Intersection Sessions
Academic sessions that represent a collaboration between two or more interest sections or other entities. They are 60-minute pre-recorded presentations, which may be followed by a 15-minute live text Q & A session and/or a 15-minute round-table video discussion with presenters. Some intersection sessions may only be pre-recorded without Q & A or round-table discussion.
*Note: All sessions and presenters are subject to change. Time for each session Q & A and/or round-table discussion can be found on the virtual convention platform.
Pre-recorded Sessions with Q & A
Thursday, 25 March
Weaponizing Language: Making Counternarratives the New Narratives for the Marginalized
Liana Smith
What are the ramifications when a power structure employs the use of particular language? Language can be controlled and also weaponized. Language forms narratives and narratives are determined by those with the greatest power. This panel calls to reverse the narrative and dismantle these systems of oppression which control the language.
Marta Halaczkiewicz, Yizhe Jiang, Qian Wang, Zhenjie Weng, Patricia Rice Doran, Amy Noggle, Jennifer Rice, Sean McClelland, Sarah Barnhardt, Nicole King
Universal design for learning (UDL) instructional approaches aim to meet the needs of all learners by presenting content in a variety of ways, offering students multiple options to demonstrate knowledge, and fostering learner engagement. This panel examines how to use technology alongside inclusive UDL principles to support differently abled ELs.
Friday, 26 March
Preparing Educators for Family and Community Engagement With Bilingual Families
Michelle Benegas, Andrea Hellman, Gisela Ernst-Slavit, Kelly Hill, Angela Bell, Sarah Newcomer, Ximena Uribe-Zarain, Yuliya Ardasheva, Julie Paul, Alexis Gonzalez, Jennifer Rojas-McWhinney
The presenters draw on experience from three National Professional Development grant projects to explore fresh approaches for preparing educators to engage with the families of ELs in partnership with their school district and the community. Each project contributes a different angle on educator preparation, including paraprofessionals, preservice teachers and in-service teachers.
The New Normal: Adapting ESL Programs to Meet University Priorities
Brad Teague, Kimberly Becker, Kristin Terrill, Rebecca Yoon, Ketty Reppert, Estela Ene, Saskia Van Viegen, Jennifer Brondell
This Intersection session highlights a variety of approaches program administrators have pursued during the pandemic to continue serving students and demonstrating their value on campus. Panelists represent different ESL contexts in higher education, including IEPs, undergraduate-level academic English programs, and graduate/postgraduate language-support programs.
Teaching Peace Language for Turbulent Times: Empowering Immigrants and Refugees
Josephine Prado, Shelley Wong
Hate-filled language weakens trust, builds barriers, and interferes with classroom communication. Drawing from refugee and immigrant experiences in Palestine, Syria, and the United States, panelists describe how MATESOL students and educators can integrate cognitive and socioemotional dimensions of peace language into human rights and advocacy work and curriculum development.
Exploring Good Writing and Complexities of Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons
Estela Ene, Kyle McIntosh, Nancy Ann Overman, Andrea Lypka, Kazuyuki Kawano, Ulla Connor
This session revisits intercultural rhetoric, including positioning it as a link between L2 writing and the translingual approach. Focusing on complexities in how L2 writers negotiate linguistic and cultural differences, panelists discuss and explore writing research and practice in a variety of contexts and academic levels (from secondary to postgraduate).
Saturday, 27 March
Pronunciation Assessment Guidelines and Best Practices in ITA Programs
Veronica Sardegna
A panel of experts shares assessment procedures, guidelines, and rubrics used at two U.S. universities to assess the English oral proficiency of prospective ITAs. They also discuss the features that seem to impact ITAs' comprehensibility, ITAs' perceptions of the testing experience, and program services to assist ITAs.
Developing Effective Materials for Adolescent and Adult Emergent Readers
Katie Donoviel, Bahar Biazar, and Andrea Echelberger
Those who teach adolescents or adults who are emergent readers struggle to find materials that are representative and age-appropriate. This session discusses the unique literacy needs of this population and how materials can be better developed to meet their needs.
A Global Framework for Literacy Curriculum in EFL/Multilingual Classrooms
Laura Blythe Liu, Alpha Martinez-Suarez, Jan Dormer
In this session, the presenters view multilingual learners as emerging cosmopolitan intellectuals who have the capacities to draw from a range of cultural resources and legacies in their literacy practices. From this perspective, they share strategies for bridging local and global academic experiences, thus intertwining cultural, social, and academic knowledge realms.
