MLC is proud to have had our instructors speak at the Michigan Teachers of English to Speakers to Other Languages (MITESOL) annual conference on November 12 at Washtenaw Community College. As a professional association, MITESOL brings together administrators, teachers, authors, researchers, and teacher trainers working with English language learners. The conference provided MLC instructors with the opportunity to not only advance their knowledge of English Language Teaching (ELT), but also to exchange ideas and experiences with other ELT professionals from across the state.
Alexandra Covell and Claire Molling delivered a presentation on “Multimodal Learning to Enhance ESP Students’ Intercultural and Pragmatic Competence”. They discussed ways of developing a curriculum that would enhance students‘ pragmatic and intercultural competencies in professional settings by integrating online tools.
Julie Dean and Lara Hauer presented “The Moth – Understanding and Practicing the Art of Storytelling in ELT”. Using contemporary narrative techniques adapted from the podcast and materials for “The Moth“, they demonstrated how intermediate and advanced English learners can build proficiency and self-knowledge through storytelling.
Instructors Gail Blaauw, Jaleesa Davis, Mary Dilworth, and Rachael Kerr also attended the conference. We are grateful that MITESOL allowed our instructors to exchange ideas, best practices, and experiences with other Michigan educators!
Here are comments from the instructors:
Claire: “The MITESOL Conference this year was just what I had hoped it would be: A chance to have quality time with my colleagues, to reconnect with old friends, and to get inspired with new ideas from teachers all over Michigan. We’re excited to take what we learned at the conference and apply it to our classes at MLC, to continue to make our school even better for our students.”
Alexandra: “Having the opportunity to present and attend the MITESOL conference with seven MLC instructors has been nothing short of rewarding! The experience was not only enriching, but also provided an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and establish new networks with other English language teaching (ELT) practitioners in Michigan. In our capacity as instructors, we never tire of reminding our students to continue learning. The same is true for teachers; we should never cease to learn and strive to get better. It is easy for us to get lost in the daily routine of teaching, but teaching involves much more than just what happens in the classroom. We must be constantly learning! We are grateful to MLC’s leadership team, who support our professional development so that we can continually grow and improve to meet the needs of our students.”
