ANNOUNCEMENT

Preparing Language Teachers for the 21st Century:
Sixth International Conference on Language Teacher Education

Directions to the Conference Center
Click here for Complete Schedule

Invitation	Fees	Hotel Information	Online Registration	Pre-Conference Workshops	Main Events
Schedule	Travel	Lunch with Authors	Exhibitor Information	Questions	Tech Portal

Plenary Speakers:
Click here to see more details about Speakers

• Second Language Teacher Education in Times of Change: Jack Richards, The Regional Language Centre
• Teacher Cognition and Communicative Language Teaching: Simon Borg, University of Leeds
• The Moral Lives of Teacher Educators: Bill Johnston, Indiana University
• A Sociocultural Perspective on Language Teacher Education: Karen E. Johnson, The Pennsylvania State University

This conference is co-sponsored by the National Capital Language Resource Center (NCLRC) and the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), both of which receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI Language Resource Center Program. Designed for practitioners and researchers involved in the preparation and ongoing professional development of language teachers, LTE 2009 will address the education of teachers of all languages, at all instructional and institutional levels, and in many national and international contexts in which this takes place including: English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) instruction; foreign/modern/world language teaching; bilingual education; immersion education; indigenous and minority language education; and the teaching of less commonly taught languages.

The conference aims to bring together teacher educators from these contexts to discuss and share research, theory, and best practices and to initiate and sustain a meaningful professional dialogue across languages, levels, and settings.

Schedule

Complete Schedule is online here | Printable Program

FEES

• Full Conference Registration $285.00
• Early Registration $260.00
• Friday-only Registration $180.00
• Saturday-only Registration $180.00
• Student Regular Registration $200.00
• Student Early Registration $175.00 (volunteers are welcome and may earn a scholarship)
• Pre-Conference Workshops $75.00
• Exhibitor registrations: $600 / $300 See Exhibitor Prospectus
  

Refunds for the conference, minus a $25 cancellation fee, will be issued if requested online via the registration website by May 20, 2009. After this date, refunds minus $65 (which includes the registration fees and cost of the meals) will be issued upon receipt of written request. Refunds will not be granted after the start of the conference. The George Washington University reserves the right to cancel the conference if necessary. A full refund of fees paid will be made if the conference is not held.

Lunch with Authors

Themes of the Conference

A central issue in language teacher education is the question of what constitutes the knowledge base of language teaching and how it relates to the processes and content of teacher education. This theme will include research and perspectives on: teachers’ knowledge and beliefs; teacher learning informal and informal contexts; teachers’ ways of knowing; teacher socialization; professional development; and the nature of disciplinary knowledge.

Theme II: Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts of Language Teacher Education

Language Teacher Education takes place in multiple contexts and with diverse populations, where language, culture and identity are intricately bound together. These contexts are often impacted by actions taken by formal and informal decision-making bodies, which may or may not involve the participation of teacher educators. This theme will include critical and analytical perspectives on: institutions, communities, and discourses within which teacher education practices are situated; language education policy and planning; power, status, and authority in language teacher education; diversity and equity in language teacher education, including issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and language; the socially situated nature of language and learning; and issues related to policy, such as standards, legislative mandates, recruitment and retention, and advocacy by language teacher organizations.

Theme III: Collaborations in Language Teacher Education

A key element in teacher development is effective collaboration between those individuals and institutions preparing teachers and their professional counterparts currently engaged in language teaching and learning. This theme will examine: ways in which teacher education recognizes the shared development of professionals; models or structures of collaboration that stress ongoing teacher development including mentoring and professional development schools; examples of and/or research on collaboration in which teacher development and research inform each other; and research, projects, or practices that recognize teacher expertise and the teacher voice as pivotal in addressing issues of language teaching and learning.

Theme IV: Practices of Language Teacher Education

The practices of language teacher education refer to the ways in which the knowledge base is conceptualized and operationalized in teacher preparation and professional development. This theme will examine: program design; curriculum models; pedagogy; teacher assessment; organization of instruction; field experiences; observation/supervision; self-study of practice; and action research.

Invitation | Registration Information | Register

Questions

You can also send email from your own email account to: lte@nclrc.org by clicking on the address or copying and pasting it in your webmail. Or you may call: (202) 973-1086 from 10 - 6 EST.

Pre-Conference Workshops

Pre-Conference Workshops have been reduced to $50 each (before April 1) and take place on Thursday, May 28, 2009. The fee will go up to $75 for registrations after April 1. See details of the workshops here.

Travel, Parking & Ground Transportation

Marvin Center Directions
The conference will be held at 800 21st Street, NW, Washington DC. Click here for directions.

Airport
The closest airport is Reagan National (DCA) If you are arriving at National Airport, you can take the MetroRail to DC. Use the Metro Trip Planner to get exact train times and details on walking to your destination
The next closest airport is Washington Dulles (IAD). When arriving a Dulles Airport, public transportation is avilable through Washington Flyer: http://www.washfly.com/.
Batimore's Thurgood Marshall (BWI) airport is over an hour away by car, but shuttle service is available to the Marc Train (at the Amtrak Station at BWI) which will allow one to take a train into DC.

Parking is available at the Marvin Center or at Colonial Parking Garage at the corner of H Street NW and 22nd Street NW ($16 daily maximum). See details.

Hotel information is here.

Thank you for your interest in the Sixth International Language Teacher Education Conference!

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