Announcements

Associate Professor Invited as Panelist at International TESOL Conference

Subtitle: Dr. Cristyn L. Elder presented on her work supporting Social Justice in English Language Teaching in Turkey

Associate Professor and Director of Rhetoric and Writing, Cristyn L. Elder, was an invited panelist this spring at the international TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) 2021 Conference. Dr. Elder presented on her work supporting pre- and in-service English language teachers at universities in northeastern Turkey who are working to integrate social justice issues into their English language curriculum. The social justice issues covered include Environmental Education, Gender Equality, LGBTQ rights, and Immigration and Peacebuilding.

Dr. Elder’s participation in the project began in spring 2020, which was then interrupted by COVID-19. Rather than traveling to Turkey as scheduled, Dr. Elder has been offering feedback on lesson plans and community social responsibility projects to university participants in Turkey via Zoom and an online platform. This spring Dr. Elder is offering a series of webinars on English language teaching at Sinop University and Trabzon University. Once international travel safely commences, Dr. Elder will provide a series of face-to-face student and faculty development workshops at Amasya University, Ataturk University, Sinop University, Sivas University and Trabzon University. Dr. Elder’s participation will culminate in her keynote address at the 2nd Symposium on Social Justice in ELT in Sinop, Turkey.

This Social Justice in English Language Teaching project was founded by Associate Professor Deniz Ortactepe of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and is funded by the U.S. Embassy Ankara Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Department of State.