Letter from the Past Chair
Nellie Deutsch, Faculty at Immersive Technologies (IMT) MSc program, Toronto, ON, Canada
The TESOL CALL-IS TechTalks for 2024-2025 is an enlightening series of events bringing together experts in language learning and educational technology. Hosted live on ZOOM and available for later viewing on YouTube, these sessions cover a range of cutting-edge topics and tools designed to empower educators and enhance the learning experience for students. Here’s a summary of the sessions from June 2024 to February 2025.
The series kicked off on June 9, 2024, with Dr. Doris Molero guiding participants through a virtual rainforest adventure in Second Life. This session focused on the importance of rainforests, the threats they face, and the steps needed for their conservation. Attendees embarked on a scavenger hunt, solved environmental puzzles, and roleplayed with chatbots to learn about ecosystems and biodiversity in a fun and engaging manner.
On June 23, 2024, Joe Dale explored the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in TESOL. This session highlighted various AI-driven tools that revolutionize language teaching, learning, and assessment. Participants gained insights into personalized learning plans, automated assessments, conversational chatbots, and more, equipping them with strategies to enhance engagement, accessibility, and effectiveness in their teaching practices.
Jonny Kalambay’s session on July 6, 2024, introduces Roshi.ai, a platform designed to help educators create level-specific activities that simulate real-world situations. Participants learned how to generate realistic dialogues, real-world documents, and targeted tasks, providing a hands-on approach to integrating AI into language learning.
On August 10, 2024, Samantha Lee Butler will present six AI tools that alleviate teachers' planning and preparation burdens. These tools included MagicSchool, Almanack, SlidesGo, Diffit, Perplexity, and Hugging Chat. This workshop demonstrated the practical usage of these tools, offering educators valuable resources to streamline their teaching processes.
Dr. Maher Bahloul’s session on September 28, 2024, will delve into the integration of performance arts such as music, theater, and movies in English Language Teaching (ELT). The session showcased an experimental initiative where young learners participated in movie production, highlighting significant improvements in language proficiency. Attendees viewed sample movie footage and discussed the project’s objectives, outcomes, and feedback.
On October 1, 2024, Dr. Jasmin Cowin will explore skills-based language teaching within Agora World's virtual environments. Participants learned to adapt templates to various proficiency levels and objectives, facilitating meaningful language interactions. The workshop discussed evaluating proficiency within VR settings and leveraging VR technology for engaging learning experiences.
Dr. Muhammad Mooneeb Ali will introduce mobile technologies and tools that facilitate both teaching and learning in English classrooms on November 29, 2024. This workshop provided insights into AI assessment using mobile-assisted language learning, offering practical solutions for educators and learners alike.
Dr. Melanie Gobert’s session on December 8, 2024, will guide participants through the process of creating podcasts for teaching and learning English. The session introduced a podcast called ‘Teaching Tips for English Language Teachers,’ covering its inception to production and discussing various global issues in English Language Teaching. Participants left inspired to create their own educational podcasts.
On January 5, 2025, Parveen Kumar Sharma will present the EduSoMedia model and Skillgogy approach, integrating social media into English teaching beyond the classroom. This session discussed affordable tools and innovative pedagogical strategies, focusing on enhancing English language teaching and preparing learners for real-world communication.
Finally, on February 15, 2025, Paul Raine will introduce Eigo.AI, a platform designed to enhance the four key English language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Participants learned about its innovative features, including real-time feedback on pronunciation and AI-driven conversational practice, providing an effective and engaging learning experience.
The TESOL CALL-IS TechTalks 2024-2025 offers educators the tools and knowledge to integrate advanced technologies into their teaching practices. All the recordings are available on the CALL-IS YouTube channel in this playlist: TechTalks 2024-2025. Make sure to check them out and stay at the forefront of language education innovation!
Nellie Deutsch (Ed.D) is a Canadian educator who organizes online professional development for faculty members on integrating technology in blended learning and hyflex environments, education technology and mindfulness. Her doctoral dissertation focused on integrating technology in blended learning courses in higher education.