Letter from the Chair

Nichole McVeigh, PhD, University of Richmond, Virginia, USA

Dear Intercultural Communication Members and Friends,

Welcome to the Post-Convention InterCom Newsletter!

The 2025 TESOL International Convention and Expo in Long Beach, CA, offered abundant opportunities to engage with colleagues worldwide. The Culture and Intercultural Communication Strand offered forty-two presentations, which made valuable and timely contributions to the Convention. In addition, the ICIS organized an academic session titled Global South(s) Approaches to Intercultural Communication in ELT, in which the presenters explored approaches to intercultural communication emerging from the Global South(s) and their impact on ELT practices. The panel defined southern perspectives, examined their implications for researchers and teachers, and critically evaluated the relevance of traditional/northern intercultural theories and practices for Global South(s) contexts. Also, the ICIS collaborated on intersection presentations with the Social Responsibility IS and International Teacher Assistants IS. Reflecting on our experiences at the 2025 TESOL Convention helps solidify our learning, so we focus on collaborating with colleagues to create new professional growth opportunities.

As the chair for ICIS in 2025-2026, I want to thank the former co-chairs, Amina Douidi and Daniela Silva, for their continuous mentorship and great leadership, allowing a smooth transition. I am also grateful for all the support, collaboration, and dedication provided by all leadership members, who tirelessly work to ensure that the ICIS continues thriving. The ICIS team is like family, and we are passionate about our work. I am eager to collaborate with this year’s amazing ICIS leadership team. Please meet all of our leadership, both old and new, in our team section. And finally, we want to thank those who follow our work and attend our events. It is important that you let us know what interests you so we can plan accordingly.

Bringing a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, the ICIS leaders plan various virtual gatherings to engage our colleagues with critical thinking in intercultural communication in ELT. For example, the ICIS is planning webinars, coffee hours, informal Zoom meetings with a theme to exchange ideas, and lightning talks, where participants present a five-minute summary of their research or teaching techniques.

Our activities have already started. The first activity we organized was the Webinar on May 7th with Dr. Alison Phipps (University of Glasgow). Dr. Phipps talked about enduring language education in Palestinian universities during wartime. Please see the table for a schedule, and stay tuned on our social media for further information. We are excited about this year’s offerings and hope that you will be able to join us for these upcoming events. We look forward to connecting with you.

ICIS Event Calendar 2025 - 2026

Kind regards,

Nichole McVeigh

TESOL ICIS Chair

Nichole McVeigh is the current chair of ICIS. She serves as adjunct faculty at University of Richmond (USA) and as Executive Director of the Richmond Peace Education Center. She holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University for Peace (Costa Rica) and a MATL from the University of Southern Mississippi (USA). Her areas of interest are intercultural communication, education for sustainable development and the intersections of language and peace education.