Invited Speakers

Lourdes Ortega is a Professor at Georgetown University. She has taught Spanish in Greece, English in the United States, and since 2000 has worked with language teachers and doctoral students in Hawaii, Georgia, Arizona, and currently in Washington DC. She is committed to investigating what it means to become a bilingual or multilingual language user later in life in ways that can encourage connections between research and teaching and promote social justice. She is the author of Understanding Second Language Acquisition (Routledge, 2009). Her most recent project is The Cambridge Handbook of Bilingualism, co-edited with Annick De Houwer and to be published in 2018.

In addition to her Keynote, Dr. Ortega will also be facilitating a roundtable discussion on the topic of Reimagining English Competence.  This roundtable is inspired from TESOL International's Summit which included this topic.

Roundtable Discussion: Reimagine English Competence (Main 100, 10:00 am - 10:45 am)

English competence has been traditionally defined in reference to a native or ideal speaker norm and in terms of the grammar of the language. This definition has been challenged. 

• How can we overcome the native speaker as the standard and address the changing realities of English language use around the world, both with regard to students’ needs for English and to teachers’ needs for proficiency in English? 
  
• What new research-based models and goals for English competence can be developed to guide policy and practice? 
  
• How can the multiple Englishes that arise in different contexts be incorporated in frameworks, standards, large-scale tests, and rubrics?
  

John Segota, MPS, CAE, is Associate Executive Director for Public Policy & Professional Relations at TESOL International Association (TESOL). John's responsibilities at TESOL include government relations, policy analysis, media relations and communications, oversight of standards development, and management of TESOL's advocacy activities. John works closely with TESOL's senior leadership on policy management, strategic planning, public relations, and governance issues. John has presented both nationally and internationally on public policy as it relates to English language education, and has written extensively on issues of education policy. John has a BA in Political Science with a concentration in International Studies from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, a Master’s of Professional Studies in Public Leadership from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, and has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

National Education Policy & TESOL: The Outlook Ahead (Social Hall, 2:15 pm - 4:00 pm)

The 2016 general election created a sea change in the political landscape in the United States, impacting virtually every aspect of public life across the country. The new administration has been in office just over nine months, but it has already made significant inroads in terms of changing policies in virtually every sector.

What has been the impact of these changes upon education, and specifically ELLs and TESOL educators? Where do things stand with major education policy initiatives, such as the Every Student Succeeds Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act? What has been the impact upon international students and immigrants, and what might happen in terms of immigration reform? What else in education policy is impacting ELLs and the TESOL field? This session will present a comprehensive overview of the current state of affairs in Washington, DC, and provide an update on national education policy.

Local Lawyers & Immigration Experts

Understanding Immigration Today for the ESL Classroom (Social Hall, 10:00 am - 11:45 am)

This workshop will provide participants with information regarding immigration law and policy and immigrants' rights as they relate to the ESL classroom.  Participants will receive information from experts, engage in scenarios, and be able to ask questions to a panel including lawyers and immigration experts.