“The Heart in the Art of Teaching: Weaving language, culture and communities”
When is the convention?
The Convention will take place on March 9th-11th 2018.
Activities will start with the publishers exhibition and participant registration on Friday afternoon at 3 pm. The convention will end on Sunday at 3.30 pm.
Where is the Convention?
We would like to extend our thanks to our hosts for the 2018 Convention, which will be held at:
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Facultad de Educación
Centro de Formación del Profesorado
C/Rector Royo Villanova s/n
28040 Madrid
About Madrid
TESOL-SPAIN is happy to once again hold its annual convention in the beautiful city of Madrid, the political, economic and cultural centre of Spain. If you have the chance to walk around the capital over the Convention weekend, you will find yourself in a place which, in spite of possessing a modern infrastructure, preserves the look and feel of its historic neighbourhoods. Some of its landmarks not to miss include the Palacio Real, Retiro Park and theGolden Triangle of Art:the Prado, theReina Sofía, and theThyssen-Bornemisza museums. As far as gastronomy is concerned, Madrid is full of traditional bars and tabernas where you can enjoy typical delicious tapas. The convention site, the Facultad de Educación of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid can easily be reached by bus and metro (Metropolitano station on the grey Circular line).
What is the convention theme?
The 2018 convention theme ‘The heart in the art of teaching. Weaving language, culture and communities.’ invites us to reflect on the interrelationship between language learning and culture and the dynamic and complex nature of the community of classroom and school contexts.
I am writing to you on behalf of TESOL-SPAIN to give you information about our 2018 convention to be held at Universidad Computense de Madrid, Facultad de Educación, from Friday, March 9th to Sunday, March 11th 2018.
Our world is changing and becoming increasingly complex. Today's social and cultural dynamism and the perceived vulnerability of certain social groups requires timely solutions to overcome the problems people are facing and prepare the younger generations for what lies ahead. As educators, we feel we are not free from the challenges that new realities pose.
For years we have been aiming at enabling our students to learn and communicate in English and at expanding their creativity and potential. It is time to continue our journey as educators, exploring the complexity of present day classrooms and aiming at creating responsive educational model that is culturally, socially and linguistically inclusive.
Therefore, we especially welcome presentations which deal with multiculturalism, special educational needs, creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, cooperation, learning to learn approaches, literacy and bilingual education as well as those which are of wide general interest for language teachers working in different sectors and with students of all ages, from early infancy to adults.
Is it an officially accredited event?
TESOL-SPAIN has signed an agreement with the MEC for accreditation of its teacher training events. We are currently awaiting confirmation on the exact details, but we expect to be awarded two credits by the Ministry of Education. Instructions for participants interested in obtaining the “homologación” will be available shortly.
Who attends the Convention?
The TESOL-SPAIN National Convention is attended by a wide variety of EFL professionals. There are teachers from infant, primary and secondary schools, from EOIs, universities, technical schools and academies, as well as teacher trainers, material writers and course planners.
Publishers, ELT researchers, members of testing boards, and national and international authors also take part in the Convention.
What’s on offer?
The Convention offers participants a wide range of presentations by national and international speakers including plenary and keynote presentations, workshops, and round tables. There will be over 100 presentations on a wide variety of topics during the two and a half days.
There will also be an exhibition area where you can browse through the latest publications; try out multi-media materials; find out what is on offer from examining boards; and learn about other teacher associations and professional development courses at home and abroad.
There will also be many opportunities for socializing, not only during the Convention, but also at the Opening Cocktail on Friday and during the Saturday special event.
Where do I get more information?
How do I register?
Pre-register online at this website. Pre-registration for members is available from the 1st of November, 2017 to the 25th of February, 2018. Registration will also be available onsite for both members and non-members after this date at increased fees.
If you have any queries about registering for the TESOL-SPAIN Convention, please contact our Membership Officer, Tammi Santana, at mailto:.
How can I help?
Volunteering to help at the TESOL-SPAIN Convention is an excellent opportunity to meet new people within ELT, build alliances and experience the enthusiasm and energy generated when colleagues meet to promote, discuss and share issues. There are many degrees of involvement. You can do anything from running an errand to heading a sub-committee.
We are very grateful for your help at any level to ensure the Convention is a success. For more information, please contact our Convention Coordinator, Ana Elena Martínez at mailto:.
What is the profile of the speakers?
We are always looking for novice, experienced, native, non-native, national and international speakers. A special message to new presenters: even the smallest or simplest ideas may be of interest to our members. You never know until you apply. And please do not forget to have a look at our speaker grants: maybe you would like to apply for funding.
How do I become a presenter?
Complete the Presentation Proposal Form available with full details of your talk, workshop or presentation. Please note that incomplete forms cannot be processed.
Presenters are exempt from paying the convention registration fee, but those speakers resident in Spain must be paid-up members of TESOL-SPAIN.
Speakersare invited to submit articles based on their sessions for our biennialpublication: TESOL-SPAIN Selected Papers. We would also like to remind you that contributions to our e-Newsletter are always welcome.
If you have any queries about presenting at TESOL-SPAIN, please contact our Speaker Coordinator, Karen McDonald at mailto:.
When is the proposal deadline?
The proposal deadline is October 15th, 2017.
What grants are available for speakers?
As a non-profit organization, TESOL-SPAIN wishes to contribute to the professional development of teachers of English, giving equal access to its National Convention to participants from different cultural and economic backgrounds.
For this purpose, TESOL-SPAIN offers the following grants, to help cover expenses while attending the TESOL-SPAIN Annual Convention:
GRANT 1: FIRST-TIME SPEAKER GRANT
Awarded to a speaker presenting at a TESOL-SPAIN convention for the first time.
GRANT 2: ROBIN DE ANDRÉS[1] GRANT
Awarded to a speaker presenting on a theme related to primary or secondary education in Spain.
GRANT 3: FULL TIME UNIVERSITY STUDENT GRANT
Awarded to a full time university student resident and studying in Spain.
GRANT 4: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT
Awarded to an unemployed teacher resident in Spain.
GRANT 5: TESOL-SPAIN GLOBAL GRANT FOR SPEAKERS FROM ASIA, AFRICA OR LATIN AMERICA
Awarded to a teacher from Africa, Asia or Latin America attending the TESOL-SPAIN Annual Convention as a speaker.
For more information, please contact our Speaker Coordinator, Karen McDonald at mailto:.
How do I become a sponsor?
If you would like to display or advertise your product or service, sponsor a speaker or other convention activities, contact our Publisher Liaison Officer, Mª Antonia Castro, at mailto:.
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