TICKETED EVENTS, Tuesday, 24 March

Preconvention Institutes (PCIs)

Preconvention Institutes (PCIs) offer in-depth, hands-on professional development workshops designed and led by experts in the field of English language teaching and learning.

Topics are selected by the Professional Development, Research, and Convention Professional Councils in response to suggestions from convention planners and past PCI participants.

The TESOL ​2026 PCIs will be held on Tuesday, 24 March. Complete workshop information will be available in early November.

Registration Fees

All prices are per PCI and in U.S. dollars.

 

Advance Registration:
On or Before 15 February

Regular Registration:
After 15 February
Half-day (4-hour PCI) $150 $205
Full-day (6-hour PCI) $225 $305

Note: You may attend a PCI without registering for the full TESOL convention. To register for a PCI, use the convention registration button.

PCI Schedule & Titles

All times listed are in US Pacific Time. 

Time Titles
9:00 am - 4:00 pm PT
(all day)

PCI 1. Implementing Successful Generational Strategies for Coaching Novice Gen-Z Teachers
PCI 2. Integrating Social-Emotional Learning in Project-Based English Language Classrooms 
PCI 3. Supporting Students with Interrupted Schooling Through Culturally Responsive, Trauma-Informed Education
PCI 4.Teaching Cross-Cultural Negotiation for ELT: A Win-Win
PCI 5.Transforming Language Teaching Through AI and Technology: A Hands-on Exploration

8:00 am - 12:00 pm PT
(1/2 day)

 PCI 6.Creating a Successful Program to Address Newcomer and SIFE Learners
PCI 7.Developing AI Integrated Writing Instruction: Practical Classroom Approaches that Work
PCI 8.MTSS and Multilingual Learners – Developing a Supportive TEAM Approach
PCI 9.Techniques for Teaching Content Through English
PCI10.The Big Ideas – Strategies for Educators in Language Classrooms
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm PT
(1/2 day)

PCI 11. Empowering ELT Mentors: Coaching Strategies to Become a Stronger Mentor
PCI 12. Power of Collaboration: Developing Sustainable EL Coaching Programs
PCI 13. Training ESOL Teachers to Build Inclusive AI Chatbots
PCI 14. Universal Design for Learning in Specific-Purpose and Content-Based Courses

PCI 15. Unpacking Knowledge: Leveraging LCT for Multilingual Learners and Educator Growth

 

PCI 1 Implementing Successful Generational Strategies for Coaching Novice Gen-Z Teachers

Target Audience: All Educators
Skill Level: Intermediate

Amid rapid AI advancements, a new wave of Generation Z, ELT practitioners is joining the teaching scenario. With predicted teacher shortages and the threat of attrition, this PCI equips attendees with generationally friendly tools to empower these novice educators, fostering supportive institutional cultures, increased teacher retention and continuous professional development.

Presenters: Silvia Breiburd

PCI 2 Integrating Social-Emotional Learning in Project-Based English Language Classrooms

Target Audience: All Educators
Skill Level: Intermediate

Explore the integration of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in project-based English language classrooms. This session highlights practical strategies to enhance students' emotional intelligence, collaboration, and communication skills while engaging in meaningful projects, fostering a holistic approach to language learning and personal growth.

Presenters: Bamukunda Hillary, Ashima Gupta, Jay Albaytar & Itay Bahar

PCI 3 Supporting Students with Interrupted Schooling Through Culturally Responsive, Trauma-Informed Education

Target Audience:  
Skill Level: 

MLEs who are refugees, migrants, or students with interrupted/inconsistent formal education (SIFE) face unique challenges in schools and are often lumped together or misunderstood. Frameworks like culturally responsive teaching and trauma-informed education can help educators tounderstand ways to support students to thrive and succeed in their classrooms.

Presenters: Jill Hakemian

PCI 4 Teaching Cross-Cultural Negotiation for ELT: A Win-Win

Target Audience: Higher Education
Skill Level: Intermediate

Cross-cultural negotiation is an essential communication skill for English learners - and instructors. This workshop shows ESOL instructors how to combine negotiation and language lessons through step-by-step activities. Participants will experience the activities as students, adapt them for their own purposes, and may choose to present an activity to the group.

Presenters: Barrie J Roberts

PCI 5 Transforming Language Teaching Through AI and Technology: A Hands-on Exploration

Target Audience:  All educators
Skill Level: Intermediate

This institute provides practical expertise in artificial intelligence to enhance pedagogical practices. Participants will explore resources that enhance writing instruction, streamline research processes, create dynamic presentations and visuals, and provide real-time language support. Through activities and guided practice, attendees will develop implementation strategies considering academic integrity and ethical AI use.

