TESOL Convenes in New Orleans March 16-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2011

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL)
Convenes in New Orleans March 16-19
U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education to Open 2011 TESOL Convention

WHAT: 45^th Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit

WHERE: New Orleans Morial Convention Center (NOMCC)

WHEN: March 16-19, 2011

DETAILS: TESOL, the global association for English language educators, will hold its 45^th Annual Convention and Exhibit March 16-19 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

Considered the premier event on English language teaching worldwide, the TESOL convention features education sessions and experts on a broad variety of topics, including language testing and assessment, technology in language learning, bilingual education and standards. Under the banner "Examining the ‘E’ in TESOL," the 2011 TESOL Annual Convention and Exhibit will showcase more than 1,000 education sessions presented by speakers from more than 25 countries. In addition, the convention will feature one of the largest exhibitions of its kind in the world, with more than 100 exhibitors offering some of the finest products and services for English language educators and their classrooms.

Opening speaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, will discuss the national vision for cradle-to-career education reform in the context of serving English language learners.

Founded in 1966, TESOL is a professional community of educators, researchers, administrators and students committed to advancing excellence in English language teaching for speakers of other languages worldwide. With more than 12,000 members representing 156 countries, TESOL fosters the exchange of ideas, research and peer-to-peer knowledge, and provides expertise, resources and a powerful voice on issues affecting the profession. Through professional development programs, its International Conference, special interest groups and publications, TESOL engages tens of thousands of professionals to collaborate globally and create a world of opportunity for millions of people of all ages who want to learn English.

WEBSITE: www.tesolconvention.org

MAJOR EVENTS:

· Wed, March 16, 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m.: K–12 Dream Day, a special one-day event for teachers in elementary and secondary education that will provide interactive, practice-oriented sessions which focus on concrete ways to increase student engagement and achievement from preschool to high school.

· Thurs, March 17, 1-1:45 p.m.: Dr. Rosalinda Barrera, Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, Office of English Language Acquisition, discusses new initiatives and priorities of the U.S. Department of Education designed to improve services and learning outcomes for English learners.

· Thurs, March 18-Fri, March 19, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: The Electronic Village, a special venue to explore technological resources for language teaching and learning in the classroom and online. Highlights include the latest in multimedia learning, access to Internet-based resources for language instruction, and presentations on handheld hardware devices. Exhibit Hall, Halls A-B1

EXHIBIT HALL: A-B1, and Ballroom 1

HOURS:
Wed, March 16, 7-8:30 p.m.
Thurs, March 17-Fri, March 18, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sat, March 19, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

PRESS OFFICE: Press Desk in the Registration area, Halls A-B1
HOURS:
Thurs, March 17-Fri, March 18, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sat, March 19, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
TESOL: John Segota, 703-518-2513, jsegota@tesol.org
New Orleans CVB: Tara Letort, 504-566-5019, tletort@neworleanscvb.com; Jennifer Day, 773-909-2514, jday@neworleanscvb.com; Kelly Schulz, 504-421-0962, kschulz@neworleanscvb.com
NOMCC: Rosalie Mortillaro, 504-582-3027, rmortillaro@mccno.com