Effective Speaking Instruction Online
Olenka Villavicencio, Jane Chien, Belinda Braunstein, Fuad Abdul Hamied, Araceli Salas
This English as a Foreign Language and Computer-Assisted Language Learning Interest Section Intersection panel examines how teaching speaking online has been approached in EFL settings around the world. The panelists share their experiences, ranging from the use of innovative digital resources and websites or applications to in-class experiences in relation to effective speaking teaching online.
Pursuing Social Justice in TESOL
Benjamin White, Ryuko Kubota, Raichle Farrelly, Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor, Kathleen McGovern
This panel of TESOL educators, researchers, and teacher trainers showcase current work on the topic of social justice. Presenters explore how TESOL professionals can expose and address inequalities, what practices and tools can be used to empower others, and what efforts are being made to bring about social change.
Practical Approaches to Leveraging Technology in L2 Writing Instruction
Marta Halaczkiewicz, Jennifer Meyer Francois, Nicky Hockly , M Sidury Christiansen, Undraa Maamuujav
This panel explores classroom-tested techniques for using technology to support writing skills development in ELT contexts. Panelists demonstrate tech tools for L2 writing instruction, share implementation and scaffolding strategies for a variety proficiency levels and writing genres, and discuss the learning and affective outcomes associated with technology use.
Communicating Across Disciplines: Specific Language Instruction in Intercultural Contexts
Elizabeth Wagenheim, Tariq Elyas, Iftikhar Haider, Zohreh Eslami, Ismaeil Fazel
In an ever-globalizing world, communication across academic disciplines and contexts is inherently strategic. Effective communication arguably demands not only linguistic proficiency in specialized genres but also other competencies, including intercultural competence. This session foregrounds how ESP programs can address the communication needs of learners in today's globalized world.
Preparing NNESTs to Challenge Language and Culture Assumptions in the United States
Maria Rossana Ramirez, Saurabh Anand, Teresa X. Nguyen, Udambor Bumandalai
When nonnative-English speaker teacher (NNEST) students pursue higher education opportunities in inner circle countries, they may encounter linguistic and cultural misunderstandings. How can educators in sending and receiving countries prepare students to name, understand, and confront these issues? Experiences and advice for navigating the transnational and translinguistic landscapes of higher education are shared.
Effective Practices for One-on-One Pronunciation Feedback to ITAs
Susan Gaer, Veronica Sardegna, Marsha Chan, Belinda Braunstein
Do you hold one-on-one consultations as a complement to a course for ITAS? This panel discusses research on consultation efficacy and provides suggestions for assessing, teaching, and guiding pronunciation improvement in one-on-one instruction. Presenters also share online formative assessment tools with a comparison chart aligning online tools with targeted skills.
(Un)learning Ignorance: Dos and Dont's and How We Go From There
Ethan Trinh
When teachers are willing to share ideas and thoughts with each other, they are able to move past fear or shame to teach students critically. What are the lessons learned in teaching and learning English language that transformed our pedagogical practices? Come and share.
Affirming Multifaceted Identities in TESOL
Doaa Rashed, Ching-Ching Lin, Aylin Atilgan Relyea, Lawrence Zhang, Rashi Jain
ELT professionals identify themselves and are identified by others in many ways: nonnative, bilingual, multilingual, translingual, among others. In this session, the panelists examine the distinctions among these terms and share their professional experiences navigating and affirming their and/or their students' multifaceted identities in educational contexts.
Professional Development 2020: Connecting Teachers and Managers via Blog
Elizabeth Schade
Many instructors work for a large program yet feel isolated by schedule or location, and others work for small programs with little funding. The presenter shares how managers can connect teachers to PD and other opportunities for growth and keep them up to date on administrative issues, all while working virtually.
Enhancing Oral Language in Pre-K-8
Pamela Rose
ELs develop two languages simultaneously; however, due to the focus on reading and writing, oral language is often overlooked. Underdeveloped oral language has negative implications for literacy success. Guiding research informing instruction and connected to strategies and techniques to address assessment, instruction, and intervention in oral language is shared.
Ying Hui-Michael, Solange Lopes Murphy, Gilda Martinez-Alba, Tyler Hill, Ann Rohrbraugh
Teacher educators must prepare ESOL teachers for classrooms of students with diverse abilities. However, many struggle to incorporate instruction on working with learners with high incidence exceptionalities, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and autism. The panelists describe the implementation of such inclusive instruction in preservice and in-service teacher education programs.