Two plenary speakers, Dr. Paul
Nation of
The KOTESOL conference theme was
especially relevant in that, of the 150+ academic and commercial
presentations,
many sessions — most more aptly described as workshops — focused on ELT
and
technology. Other presentations covered areas of ELT such as
cross-cultural
issues, elementary education, alternative methodologies, and teacher
training
and development. These sessions provided opportunities for professional
development, or at least created dialogue or promoted alternative
perspectives
on teaching and research. One niche that I feel KOTESOL has cornered
the market
on is practical classroom applications. The sessions I attended helped
to
bridge the gap between theory and practice. Although I wasn’t able to
attend
all the sessions, I was also able to get a glimpse of ESL trends.
Aside from the varied academic
and commercial presentations, there were many opportunities to
socialize and
network. As I don’t very often get to meet colleagues and friends
face-to-face
very often, I was quite happy to get together with old acquaintances.
Entered
into the mix was an employment center where job seekers to drop off
resumes and
test the job market waters.
National Executive Council
elections were also held over the conference weekend and new leaders
were voted
into office for the 2004-2005 year. The most telling aspect of the
election was
the large and competitive field of candidates – and voter turnout –
which show
just how much interest and enthusiasm there is in our growing and
dynamic
KOTESOL.
