By Missy Slaathaug
I had the good fortune to attend the International TESOL convention on March 22-25 in Pittsburgh, PA, thanks to the one free registration our affiliate receives and a travel stipend of $300 from the coffers of Dakota TESOL. This year’s convention was hybrid, with roughly 2,000 in-person attendees and a whopping 8,000 who registered virtually. There were 740 adjudicated sessions (525 in-person and 215 virtual) and 160 non-adjudicated sessions, 50 exhibitors, and 140 different countries represented among participants. It was challenging, overwhelming, interesting, and as always- inspiring. I came away with my batteries re-charged, ready to fire up some new teaching techniques.
Keynote speakers were all just excellent, exactly what you want in a Keynote. Hector Ramirez opened with a lively and entertaining talk that made me want to try his 15-minute mini-lessons. He exhorted us with “Amplify, don’t simplify!” Lift key details from the content and drop these into more comprehensible text. And focus on content – seriously, how many ELs need to be able to tell their social studies teachers what is in the refrigerator? I liked that. TESOL President Gabriela Kleckova spoke of the balancing act we are all engaged in, and how to best support ourselves. Gisele Barreto Fetterman completely rocked her talk Invisible Immigrant to Advocate. She emigrated here as a child, and the family was undocumented for 10 years. She remembers her mother sending her off to school with the admonition to be good, do her best, and stay invisible. (My gosh!!) She also spoke warmly of the ESL teachers who helped her find her footing in a new culture and a new language – such kind and affirming words to hear. Barreto Fetterman is married to Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, and she is doing amazing things with her time and energy. Google her and read about her Free Store, her swimming lessons for underprivileged kids in the lieutenant governor’s swimming pool and her programs to get unused food to shelters after large events. She is inspiring. My favorite story was about a huge window decal she saw in the back window of a pickup truck, in the shape of the outline of the United States, with the words “F*#k Off – WE ARE FULL”. Instead of confronting the truck owner, she decided to find out who sold these. Days later, after she contacted Amazon, the item was discontinued. Wow! And Helaine Marshall rounded it out with a great talk highlighting several teachers who are doing amazing things digitally in the ESL teaching world. There are just so many possibilities – again, inspiring.
Apart from the keynotes, I attended some great presentations – several on pronunciation and speaking where I was introduced to some new materials, one on how to best meet the challenges of working with Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) students, movement, and music in teaching vocabulary, STEM and ELs, social and emotional learning and ELs, etc. There was SO much to choose from! Sometimes I would be walking past an open door, and I‘d hear something interesting going on, so I would jump off my planned schedule and join that session.
I did have to laugh – when I registered, I got a small tote bag, but no large, printed book of schedules and presenters. What? I was directed to the app for all this. I had downloaded it so I was at least kind of ready – and after spending some time figuring it out, I did get the hang of it. But I am so old-school! I missed paging through the book, circling the ones I wanted to see and flipping back and forth…oh well, we are saving trees this way!
TESOL 2022 was a marvelous experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to attend. I encourage all of you to seize this opportunity if it comes your way – we have one free registration every year!
