Letter From the Co-Chairs

Leslie Bohon, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA

Melanie van den Hoven Visiting Professor and SAFIR Affiliate Researcher at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dear Intercultural Communication Interest Section (ICIS) members and friends,

As Co-Chairs, we are pleased to provide an update on our accomplishments since June 2026 and to share a preview of the exciting events ahead in the coming months. 

Our ICIS newsletter highlights activities that advance intercultural understanding across educational and professional settings for our TESOL community while demonstrating our commitment to continuing the legacy of past and outgoing leadership, strengthening mentorship within our community, and building bridges with TESOL professionals around the world.  We are grateful for the many ICIS members and leadership team whose participation makes these efforts possible. 

Here is a summary of some of the recent events that have brought our community together:

• On 2 June, Melanie van den Hoven and Leslie Bohon co-hosted a webinar in conversation with Dr. Sarah Hopkyns on her 2026 Cambridge University Press book, Decoloniality in Multilingual University Spaces, in collaboration with Nelli Bondareva and the Bilingual-Multilingual Education Interest Section (BMEIS), reflecting our commitment to building bridges across TESOL communities and continuing ICIS’s tradition of interdisciplinary dialogue. 
• On 25 June, Katarzyna Helbin-Travis hosted an informal coffee hour on culturally responsive teaching in adult ELT, fostering professional exchange and collaborative learning around the needs of Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) while strengthening mentorship through knowledge-sharing within the TESOL community.  
• On 30 September, Leslie Bohon and Melanie van den Hoven welcomed award-winning TESOL practitioner and mentor, Dr. Liz England, for a coffee hour on mentoring across cultures. Drawing participants from around the world. The guided conversation brought together experienced mentors and emerging professionals from around the world, supporting our commitment to mentorship, professional growth, and international engagement.  

We hope you will join us for the upcoming ICIS events planned between October 2026 and the TESOL convention in March 2027. We warmly invite you to register for the following opportunities:

• On 30 October 2026, Susan Calix and Barbara Lapornik are hosting Lightning Talks featuring five presenters from different parts of the world who will share perspectives on teaching young learners through storytelling.
• On 13 November 2026, Marcella Caprario is leading a webinar in collaboration with International Teaching Assistants Interest Section (ITAIS) on communication techniques grounded in English as a Lingua Franca  (ELF) research.
• In December 2026, Barbara Lapornik will facilitate an interactive event, our annual coffee hour, devoted to reflecting on the meaning of December Solstice for our ELT community around the world.
• Looking ahead to 2027, we are planning an interactive online event on building bridges and mentoring in ELT. Stay tuned for details about our January 2027 event.  February 2027 will feature our second Lightning Talks event and a pre-convention newsletter, followed by a March 2027 coffee hour showcasing presentations and events related to intercultural communication.

As a welcoming and friendly group of TESOL professionals all over the world, we invite all ICIS members, as well as those interested in joining our community, to participate in our webinars, coffee hours and monthly leadership meetings. We value opportunities to connect with both familiar and new colleagues and to continue growing our community of practice. We welcome your ideas, experiences, and insights related to intercultural communication and TESOL. You can contact us through MyTESOL or at [email protected] and [email protected]. 

We would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our newsletter editors, Patricia Moon and Jennifer Ramos, for their outstanding dedication to both past and current editions of the newsletter. We warmly welcome our newest team member, Jignasa Gondolia, and thank her for taking on the role of Newsletter Editor in the months ahead. 

Most sincerely,

Melanie van den Hoven and Leslie Bohon 

2026-2027 ICIS Co-Chairs

Leslie Bohon has broad experience at the university and secondary levels as an ESL/EFL professional, cross-cultural researcher, administrator, teacher & professor, program start-up and developer, curriculum developer, and professional development trainer. She currently serves as Director of English Language Learning at the University of Richmond (Virginia, USA).

Melanie van den Hoven has been actively promoting and supporting the activities of the Intercultural Communication Interest Section of TESOL for many years. She is currently serving as Co-Chair with Leslie Bohon. Melanie is a Visiting Professor and SAFIR Affiliate Researcher at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and is based in France and the United Arab Emirates.