Letter from the Editors
Ching-Ching Lin, Adelphi University
Watsachol Narongsaksakul, Illinois State University
Samir Omara, Shebin El-Kom IDGL School, Menofia, Egypt
Dear Colleagues,
Each year, ANPC—a TESOL body that strives to amplify diverse voices and bridge multiple perspectives—comes together around a common theme: supporting affiliates in thriving and fostering the wellbeing of their members. While this guiding purpose remains relevant, the world around us continues to evolve and grow more complex and uncertain amid shifting political climates, rapid technological advances, and emerging social trends. Precisely for this reason, it is important to pause, celebrate our collective strength, and learn from one another’s stories.
This year, we are delighted to receive an exceptional response to our call for contributions. Affiliates from across the globe have submitted inspiring articles that reflect our voices and values based on a diverse pipeline of leaders in our TESOL’s communities who are leading, adapting, and empowering professionals and multilingual learners. In this issue, you will find voices from Uruguay to Ukraine, from Rwanda to France, all united by active engagement and a shared commitment to inclusivity, equity, innovation, and hope.
Specifically, we highlight a wide range of themes that speak to the challenge of our times while continuing to showcase our shared struggle in navigating the ever evolving world:
From Vision to Impact: Co-chairing the Africa ELTA 9th International Conference – Kessia Kiwia (Tanzania English Language Teachers Association) demonstrates how bridging global perspectives with local practices empowers teachers, enriches classrooms, and strengthens cultural identity in language learning.
What Makes Us Tick! BETA and the Leadership Mission – Albena Stefanova, Lina Yanbastieva-Petrova, Veselin Chantov, & Georgi Dimitrov (BETA, Bulgaria) highlight initiatives that inspire and strengthen their affiliate.
Empowering TESOL Affiliates: Building Resilience and Collaboration – Evrim Üstünlüoğlu (TESOL Türkiye) demonstrates how trauma-informed teaching and collaborative resilience create healing spaces for teachers and learners alike.
Rising Together – Teaching with Hope and Strength – Serhii Petrenko (TESOL-Ukraine) shares how teachers continue to innovate and persevere in the face of geopolitical conflicts.
Stronger Together: Advocating for Multilingual Learners of English in Uncertain Times – Melanie Schneider (WITESOL, USA) shows how advocacy efforts can amplify teacher and learner voices at both local and global levels.
Empowering Leadership from Within: TESOL France’s Asset-Based Approach – Ngan Phan (TESOL France) explores how asset-based strategies build stronger communities and inspire leadership.
Building Leadership Through Shared Vision and Capacity Building – Valerie Seals (NVTESOL, USA) outlines practical strategies for cultivating collaborative leadership and creating lasting impact.
Empowering Teacher Leaders in Rwanda: A Community of Practice Approach to Professional Development – Kanyankole Rukundo (ATER, Rwanda) describes how Community of Practices (CoPs) are transforming teacher leadership and professional learning.
Why Professional Learning Matters – Gregory Stancil (TESOL International Association, USA) emphasizes the urgent need for sustained professional learning to support multilingual learners of English, offering practical models and strategies for schools and teachers.
Feedback and SEL: Unraveling Some Concerns – Ruth Allio (URUTESOL, Uruguay) reexamines how feedback shapes not only learning outcomes but also students’ social and emotional wellbeing.
Taken together, these articles explore and showcase diverse/ responsive ways of practicing collaborative leadership and advocacy while reminding us that context always matters, shaped as it is by layered and often entangled interests and conflicts. Sustainability can only be built on a foundation of shared understanding and responsibility—rooted in community, care, and courage. They also affirm that no matter the circumstances—whether shifting policies, social complexities, or political conflicts—drawing on the power of collaboration, creativity, and community strengths is the key to meeting challenges with resilience and determination.
We hope you enjoy this issue and find inspiration in the work of colleagues across the network to expand TESOL’s global impact. May these stories spark new conversations, collaborations, and commitments within your own contexts and across borders.
With appreciation,
The Editors
Dr. Ching-Ching Lin, a native of Taiwan, is a teacher educator in TESOL and Bilingual Education at Adelphi University in New York. She served as the Past Chair of the Bilingual-Multilingual Education Interest Section (B-MEIS) and as President of NYS TESOL during 2020–2021. In addition to her academic work, she is the founder and managing director of an educational consulting service, Global Diversity and Inclusion Lab. Dr. Lin has published widely on equity, inclusion, and multilingual education, and is the lead author of Centering Multilingual Learners in the School Curriculum through Community Asset Mapping (Myers Education Press, 2025).
Watsachol Narongsaksakul is a lecturer in ELT, a curriculum developer, an SDG advocate, and an AI ethics researcher. She is a doctoral student and graduate research assistant in the School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, Illinois State University. She also served as a member of the Awards Professional Council of the TESOL International Association (2021-2024) and is currently contributing to Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) as a member of the Assessment and Evaluation SIG, Illinois Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages & Bilingual Education Association (ITBE) as a social media chair, Thailand Literacy Association as a committee member and the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) as a member of the Global Doctoral Consortium.
Samir Omara has been an English language teacher and teacher trainer for the Ministry of Education and Technical Education in Egypt since 1998. He received diplomas of education, special education, teaching adolescent learners, and educational leadership. He presented at NileTESOL, ILACE, Africa ELTA and TESOL. He wrote articles for NileTESOL, Hawaii TESOL, Texas ELT, New York State TESOL, APPI, ELTA Serbia, TESL Ontario, Argentina TESOL, Africa ELTA, and TESOL. He received the UK Alumni Professional Achievement and TESOL Leadership Mentoring Program awards. He was the Head of Professional Development for Teachers First Egypt and NileTESOL President.