5th VUS Annual TESOL Conference (23-07-2010)

PRESS RELEASE

Ho Chi Minh City, 24 July 2010

5th VUS Annual TESOL Conference

Following the success of four previous conferences, on the 24^th of July 2010 Vietnam-USA Society English Centers organized the 5th VUS Annual TESOL Conference at the Reunification Palace, 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 1, HCMC. The conference attracted over 1,500 attendants from all parts of the country such as Hanoi, Lam Dong, Nha Trang, and An Giang as well as neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Japan, and more.

With the theme: "Global Trends and local practice in ELT: Options and Opportunities", the conference highlighted important trends and viewpoints about teaching English in the world as well as teaching methodologies in Vietnam during the international integration process. This was an opportunity for teachers to meet and discuss issues of teaching English as well as review teaching methods to suit the in-class context in Vietnam.

The conference presented different views of education, as well as teaching choices and opportunities for teachers and learning opportunities for students.  In addition ideas and solutions to problems of teaching English were offered, such as: How do we promote learner autonomy? Can we apply new international trends in teaching into the Vietnamese classroom context or not? All of the above matters were discussed at the meeting.

Particularly, the meeting was attended by Professor Alan Maley as the keynote speaker. Professor Alan Maley is a renowned education specialist with the Resource Books for Teachers series. He has published over 40 books and numerous research papers in the field of English teaching. He is currently a visiting professor at Leeds Metropolitan University, England and is an author and a freelance professional advisor.

At this conference, attendees had the opportunity to receive three scholarships for training abroad worth more than $1,000 each. The grants came from Pearson Longman and 10 online training courses on English teaching sponsored by Cengage. In addition, attendees received certificates issued by the VUS TESOL Conference.

The TESOL conference held by the Vietnam-USA Society English Centers has become a forum for introducing new ideas, new trends in teaching English, as well as an opportunity for English language teachers to participate and exchange teaching experience with other native speakers and education experts from around the world. Through TESOL, the Vietnam-USA Society English Centers wants to create a forum with great influence to contribute and share the responsibilities for community development with society in raising the professional qualifications for teachers in this period of integration.

Since 2006, the Vietnam-USA Society English Centers has successfully held four TESOL conferences with presentations from renowned speakers and authors in the field  of language training, such as Andy Curtis, Alan Maley; Ian Walkinshaw, Clyde Fowle; Bruce Veldhuisen, Paul Grainger, Stephen Thomas, David Nunan, and Grant Trew.