CFP: Symposium on Second Language Writing 2011

The 2011 Symposium Organizing Committee seeks proposals for 20-minute presentations that address various topics within the field of L2 writing--broadly defined. Any topic related to second language writing theory, research, or teaching is welcome; we especially welcome proposals that seek to challenge the status quo in the field by introducing new topics as well as new theoretical and methodological approaches.

As with all previous nine Symposium iterations, we are interested in L2 writing issues in any second or foreign language for any age groups in personal, academic, professional and civic contexts. Given the theme of the Symposium, we particularly encourage proposals that address the issue of writing for scholarly publication from a critical perspective.

To submit your proposal, please use the online proposal submission form (http://sslw.asu.edu/2011/openconf/openconf.php). Proposals must include both an abstract (limited to 300 words, including references) and a proposal summary (50 words).

Proposals must be received by 23:59:59 on October 15, 2010 (Taipei Time; GMT+08:00). Proposals will be peer reviewed by a panel of experts. Notification of acceptance will be sent out by around December 2010.

For more information about SSLW 2011, please visit: http://sslw.asu.edu/

We look forward to receiving your proposal!

Paul Kei Matsuda and Tony Silva, Chairs
Yichun Liu and Yuching Jill Yang, Associate Chairs
Wu-chang Vincent Cheng and Chiou-lan Chern, Local Chairs

CFP: Special TETYC Issue on English as a Second Language in Diverse Genres and Voices

Special TETYC Issue on English as a Second Language in Diverse Genres and Voices
National Council of Teachers of English
contact email: tetyc@wcupa.edu

Teaching English in the Two Year College (TETYC) is pleased to announce a special issue devoted to second language learning and teaching in the context of the first two years of college, community college, and intensive academic ESL programs. We are also interested in hearing from those involved with international education/EFL programs. The issue, to come out in September 2012, will be guest-edited by Natasha Lvovich and Martha Clark Cummings (Kingsborough Community College, CUNY). All submissions are due by September 1, 2011. Please conform to TETYC regular submission guidelines as outlined in all issues of the journal, and send manuscripts via email attachment (.doc or .docx) to tetyc@wcupa.edu.

We welcome traditional research studies (empirical and quantitative, as well as qualitative/ethnographic/phenomenological) and nontraditional forms of inquiry and creative work (narratives/essays, case studies, teacher diaries, interviews, poems) focusing on second language learning and teaching.

Suggested topics may include but are not limited to:

•    studies related to second language acquisition emphasizing the integration of theory and classroom practice
•    adult second language learners and the academic process
•    immigrant experiences and sociocultural identity in the academic context
•    EFL experiences
•    curriculum and teaching methodologies
•    memory and language performance
•    writing in second language
•    affectivity and language learning
•    teacher training and professional development

We will accept artwork (photographs and drawings, high-resolution graphics files) in the form of thematic projects.

World Englishes 2010, Vancouver, Canada

FINAL CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND REGISTRATION ANNOUNCEMENT
WORLD ENGLISHES 2010
JULY 25 - 27
VANCOUVER, CANADA
http://www.worldenglishesvancouver2010.com/index.html

The 16th Annual Conference of the International Association for World
Englishes (IAWE 16) is being hosted by Simon Fraser University at the Morris
J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver, Canada from July 25 to 27, 2010.

The conference program and registration information is available via the
conference website.

The conference theme is:

World Englishes Today: A Critical Reevaluation of Theory, Methodology, and
Pedagogy in Global Contexts

The following plenary speakers will address this year's annual meeting:

- Dr. Braj B. Kachru, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA:
'World Englishes Today: Panditocracy vs. Pragmatic Reality'

- Dr. Sue Wright, University of Portsmouth, UK:
'English and Europe: The Legacies Of Nationalism, the Requirements of
Europeanisation and the Influence of Globalisation'

- Dr. Nkonko Kamwangamalu, Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA:
'English in Language Policy and Ideologies in Africa: Challenges and
Prospects for Vernacularization'

In addition, focus lectures will be given by:

- Dr. Yamuna Kachru, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA:
'World Englishes and Corpus Linguistics'

- Dr. Murray Munro, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada:
'How Accents Do and Don't Matter: The Role of Pronunciation in
Communication'

- Dr. Elizabeth Martin, California State University, San Bernardino, USA:
'Seducing the French with English: Bilingual Advertising Practices in
France'

- Dr. Jamie Shinhee Lee, University of Michigan-Dearborn, USA:
'English for Entertainment: Accidental and Not-so-accidental Humor On Korean
TV'

For further information regarding the conference, please visit the IAWE 2010
Conference website.

Dr. Suzanne K. Hilgendorf
Associate Professor, Dept. of Linguistics
Chair, Organizing Committee for the 2010 World Englishes
Conference (July 25-27 in Vancouver)
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6
CANADA

tel: 778-782-8583
fax: 778-782-5659
e-mail: skh7@sfu.ca

SSLW 2011 Update

Here is an update on the 2011 Symposium on Second language Writing.

