ICIS Newsletter - March 2021 (Plain Text Version)
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In this issue: |
LEADERSHIP UPDATES LETTER FROM CO-CHAIR
TESOL Annual Convention is upon us once again! Though it may look and feel quite different than TESOLs past, we have seen time and again over the last year that while the global pandemic has endeavored to keep us apart physically, it has been far from successful in keeping us apart as a community of practice! We are as engaged as ever and it is exciting to see long term goals of engaging TESOLers throughout the year truly becoming a lived reality, especially for our own IS. This time last summer, I was inviting you to join ICIS on a reflective, educational journey in order to engage more thoughtfully and effectively in our world and communities—large and small. Many of you answered that call and have enthusiastically engaged in multiple coffee hours, panels, webinars, and even stepped into leadership positions. If you have not yet joined us, the good news is there is still so much more to come! I want to personally encourage you to join ICIS at our Open Meeting on Thursday, March 25 at 5:00 pm EDT, watch for monthly opportunities to engage with us through virtual ICIS-sponsored events, and find sessions of interest at the upcoming TESOL Virtual Annual Convention. There are a wealth of sessions dedicated to intercultural teaching and learning, highlighted below: Teaching Peace Language for Turbulent Times: Empowering Immigrants and Refugees Collaborative InterSection panel with the Refugee Concerns, Social Responsibility, and Intercultural Communication ISs Hate-filled language weakens trust, builds barriers, and interferes with classroom communication. Drawing from refugee and immigrant experiences in Palestine, Syria, and the United States, panelists describe how MA TESOL students and educators can integrate cognitive and socioemotional dimensions of peace language into human rights and advocacy work and curriculum development. Presenters: Kristin Kibler, Josephine Prado, Shelley Wong, Hanade Mahmoud Communicating Across Disciplines: Specific Language Instruction in Intercultural Contexts InterSection panel organized by the English for Specific Purposes IS in collaboration with the Intercultural Communication IS In an ever globalizing world, communication across academic disciplines and contexts is inherently strategic. Effective communication arguably demands not only linguistic proficiency in specialized genres but also other competencies, including intercultural competence. This session foregrounds how English for specific purposes (ESP) programs can address the communication needs of learners in today’s globalized world. Presenters: Ismaeil Fazel (moderator), Elizabeth Wagenheim, Tariq Elyas, Iftikhar Haider, Zohreh Eslami Exploring “Good Writing” and Complexities of Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons InterSection panel organized by the Intercultural Communication IS in collaboration with the Second Language Writing IS This session revisits intercultural rhetoric, including positioning it as a link between L2 writing and the translingual approach. Focusing on complexities in how L2 writers negotiate linguistic and cultural differences, panelists discuss and explore writing research and practice in a variety of contexts and academic levels (from secondary to postgraduate). Presenters: Roxanna Senyshyn (moderator), Ulla Connor, Estela Ene, Kyle McIntosh, Nancy Ann Overman, Andrea Lypka, Kazuyuki Kawano Photo caption: Panelists share their conference session “Intersection Panel: ‘Exploring Good Writing’ and Complexities of Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons” “Good” Interculturality: Bridging Theory, Research, and Practice Academic session organized by the Intercultural Communication IS What is interculturality and what do we do with it? Complex glocal reality and recent research prompt rethinking approaches to understanding dynamics and factors in intercultural communication and language education. This session presents relevant conceptual models and evidence-based practices that span different program contexts in L2 (and teacher) education. Presenters: Roxanna Senyshyn, Natalia Balyasnikova, Lynne Diaz-Rico, Barbara Lapornik This presentation is dedicated in memory of our colleague, Lynne Diaz-Rico, who was part of the original panel, organized for TESOL 2020 Denver.
On behalf of ICIS leadership, Amy Alice Chastain, Co-chair 2020-21 |
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