TESOLANZ, "Emerging Opportunities in New Learning Spaces,"

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Since its inception in 1990 the CLESOL conference has brought together the needs and interests of two groups of language teachers. Community languages are the first part of the CLESOL equation. Community languages teachers are committed to maintaining the first languages of migrant and refugee groups settled in Aotearoa New Zealand, and introducing those languages to others interested in learning them. Community languages teachers are bilingual (or multilingual) and their work is usually community based. The other half of the CLESOL equation is ESOL teachers. By comparison, ESOL teachers are a much bigger group who work in State education institutions (primary, secondary and tertiary), for private language schools, or as volunteer community tutors. The language of, and focus for, instruction is English, and ESOL teachers are predominantly monolingual native English speakers (but not exclusively so).

We would like to welcome you to Palmerston North for CLESOL 2012, which will be held from Friday 5 October to Sunday 7 October 2012. We are really looking forward to seeing lots of teachers and researchers from around New Zealand and around the world. We are planning a conference that we think will have all the ingredients to ensure you not only enjoy yourself and learn something useful, but also make new friendships and renew old ones.

You can look forward to many enlightening and entertaining sessions tackling the contemporary challenges and opportunities that exist for both learners and their teachers in the diverse learning spaces we teach and learn in. Alongside this, we are planning a lively programme of social activities that will introduce you to Palmerston North’s cultural and environmental landmarks.

We also invite you to become a presenter at CLESOL’s 13th national conference, sharing your knowledge, expertise, understanding, and teaching practices with colleagues. Proposals are invited for a variety of sessions: poster, demonstration, workshop, and seminar. These should in some way address the conference theme, but we hope that it is wide enough for you to think in many different ways about the dynamics of teaching, learning, and expressing our language and identity in ‘new learning spaces’. Whether you have undertaken an extensive research project you want to tell us about, or want to share an exciting activity from your teaching, whether you teach primary students, teenagers or adults, we hope that there will be a slot for you. The call for papers will open in October 2011 and conference registration will be open from May 2012.

We hope to see you at CLESOL 2012!
Gillian Skyrme—Chair
Gill Claridge—Secretary
Penny Haworth— Keynote Speakers
Shantona Poduval—Treasurer
Dana Taylor—Marketing and Public Relations
Ute Walker— Conference Programme
Hilary Smith— TESOLANZ