TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)
“Founded in 1966, . . . (TESOL) is an international professional association with over 16,000 members. Its mission is to develop the expertise of its members and others involved in teaching English to speakers of other languages to help them foster effective communication in diverse settings while respecting the language rights of individuals.. . . ” (Quoted from the TESOL Member Guide)
Current information is available at http://tesol.org/.
As a professional organization, TESOL conducts an annual Convention, as well as numerous workshops and institutes, for which several funds and awards are available for student support. It also provides group insurance.
Students are urged to attend the TESOL Convention if it is at all possible. Students from this department have been presenting papers at the Convention on a fairly regular basis. Students who feel that something that they have worked on during their graduate studies is worthy of being presented at the Convention should discuss it with members of the faculty. Travel money to attend the Convention (restricted to those students presenting papers) is available from the Graduate Student Organization or the Ruth Crymes Scholarship Fund on a competitive basis. In addition, some travel money is also available from the Albert H. Marckwardt Fund for American and Canadian citizens administered by the national TESOL office and the Institute of International Education for citizens of other countries. The Convention is an excellent place to find out about possible job opportunities.
Student membership in TESOL is available for full-time students for a reduced rate. There is an application for membership included with each issue of the TESOL Quarterly.
Faculty in the Department of SLS have frequently served the TESOL organization. as members of the Executive Board and as members of the TESOL Quarterly Editorial Advisory Board, and former faculty held posts as President (Drs. Ruth Crymes and Charles Blatchford).
