Eastern Michigan University offers many opportunities to study languages from all over the world, including English as a Second Language (ESL). Recently, EMU hosted a conference for the organization Michigan Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (MITESOL). In this week's "Focus on EMU," WEMU's Patrick Campion talks to Ildi Porter-Szucs, associate professor of ESL at EMU, about what was shared during the conference.
About the MITESOL 2018 Conference
MITESOL invited professionals involved with English learners to participate in our annual conference, the theme of which is Reaching All Learners. The conference will include over 60 learning opportunities, including keynote talks by Anne Curzan and Carol Ann Tomlinson, concurrent sessions, and pre-conference workshops. We invite proposals for presentations and poster sessions from all individuals working in ESOL/TESOL.
Traditionally when we think of "teachers of English to speakers of other languages," we think of those in ESL/EFL and TESOL classrooms. These ESOL and TESOL professionals are, indeed, the pillars of our organization. However, instruction of and interaction with nonnative speakers of English takes place in countless other settings. Therefore, preceding this year's conference, on Friday, October 26, we are hosting a series of workshops specifically designed for professionals who are NOT trained in teaching English learners, yet who interact with nonnative speakers of English on a regular basis. One set of workshops is designed for individuals working in K-12 general education settings, and another is designed for those working in post-secondary and adult-education settings.
Ildi Porter-Szucs is Associate Professor of ESL/TESOL and TESOL Advisor at Eastern Michigan University. She earned an M.Ed. at Temple University and a Ph.D. at Michigan State University. In the past Ildi has served the Michigan TESOL community as Treasurer, Secretary, and Newsletter Co-Editor. She is now President-elect of MITESOL and served as chair of the MITESOL 2018 Conference.
Other Resources:
EMU Department of World Languages
EMU Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program
EMU English as a Second Language (ESL) Program
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— Patrick Campion is the WEMU Program Director. You can contact Patrick at734.487.3363, on twitter @WEMUPC, or email him at pcampion@emich.edu
