To: Staff Development Committee From: Marilyn Marquis
Date: April 25, 2008
Re: Conference Report
Thank you for the support you provided so that I could attend the 42nd
Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit: Worlds of TESOL: Building Communities
of Practice, Inquiry, and Creativity. This conference provided me with the
opportunity to attend a variety of sessions on interesting and relevant topics. For
example, I attended a morning session on designing academic writing tasks
using corpus findings and followed it a very interesting discussion about linking
corpus findings to academic writing. I also went to a presentation on International
Student perspectives on American academic culture. I also presented a two hour
Poster Session on developing language learner literature which was received with
great interest and enthusiasm.
In addition to the sessions, publishers of textbooks and technology
software exhibit their materials. I had a chance to meet with the textbook and
software publishers with the specific goal of finding reading material for our
extensive reading activities.
The conference provided a forum for professional development and professional
dialogue. The benefits to the college and students from this intense focus can be
measured in improved teaching and greater awareness of materials for the ESL
program. The intangible benefits include professional contacts and inspiration
which sustains our often solitary classroom work.
I appreciate the funding that the Staff Development Committee has agreed to
provide to support for faculty and instruction.