The CELT 2007 Conference in Seattle, Washington, USA

Kathryn Bartholomew, [email protected]

Introduction

Based on the model of the very successful conference in Long Beach, CA just before TESOL 2004, a one-day conference of Christians in English Language Teaching (CELT) will be held on Tuesday March 20, 2007, the day before TESOL 2007, on the campus of Seattle Pacific University (www.spu.edu).

The theme of the conference is "Spirituality and Professionalism." Featured speakers include Suresh Canagarajah of Baruch College, CUNY, USA, and David Smith, Calvin College, USA. The schedule will include refereed presentations and workshops, a mid-day poster session (also refereed), and a morning resource room for sharing classroom activities and other practical ideas. The day will begin at 8:30 with concurrent sessions and end with a 4:30 pm worship service (see schedule details below). The registration fee for the conference is $25.00 U.S.; registration forms and other information are posted on the SPU and CETC websites. A range of options for lunch and dinner will be provided. Public transportation and taxis from the Seattle Convention Center and downtown hotels are available; parking is also available on the SPU campus for those who choose to drive.

Conference Topics

Here are some of the topics we hope to address at the conference from a specifically Christian point of view:

• cultural and intercultural issues, including the importance of learning students' languages whenever possible
• mutual help and support for monolingual English and bilingual English teachers (a new way of framing the tired and sometimes unhelpful distinction between native and non-native speakers)
• professional integrity and faith-related academic controversy
• teacher training and development
• practical skills for teaching 
• English for special purposes, including teaching and learning in seminaries 
• images of Christianity in the media
• living out core values in the classroom
• stories of what called us into the profession and what keeps us there
• and many more . . .

Proposals

Your proposals are welcomed and encouraged; please send them as Word or PDF files to Kathryn Bartholomew, Seattle Pacific University, [email protected]. Proposals must show a clear Christian perspective and must include the following information:

• Name(s), school and/or organization, mailing address, phone, e-mail, and a short bio
• An indication of whether this is a Presentation, Workshop, Resource Room, or Poster Session
• An indication of whether audiovisual equipment other than an OHP and/or computer with projector will be needed
• The title and a 50-word abstract (for the conference program)
• Proposal abstract of no more than 250 words

Proposals may link to any TESOL-related topic; refer to the conference topics list above for possible ideas. Deadline: all proposals must be received by e-mail (as above) no later than January 1, 2007. 

Exhibits and Questions

An exhibition area will be available for organizations, schools, and book sales. Please contact Kevin Gibbons, [email protected], for additional information.

Questions? In addition to the e-mail addresses above, we are available by telephone at 206-281-2670 (Kevin Gibbons) or fax at 206-281-2335.

Proposed Conference Schedule: March 20, 2007

8:30-9:15 Concurrent sessions; publishers' exhibits open
9:15-9:30 Break – refreshments, Resource Room, exhibits
9:30-10:30 Plenary address – David Smith
10:30-11:00 Break - refreshments, Resource Room, Poster Sessions, exhibits
11:00-12:30 Concurrent 45- or 90-minute sessions
12:30-1:30 Lunch – also Poster Sessions and publishers' exhibits
1:30-3:00 Concurrent 45- or 90-minute sessions
3:00-3:30 Break – refreshments, Poster Sessions
3:30-4:30 Keynote address – Suresh Canagarajah
4:30-5:30 Worship service
5:30  Adjournment

Partial List of Proposal Referees

The following CETC members have agreed to review proposals for the conference: Karen Asenavage, Kathryn Bartholomew, Brad Baurain, Gena Bennett, Tim Noble, Adelaide Heyde Parsons, Eleanor Pease, Cheri Pierson, Kitty Purgason, and Mary Wong.

Please note that the Call for Participation may also be found on the CETC website, and is located at http://www.cetesol.org/news/celt2007-call.html. Please inform others who might be interested in presenting at or attending the conference. We look forward to welcoming you at CELT 2007 in Seattle before the upcoming TESOL convention.