Every year the TESOL President, in collaboration with the President-Elect and the Past President, selects a recipient for the annual Presidents’ Award. The award honors individuals and organizations outside of TESOL who have demonstrated a commitment to English-language instruction, helped TESOL further its mission, and supported education in general. Past recipients of the TESOL Presidents' Award come from diverse backgrounds and include The British Council, UNICEF, and the Peace Corps.
2017 Presidents' Award Recipient: The International Research Foundation (TIRF)
TIRF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to generate new knowledge about English language teaching and learning. TIRF applies research findings to practical language problems by working collaboratively with teachers, researchers, authors, publishers, philanthropic foundations, government agencies, and major companies. TIRF’s vision is that in the 21st century, personal and social value accrues to individuals who are proficient in English and in some additional language.
Commenting on the selection of TIRF to receive this esteemed award, TESOL President Dudley Reynolds remarked, “For many years I have admired the work that TIRF does to support and disseminate research in and for our field, and so it is a humbling honor to select them as this year’s recipient of the TESOL International Association Presidents’ Award. TIRF recognizes that the legitimacy of our field rests not only on the work we do every day in classrooms around the world, but also on our ability to explain, evaluate, and redirect that work. Conducting sound research is neither easy nor cheap; TIRF has made it its mission to make sure that we as a field have both the fiscal and intellectual resources we need.
Past Recipients
View a list of
TESOL Presidents Award recipients.