Hosting the 2008 AMTESOL Annual Conference in Meridian, Mississippi was not only a pleasure, but also a very rewarding experience for me. The theme “Learn a Language, Embrace the World” was a vision that inspired those in attendance. The conference can boast of its’ 207 registered participants, 40 presenters in 42 concurrent sessions, and 11 exhibitors. The conference took place in the beautiful Mississippi State University Riley Education and Performing Arts Center in Meridian on January 18-19, 2008. The Center provided the conference with state-of-the-art technology, tech assistants at our beck and call, and gorgeous conference rooms and wonderful buffets. Despite the snow on Saturday the evaluation forms described the conference as a huge success.
On Friday evening Dr. Carol Johnson, shared her personal story of challenge rearing her son that led to the development of the ESL software English in a Flash. Dr. Beth Stapleton and graduate student, Ashley Thomas contributed teaching experiences in the field of ESL. Dr. Kris Kaase, Mississippi Department of Education, presented informative statistics that revealed ESL students progress in Mississippi and Alabama. Dr. Kaase further challenged the audience to strive to make necessary changes in teaching practices and strategies utilized with ESL students in the classroom. Friday evening culminated with Dr. Charlotte Tabereaux, education director for the MSU Riley Center, conducting a tour and sharing the history of the Center. At the Saturday luncheon, Dr. Bradley Scott, from IDRA, Intercultural Research Association, in San Antonio, TX rallied the crowd with a motivating speech and song. The conference was so fortunate to have so many experts in the field of ELL speak to the participants.
ESL education continues to be a “hot” topic for our states and our schools. Everywhere you turn you see a person of another culture, hear another person speaking a language other than English, or view on television, the Internet, or in the newspaper, a topic that relates to students and their families of other cultures and languages. Indeed, the schools, colleges, ESL teachers, and all teachers of Mississippi and Alabama continue to be challenged by the diversity that meets them on a daily basis in their classrooms. With this diversity come frustrations that are outweighed by the rewards reaped when educators see the smiles of understanding and the joy of learning become evident to their ESL students. Through these experiences our ESL students learn English, but we too as teachers learn far more than them as we “learn a language and embrace the world” around us.
Plan now to continue learning more about cultural diversity, teaching ESL, and networking with colleagues at the SETESOL Conference, September 25-27, 2008, in Birmingham, AL. This conference is being sponsored by AMTESOL. See you in Birmingham!
Marlynn K. Martin
2008 AMTESOL President