Presenters: Christina Kitson

PCI 6 Creating a Successful Program to Address Newcomer and SIFE Learners

Target Audience: PreK-12, Adult Education & Administrators
Skill Level: Intermediate

Newcomer programs are specially designed programs for new arrivals with little or no English, and often interrupted home language education.The participants learn how to implement five best practices for supporting new arrivals from program design to content development, building literacy, numeracy, and collaboratively building learner resilience, especially after trauma.

Presenters: Judith Oloughlin & Brenda Custodio

PCI 7 Developing AI Integrated Writing Instruction: Practical Classroom Approaches that Work

Target Audience: All educators
Skill Level: Novice & Intermediate

This PCI presents recommendations for practical classroom AI integration that are ethical, critical, and strategic. After analyzing ways to use AI to generate assignments and discussing ways to have students confront issues associated with AI-generated writing, participants apply the new strategies and resources to their own teaching contexts.

Presenters: Zuzana Tomas & Jennifer Mott-Smith

PCI 8 MTSS and Multilingual Learners – Developing a Supportive TEAM Approach

Target Audience: All Educators
Skill Level: Novice

When linguistically diverse students struggle academically, it is schools & districts responsibility to assess whether it is due to language differences or disability. Successful development and implementation of a MTSS Team Approach is key to ensuring that ML students receive appropriate intervention to maximize their academic achievement and language acquisition.

Presenters: Marybelle Marrero-Colon

PCI 9 Techniques for Teaching Content Through English

Target Audience: 
Skill Level: 

Teaching content through English (e.g., CBI, English as Medium of Instruction) in higher education offers opportunities, but risks abound. Participants learn ways to maximize benefits by designing "high structure" courses that maintain rigor while making effective use of class discussions and peer interaction to support language and content learning.

Presenters: Christopher Stillwell

PCI 10 The Big Ideas – Strategies for Educators in Language Classrooms

Target Audience: All educators
Skill Level: Intermediate

Collaboration, Multiliteracies, and Translanguaging, part of the Big Ideas that support language development, within standards language frameworks that foster learner growth/learning. In this PCI participants experience several uses of these Big Ideas and leave with ready to use products, tools, samples and templates that support their current teaching practice

Presenters: Grazzia Mendoza Chirinos, Maya Martinez-Hart & Edith Nava

PCI 11 Empowering ELT Mentors: Coaching Strategies to Become a Stronger Mentor

Target Audience: All educators
Skill Level: Novice

This PCI equips TESOL professionals with research-informed strategies for effective mentoring using the MCaM Model. Through hands-on activities, case studies, scenarios, simulations, and reflective dialogue, participants explore mentor identity, coaching tools, and culturally responsive practices to enhance teacher development and leadership in diverse, global English language teaching contexts.

Presenters: Doaa Rashed & Debra Suarez

PCI 12 Power of Collaboration: Developing Sustainable EL Coaching Programs

Target Audience: PreK-12
Skill Level: Novice

EL Coaching is crucial for supporting classroom teachers of ELs. This session shares case-studies and demonstrates how and why research-based models of EL coaching are applied in practice. The session is of special interest to anyone involved in the professional development of classroom teachers of ELs.

Presenters: Svetlana Nuss

PCI 13 Training ESOL Teachers to Build Inclusive AI Chatbots

Target Audience: All educators
Skill Level: Novice

In this hands-on session, ESOL teachers will learn to build culturally relevant chatbots to use as teaching assistants and learning coaches. Participants will explore accessible tools and practical strategies to create AI-powered support tailored to diverse learners' linguistic and cultural needs.

Presenters: Amin Davoodi & Shakiba Razmeh,

PCI 14 Universal Design for Learning in Specific-Purpose and Content-Based Courses

Target Audience: Higher Education, Adult Education & Administrators
Skill Level: Novice

This interactive workshop explores Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a framework for designing inclusive ESP and CLIL instruction. Participants will examine course-level structures and lesson-level materials, adapting activities and assessments to promote access and participation. Emphasis is placed on aligning content goals with strategies that support diverse learners.

Presenters: Vanessa Virgiel

PCI 15 Unpacking Knowledge: Leveraging LCT for Multilingual Learners and Educator Growth

Target Audience: Higher Education, Adult Education & Administrators
Skill Level: Novice

Legitimation Code Theory makes dense academic ideas more accessible for multilingual learners by revealing invisible shifts in meaning during learning. Participants will gain practical tools to build knowledge, improve feedback, and support professional growth. The workshop offers hands-on activities and strategies to create equitable learning and training models across disciplines.

Presenters: Christine Kassover

 

 

 

Ready to register?

Register online by 14 March! After that date, you can register in person in Salt Lake City.

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