM), Argentina, at Universidad Metropolitana para la Educación y el Trabajo (UMET), and ESP courses at Colegio Universitario Juan B. Alberdi, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is an assistant professor of Sociocultural and Literary Studies III in a course in BA in English at UNLaM.

Maria Rosa Mucci, holds a Phd. degree in Modern Languages, sp. in English (summa cum laude), Universidad del Salvador (USAL), a specialist in cultural studies. She teaches at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN – Facultad Regional Avellaneda) and Universidad Nacional de Quilmes.

A creative toolkit for your English classes

Workshop

Over the years, educators have been accompanying advances in education by searching for those strategies or techniques to help their students acquire skills and competencies to face world challenges. However, experience has shown that what happens in the classrooms does not always agree with the well-known theoretical frameworks. Following the yardstick of Neurodidactics, Flipped Learning, Literature, Reading and Writing skills, and active and brain-friendly principles, this workshop aims at exploring a unique toolkit of creative ideas, games and activities ready to be used by teachers in their classes which are the result of diverse teaching experiences as EFL educators.

Gabriela Garibotto is an international speaker and she holds a BA in Teaching English and Material Design (UCAECE). She also holds a degree in Neuro-psychological Education (UBA) and a Diploma in Innovation and Educational Technology (UTN). And she is attending her Master in Educational Technology at UAI.

Noelia Garfinkiel is an international speaker and she holds a BA in Teaching English and Materials Design (UCAECE). She holds a Higher Diploma in Reading, writing, and education (FLACSO), a certificate in Creative Writing for educators (FLACSO), and has specialised in Storytelling (IESLV “Juan Ramon Fernandez””).

The role of Blended Learning

Workshop

This presentation aims to demonstrate how Blended Learning has an important role in the teaching and learning process and how it contributes to develop academic activities that promote critical thinking skills and encourage students to develop independent learning processes. The participants will learn about experiences using this approach in a classroom setting.

Juana Espinoza de Ayestas holds a TESOL degree from the National Pedagogical University. US Embassy accredited teacher trainer 2008 and certified trainer of trainers since 2010. ESL professor since 2009; she is a well-known presenter at national and international TESOL conventions. Currently working as ESL professor at Zamorano University also member of HELTA TESOL Board.