Plenary Speakers

Creating Room for Hope through Creativity and Connection in the ELT Classroom

Laura H. Baecher

Dr. Laura Baecher is currently the Leadership Fellow in the City University of New York (CUNY) Office of Undergraduate Studies, Academic Programs & Policy in the role of Assistant Dean for Academic Technology & Pedagogy where she supports initiatives across CUNY’s 25 campuses related to faculty development and recognition. She is Professor at the Hunter College School of Education, CUNY and Senior Faculty Fellow in the Academic Center for Excellence in Research and Teaching. Her interests relate to teacher/faculty learning, observation and coaching, and the design of professional development. Recent books include Study Abroad in Teacher Education: Transformative Learning for Pre- and In-Service Teachers and Global Perspectives on the Practicum in TESOL. She is the Professional Development Blog author for TESOL, has served as TESOL’s Teacher Education Interest Section Chair and the TESOL Affiliate Network Professional Council, as an English Language Specialist for the US Department of State, and as President of the New York State TESOL affiliate. The winner of multiple awards for teaching and service, she is committed to advancing the professional knowledge base of educators in ways that build community, inspire growth and support reflection.

The Future of English: past and future predictions. How might this impact the role of the English Language teacher?

Steve Copeland

Steve Copeland is Research and Insight Lead for the English Programmes team at the
British Council. He was previously the British Council’s Head of Examiner Standards for
IELTS, prior to which he spent twenty years as a teacher, examiner, teacher trainer,
materials writer and academic director in South-East Asia, South America, North Africa and
the UK. He has an MA in TESOL from the Institute of Education in London and the RSA
DipTEFLA.

Ruth Horsfall

Ruth Horsfall is the Young Learner Courses Manager for the British Council in Spain. She
has been working as a teacher, centre manager and academic manager in Spain for over 20
years and specialises in teaching and learning English with Early Years and Primary
students. She works closely with language teachers, both in her organisation and in schools
in Spain, and since completing her MA in Education and Applied Linguistics in 2010, has
been particularly interested in the areas of language and literacy as well as motivation and
engagement in the classroom.

English for Hope - SEL Strategies for Peacebuilding

Grazzia M. Mendoza

Grazzia M. Mendoza Chirinos has two master’s degrees, one in International Education and one in TESOL. She is a US State Department Alumna recognized for project development for teachers’ professional growth projects and has been in the field for 29 years. Her research interests include CALL, Competency Based Language Teaching and Methodological Improvements for Professional Development. She is the founder, former President and current advisor of HELTA TESOL in Honduras. She was also former President of Latin America and Caribbean TESOL and past TESOL International Association Board Member. At present she is an Education Specialist for the US Government at USAID Honduras working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to improve education programs at all levels.

The 7 Ages of Professional Learning: A Personal Account

Denise E. Murray

Emeritus Professor Denise E Murray is an applied linguist, who has been a language educator and administrator for more than five decades. She was founding Chair of the Department of Linguistics and Language Development at San José State University, California for seven years and Director of the National Center for English Language Teaching and Research at Macquarie University, Australia for six years. She has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters, as well as authoring and editing academic volumes. She is the co-author with MaryAnn Christison of the volumes What English Language Teachers Need to Know Volumes I, II, and III. She served on the Board of Directors of TESOL International and was President in 1996-7. She is a recipient of TESOL’s Alatis Award for distinguished service to the profession and the 50@50 Award, for outstanding contributions in teaching and research.

At the crossroads of critical language awareness, literacy and HOPE

Shelley K. Taylor

Professor, teaches in the graduate TESOL/Applied Linguistics program at the University of Western Ontario. She has conducted research on multilingual language education and language policy in Canada, Denmark, Greenland, and Nepal; plurilingualism in TESOL, EMI in the Nordic context, Nepali-Bhutanese refugee children in Canada, and postsecondary youth refugees’ language and literacy development. She has chaired TESOL’s Bilingual-Multilingual Education Interest Section, served on the (former) nominating and professional development committees, the Board of Directors, as associate convention program chair for TESOL 2015, and contributed to numerous TESOL publications (as editor and author). She is currently President-elect of TESOL.