The 2011 Symposium on Second Language Writing has been tentatively scheduled for June 9-11, 2011 in Taipei, Taiwan. The theme for SSLW 2011 will be “Writing for Scholarly Publication: Beyond Publish or Perish.”

As always, the Symposium will feature internationally recognized experts on second language writing to address various issues related to the theme. There will also be several workshops on writing for publication.

An open call for proposals will be available in September. Any topic related to second language writing is welcome!

Please mark your calendar and spread the word. Hope to see many of you in Taiwan!

Paul

Paul Kei Matsuda, Co-Founding Chair
Symposium on Second Language Writing
http://sslw.asu.edu/

P.S. The photos from SSLW 2010 in Murcia, Spain, are available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmatsuda/collections/72157622787167530/

NCTE Statement on the Removal of Designated Teachers from ELL Classrooms in Arizona

NCTE Statement on the Removal of Designated Teachers from ELL Classrooms in Arizona
The effects of a new Arizona Department of Education policy are reverberating in the literacy education community.  According to numerous reports, the Department has told school districts that teachers whose spoken English it deems to be heavily accented or ungrammatical must be removed from classes for students still learning English.

This edict is dangerously misguided. Confirmed by research and by policy positions adopted by the National Council of Teachers of English, what matters most in teaching non-native ELLs is not elocution or adherence to a single dialect or speech pattern. What matters most is understanding students and the dynamics of language learning. 

Teachers who have deep roots in the culture and linguistic experiences of their students are well equipped for success in teaching English, regardless of their spoken dialect or accent. A recent NCTE position paper on “The Role of English Teachers in Educating English Language Learners (ELLs) <http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/teacherseducatingell> ” emphasizes the importance of empathy, connections to ELL students’ families and culture, and innovative teaching methods: 

Knowledge of the students is key to good teaching. Because teachers relate to students both as learners and as children or adolescents, teachers must establish how they will address two types of relationships, what they need to know about their students, and how they will acquire this knowledge. The teacher-learner relationship implies involvement between teachers and students around subject matter and language and literacy proficiency in both languages. Adult-child relationships are more personal and should include the family. Focusing on both types of relationships bridges the gap between school and the world outside it, a gap that is especially important for many bilingual students whose world differs greatly from school.

The NCTE position paper further asserts that all teachers of ELL students in all content-area subjects must provide effective instruction for students developing academic proficiency in English by:

• Recognizing that second language acquisition is a gradual developmental process and is built on students’ knowledge and skill in their native language; 
• Providing authentic opportunities to use language in a nonthreatening environment; 
• Teaching key vocabulary connected with the topic of the lesson; 
• Teaching academic oral language in the context of various content areas; 
• Teaching text- and sentence-level grammar in context to help students understand the structure and style of the English language; 
• Teaching the specific features of language students need to communicate in social as well as academic contexts. 

Teaching English language learners well is difficult. The urgent need for more highly-adept teachers to meet the demand is what makes the Arizona ban so invidious: teachers who may best understand the cultural and family dynamics of their ELL students, who are living the gradual developmental process that characterizes second language acquisition, are barred from the classrooms where they are needed most.

We would have a different problem had the Arizona guideline directed re-assignment of teachers of ELL students

• who are unsuccessful at teaching academic oral content in math, science, social studies, or the arts;
• who fail to teach key vocabulary or grammar in the context of helping students understand English for school or other purposes;
• who are unable to provide authentic challenges for applying language to solve problems in the lives of students or their families.

There would still be fewer ELL teachers in Arizona classrooms, but those missing wouldn’t be identified by their accents. We would be focusing on the real problem: competence.
 
If the Arizona Department of Education wants to upgrade the quality of instruction for English language learners, it could heed the need for professional knowledge among all teachers about how to serve ELL students. Based on research, NCTE's policy states that:

The majority of ELLs are in mainstream classrooms taught by teachers with little or no formal professional development in teaching ELL students (Barron & Menken, 2002; Kindler, 2002). Many teachers are not adequately prepared to work with a linguistically diverse student population (American Federation of Teachers, 2004; Fillmore & Snow, 2002; Gándara, Rumberger, Maxwell-Jolly, & Callahan, 2003; Menken & Antunez, 2001; Nieto, 2003). 

NCTE encourages English teachers to collaborate and work closely with ESL and bilingual teaching professionals who can offer classroom support, instructional advice, and general insights into second language acquisition. School administrators should support and encourage teachers to attend workshops and professional conferences on bilingual learners, particularly in the areas of reading and writing. 

It’s time to put sound educational principles ahead of misguided cultural assumptions. We have real work to do unlocking the miraculous potential of a generation of ELL students. Let’s use what educators know about language learning to make decisions about fostering the literacy skills of all students.
Kent Williamson, Executive Director
National Council of Teachers of English
800-369-6283 (ext. 3601)
Shape the future of literacy education by joining NCTE: http://www.ncte.org/store/membership