• Plenaries
• Lightning Talks
• Presentations
• Workshops
• Panel Discussions
• Poster Sessions
• Lunch Raps
• Interest Group Networking & Business Meetings

Schedule at a Glance

Thursday

Say It Forward: How Oral History Amplifies Unheard Voices

Oral history is both a traditional and transformative process. At Voice of Witness, our work is driven by the power of the story, and by a strong belief that social justice cannot be achieved without deep listening and learning from those marginalized by systems of oppression. In the classroom, this methodology engages students by reading and listening to oral histories, as well as teaching them to tell their own stories and collect narratives from their communities. Oral history centers each individual's unique experiences, allowing students to see themselves reflected in their curriculum.

Erin Vong Limoges, Education Program Director, Interim Co-Executive Director, has a decade of experience working in classrooms and partnering with teachers. She has designed and led projects in Bay Area schools using oral history to highlight stories from their communities and learn more about the people around them. Erin was born and raised in the Bay Area, graduated from UC Davis with degrees in Art History and Communication, and recently completed her MA in Organization and Leadership at the University of San Francisco. Before coming to Voice of Witness, she spent three years teaching children in Madrid and Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and remains dedicated to multilingual learner students.

Friday

Prejudicial Barriers to Successful TESOL Education

Linguistic bias matters, and many native speakers of American English who are monolingual often judge others based on their English fluency. How does this prejudicial linguistic landscape impact those who teach English as a second language as well as their students who are likely to encounter discriminatory reactions to their speech and writing? This discussion describes instances of linguistic profiling in educational contexts and some strategies that TESOL instructors might share with their students to help them withstand alternative forms of linguistic insensitivity while simultaneously emphasizing the importance of linguistic and cultural dexterity.

John Baugh is the Margaret Bush Wilson Distinguished University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis.  He is past president of the Linguistic Society of America and the American Dialect Society. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  His most recent book is titled Linguistics in Pursuit of Justice, published by Cambridge University Press.  His research seeks to utilize linguistic science to improve the human social condition with particular attention to efforts to reduce and eliminate various forms of linguistic discrimination against members of underrepresented groups throughout the world.

Saturday

Leading from Where We Stand: Leadership Practices to Effect Educational Change in the Classroom, and Beyond

Effective leadership is about strategic influence to effect change. Leadership is less about title or authority; it is more about how we advocate, organize, persuade, rally resources, and educate others, from any position we hold -- how we can lead from where we stand.  This has never been more critical than it is in today’s educational zeitgeist, especially for multilingual learners and their teachers from the K-12 classroom, to adult education contexts, to teacher education, to curricular and policy development. Strategic, intentional practices include finding your purpose, inspiring others, gathering resources, convening allies, and aligning practices with values of responsible and equitable leadership. 

Debra Suarez is the President-elect of TESOL International Association. She has been a classroom teacher, university professor, international educator, and senior federal leader, most recently serving at the University of Maryland College Park, on White House Initiatives for Asian Americans, focusing on language access, equity, and federal resources, and in the US Department of Education, supporting equity and access for minority populations. As an international educator, she was an English Language Specialist for the US Dept. of State. She has led several professional organizations including AERA’s Second Language Research Group and Maryland TESOL. Dr. Suarez was recently awarded Maryland TESOL’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thursday, October 26

Friday, October 27