July 2021

July 2021 Newsletter

2021 TESOL Advocacy & Policy Summit

In June, 12 educators represented MinneTESOL at the 2021 Virtual TESOL Advocacy & Policy Summit! Our members attended sessions that touched on the many aspects and approaches to advocacy. From learning about the rights of immigrant students in U.S. public schools to how to stand in solidarity with global advocacy, participants left with substantial ideas about how to “advocate today for the English Learners of tomorrow.” A special message from U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona (pictured) was also a highlight of the Summit. The MinneTESOL group will take action by scheduling meetings with MN and federal elected officials this summer. If you would like to be involved or find out more about advocacy opportunities, please contact [email protected].

MinneTESOL journal featured articles

Following his experience with the JET program in Japan, Kyle Undem examines the concept of imagined communities to better understand L2 identities in his article, “Imagined Communities: The Significance of Imagination and Language Learning.” Also related to learner identity, Michael Burri’s “School and Cultural Adjustment Overseas” considers factors that contribute to international students’ school and cultural adjustment through his 12-year-old son’s experience in Japanese schools.

MinneTESOL journal call for papers

Now is your chance to publish an article in the upcoming MinneTESOL Journal, a practitioner academic online journal. See Writing for the MinneTESOL Journal for more information.

Journal submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.

Email the senior editors to learn more about submitting work: [email protected]

See the current MinneTESOL issue here!

Get to know the Executive Board

Each newsletter will profile a different Executive Board or MinneTESOL member.

Name: Debbie Hadas

Position at MinneTESOL:Retired Educators Interest Section co-chair (with Susan Ranney)

Teaching context: I taught ELL at Apple Valley High School for almost 30 years. After “retiring,” I have supervised student teachers for Augsburg and Hamline and taught at three community colleges, as well as at St. Olaf College, Shattuck – St.Mary’s in Faribault, and summer school classes in the St. Paul Public Schools.

Why you got into (and stayed) ESL: ESL is a way I can indulge my love of language, get to work with the most amazing students, and maybe make a positive difference in the world.

Why retirement rocks: I was really nervous leaving a job that was so central in my life for so long, but a wise colleague gave me some good advice: Just say Yes. So for these last six years, I’ve had chances I’d never imagined to try out new roles and stay engaged, both professionally and personally. And I now have time to read novels and travel and sleep in when I feel like it .

Current project: I write letters to my legislators. Even when I know how they’ll vote, I want to either thank them, or let them know why I don’t agree with them. We’ll never get rid of the achievement gap until we address poverty, housing, medical care, school funding and so on!

MELEd 2021 update: proposals out for rating

The annual MELEd conference will take place November 18-20, 2021, at the Saint Paul Rivercentre. Raters are now reading conference proposals. Those who submitted proposals will be informed about proposals acceptance by mid-August. For more information about our conference check the Fall Conference page of the MinneTESOL website.

LESSLA Event Symposium: Reconnecting the LESLLA Community in 2021

The 17th Annual LESLLA (Literacy Education and Secondary Language Learning for Adults) Symposium will take place online August 11-12, 2021.To register for the event, first become a member of LESLLA. Registration deadline for the symposium is August 10, 2021.

LESLLA aims to support adults who are learning to read and write for the first time in their lives in a new language. We promote, on a worldwide, multidisciplinary basis, the sharing of research findings, effective pedagogical practices and information on policy.

Literacy Action Network ABE Summer Institute is coming in August

The popular ABE Summer Institute will be held online this year on August 18-19, 2021.

Find out more about the Summer Institute here, and click here to register.

Visit MinneTESOL at the Minnesota State Fair

MinneTESOL will be at the Great Minnesota Get-Together! On Sunday, August 29, volunteers from MinneTESOL will be in the Education Minnesota booth in the Education Building at the Minnesota State Fair. We will ask questions from the US Citizenship test and hand out candy. If you are there that day, please stop by and say hello!

Did you know?

Past MinneTESOL newsletters can be found on our website, at https://minnetesol.org/minnetesol-newsletters

We want to hear from you

We are always looking for information to share from our members. Please send newsletter submissions to [email protected].