News From CETC

Mary Wong Elected Member of the TESOL Caucus Leadership Committee

Mary was elected by the entire caucus membership as the newest member of the Caucus Leadership Committee (CLC). In this role she will serve for 3 years with two members representing other TESOL caucuses. Together they will lead all the caucuses in growth development and service to members. This is the first rotation onto the CLC by the CETC caucus. Mary is recognized as a leader with strong service to TESOL. The leadership of the CETC would like to extend its congratulations and support to Mary in her new role.

New Incoming CETC Chair: Gena Bennett

The leadership of CETC would like to introduce Gena Bennett as the new incoming chair of CETC. We are so pleased that Gena will share her expertise with the caucus over the next 3 years. A committed and active member of CETC, Gena has been one of the most proactive e-list coordinators CETC has had the privilege of having. She developed the monthly e-list topic initiative, which has resulted in regular, effective, and provocative comments from CETC members around the world. The leadership team of CETC looks forward to working with Gena.

CELT Conference in Chaing Mai Thailand

Heart, Mind, and Spirit: Faith-Filled Professionalism in the Classroom

January 23-25, 2006

One way to summarize the first international CELT Conference is to take a look at the numbers:

3 featured speakers: Don Snow, Marilyn Lewis, Alan Seaman

5 spotlight sessions: Learning from the Leaders, Karen Asenavage; Teaching Grammar With Compassion, Tom Scovel; English Language Teaching and Development, Kitty Purgason et al.; Christianity and ELT: Political, Pedagogial and Professional Tensions, Mary Wong et al.; Responding to the Critics, Lawrence McAllister et al.

9 members on the steering committee

11 international travel grant recipients from 6 countries

15 countries represented

46 presentations

140 participants

1 Lord and Savior over all!                                                              

Another way to summarize the event is to reflect on how my heart, mind, and spirit were affected by the event. My heart was strengthened as a Christian believer working overseas when I met and had the opportunity to talk with and be encouraged by so many others in the same position as me. My mind was challenged as I listened to presentations of high professional quality. One session in particular, that by Alan Seaman, “Incarnation or Imperialism? Lessons From the Past for Today’s Christian English Language Teachers,” encouraged me to pursue areas of study and a scholarly approach to our profession as Christian English language teachers. Several sessions on using technology showed me that despite our distances and sometimes lack of resources, CELTs are staying current in their field. My spirit was refreshed just being among so many Christians and having the freedom to talk about who I am and what I believe. But perhaps the most significant event of the conference was the final worship service held in a circle in the round chapel. I felt the spirit of God as we worshipped Him in many languages, through dance, song, and individual prayers.

The CELT conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was the first such international conference—the first, I hope, of many. The numbers tell the story, but my heart, mind, and spirit still resonate with the hope of our calling as Christian English language teachers in our world.

5th Annual ESL Ministry Conference

The 5th Annual ESL Ministry Conference will be held at Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA) on Saturday, April 1, 2006. J. Wesley Eby, former CETC president, will be the featured presenter, and numerous workshop sessions will be provided by local TESOL faculty.

For more information on the conference, please contact Dr. Michael Pasquale, TESOL program director at [email protected] (www.cornerstone.edu/academics/tesl).

E-List Topics

Have you been following the e-list discussions? Here are the topics that we have dealt with recently.

November: Is there a distinction between culture and faith?*

December: How do you share your faith during the Christmas season?

January: How do different cultures view Jesus? What are the implications of these varying views?

February: What must-see speakers/topics do you recommend for TESOL-goers?

Don’t miss out on the exciting ideas being exchanged on the e-list!

*One of our members was inspired by this e-mail exchange to explore her own thoughts on the topic. Her article is included in this issue of the newsletter; we hope you find it both interesting and challenging.