Riding the Waves of Success/INTEREST GROUPS
Keeping in Touch With Technology at Annual Conference ... and More
By Cindy Wislofsky
2012-2013 TELL-IG Coordinator
N
eed some new ideas for your classroom? Many high-interest technology-related presentations are scheduled for
the CATESOL Annual Conference in San
Diego in October. Included in the conference will be classroom strategies for using
audio feedback, digital pen pals, digital
tools, e-learning, email writing, interactive
response systems, mobile apps, podcasts,
video, video journaling, and virtual environments, as well as Google Voice, iPads,
Voice Thread, USA Learns, PowerPoint,
and Word. There are also presentations on
teaching online or blended courses and taking online TESOL courses.
And the featured workshop sponsored
by TELL-IG on Saturday afternoon will be
a two-hour hands-on
workshop called “Using
Mobile Devices With
Students” and presented
by the ever-popular techie aficionado Susan
Gaer from Santa Ana
Susan Gaer
College.
Even if you are not able to attend the
annual conference, here are additional ways
to stay in touch with technology-enhanced
language learning with CATESOL:
• Join our CATESOL TELL-IG Facebook group to share ideas with other
ESL teachers. Search for CATESOL
TELL-IG and request membership:
www.facebook.com
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•
•
•
Frequent CATESOL’s TELL-IG blog
for news and ideas from colleagues
interested in technology integration:
http://tellig.wordpress.com
Sign up for CATESOL’s TELL-IG
electronic mailing list to receive
emails of tech-related discussions and
concerns: http://catesol.org/listserv_
contacts.html
Attend a regional or chapter CATESOL conference in your area and educate and support each other in the effort to incorporate technology in the
ESL classroom.
Check out the “ESL Resources” on
CATESOL’s website. At the bottom
are loads of helpful websites and descriptions about each: http://catesol
.org/resource.html
Teaching of Pronunciation (ToP) Interest Group at CATESOL 2013 and Beyond
By Robert Wachman
ToP Co-founder and Coordinator
A
ll ESL and EFL teachers should be prepared to help English
learners develop their abilities to understand spoken English
and to speak intelligibly. Even if you teach only grammar, reading, or writing, you no doubt encounter pronunciation problems
in class, and, with a little background, might better use “teachable
moments.” At our CATESOL Annual Conference, October 2426 in San Diego, you’ll have ample opportunity to increase your
knowledge and skills in teaching pronunciation.
CATESOL 2013
If you attend only one pronunciation-related session at the
annual conference in San Diego, I strongly suggest you make it
the ToP-IG–sponsored and featured panel presentation, “What
Language Teachers Must Know to Teach Pronunciation,” 3:30-5
p.m. Friday in Meeting House Sunrise. The panelists are three of
the most renowned experts in the field of English language–pronunciation teaching: Donna Brinton, Friday’s plenary speaker and
co-author of Teaching Pronunciation; Marsha Chan, aka “The
Pronunciation Doctor” and author of Phrase by Phrase Pronunciation; and Judy Gilbert, best known as author of Clear Speech.
All are frequent and extraordinary presenters and teacher trainers.
Introductions and the questions-and-answers will be moderated by
Carmen Roman-Murray, ToP-IG coordinator-elect. This is a session not to be missed!
In addition to the ToP-IG–sponsored panel presentation, another 10 sessions related to pronunciation are scheduled, including
four by these panelists.
Gather with other practicing or would-be pronunciation teachers at the ToP-IG networking and business meeting, 5-5:45 p.m.
Friday, right after the panel in the same room, Meeting House Sunrise. Refreshments will be served.
Beyond the Conference
Whether you are attending the annual conference or not, consider joining ToP-IG. CATESOL members can join at any time
by emailing Don Sillings, CATESOL general manager, at cate
[email protected]. Visit the ToP-IG Google Group at CATESOLToP for up-to-date interest group information, events, and ongoing discussion of pronunciation teaching–related topics. Join the
Google Group by sending a message to pronunciationdoctor@
gmail.com and requesting to be added.
Northern California f2f Meetings
Do you live in Northern California? ToP is joining forces with
Northern California Pronunciation Specialists (NorCAPS, formerly CAPS), a group of ESL teachers interested in improving their
ability to teach pronunciation, to conduct face-to-face meetings/
workshops in Sacramento and the Bay Area. The first such collaborative meeting/workshop was scheduled for September 13 at
Sacramento City College, and another is planned for November 22
at City College of San Francisco. More information is available at
the Google Group.
Southern California? Nevada?
If you live in Southern California or Nevada and would like
to have face-to-face ToP meetings or workshops in your area, ToP
coordinators will be happy to help you get started. Contact Robert Wachman ([email protected]) or Carmen Roman-Murray
([email protected]).
Finally, I regret that I won’t be able to join the fun and professional-growth opportunities at the annual conference this year, because I’ll be at my second home in the Philippines by then. But I’ll
be with you all in spirit and plan to continue communicating and
collaborating online. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to
the successful launch of ToP and best wishes as we continue in our
never-ending quest to improve our effectiveness as teachers. Long
live CATESOL! Long live interest groups! And long live ToP!
CATESOL NEWS • FALL 2013 • 13