Letter from the Chair-Elect

Haiyan Li, PhD, Chair-Elect, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Dear CALL-IS members and friends,

As we move forward with preparations for the 2026 TESOL International Convention, I’m pleased to share a brief update on the planning of the CALL-IS academic session and the intersection session.

Our CALL-IS academic session, titled Operationalizing AI for Equitable, Ethical, and Effective Language Learning, will explore how AI has shifted from early experimentation to more established applications in language education. As this shift takes place, it raises pressing issues that we must address together: navigating ethical dilemmas such as data privacy and algorithmic bias; rethinking pedagogical design to foster meaningful teacher-AI collaboration; and addressing systemic equity concerns including accessibility, decolonization of AI tools, and the digital divide. This session aims to highlight practical strategies to ensure AI use remains equitable, ethical, and grounded in the core values of language education.

Further, we are planning an intersection session in collaboration with the International Teaching Assistant Interest Section (ITA-IS), focused on Empowering International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) in CALL Innovation for Diverse Classrooms. This panel will feature discussions around designing and sharing CALL-based resources and training materials that ITA programs can adopt. Topics will include effective orientation and training methods, sample workshop materials, and strategies for helping ITAs navigate multilingual classrooms through scaffolded support and curriculum design.

We look forward to engaging discussions and meaningful collaboration as we shape these sessions. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the CALL-IS community.

Dr. Haiyan Li is a Lecturer in the PLaCE program at Purdue University with extensive teaching experience across K–12 and college levels. Her research focuses on fostering bilingualism and biliteracy in multilingual classrooms, with specific interests in AI-enhanced curriculum design and instructional strategies for ELL/ESL learners.