Today is the 21 of February 2015. By Monday, I have to submit my abstract to one of many International conferences about the Teaching of English somewhere around Asia.
Yes, this February I am going to talk about participating in International Conferences as a means to develop ourselves professionally.
Have you ever given a thought about participating in some International conferences such as the ones held by English Teacher Association in Indonesia (TEFLIN), in Malaysia (MELTA), in Cambodia (CAMTESOL), or in Southeast Asia (Asia TEFL)? How ambitious is the idea of participating in one of those conferences? What is the probability for you to realize it?
I believe that participating in conferences I have mentioned might not be too appealing for most of us. Too many challenges and preparation we have to face and do before we can really participate in one. If you keen on participating but are afraid to do it, I would say 'Challenge your fear'!
First, be aware of your challenges and get ready to address them! If you say that you don't have enough fund to go there, you also have to know that some conferences actually provide travel grant (transportation and accommodation). If you think you don't know how to write an abstract, ask for help. Go to the official websites of the conferences, look at the topics/themes/key subject areas. Look for an example from Google or friends who had participated in the conferences.
Second, you think you don't have anything to present. Are you familiar with classroom action research (CAR)? Some of you might say no but I will assume that most of you know about it. You have done your CAR and submitted the report to your supervisors or to the Ministry of National Education in your district. Don't you think that more person should know about the results of your research? Go grab the chance, write an abstract!
Third, you don't have a passport yet. It's time for you to make one. If you want to participate in MELTA, CAMTESOL, or Asia TEFL conference, you have to be ready to travel to Malaysia, Cambodia or any countries in Asia. It will be a great chance for you to practice your English when talking to your fellow teachers from around the world.
Finally, seek support for your principal, fellow teachers, teacher forum (Musyawarah Guru Mata Pelajaran/MGMP), or other relevant institutions. The support might be a financial or mental support. Just be positive about any challenges you might encounter when looking for this kind of support.
Well, do you have any questions about the above tips? Write to me. Or do you have some experiences of participating in one of the conferences? Share your story! It will be awesome to hear from you.
Note:
I am attaching a list of potential conferences in 2015. You might have a think about one of them and good luck!
Potential Conferences to attend in 2015:
What
|
Where
|
When
|
Important dates and
requirements
|
1.
MELTA 2015
|
The
Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|
1 – 3
June 2015
|
Submission
of Abstract & Biodata: 28 February 2015
Notification
of Acceptance: 1 April 2015
Registration
& Payment: 1 May 2015
Submission
of Full Paper: 1 May 2015
Presenters must submit a
proposal containing a 250-word abstract of their presentations and a 50-word
biodata (include email address).
Presentations selected for the conference
must not have their conceptual content changed substantially after
acceptance.
The lead presenter is responsible for
informing the co-presenter(s) of all correspondence received.
All presenters must complete the
registration process by 1 May 2015, failing which the submitted abstract will
be considered withdrawn.
|
2. 62nd
TEFLIN International Conference 2015
|
Sanur
Paradise Hotel, Bali , Indonesia
|
14 – 16
September 2015
|
Abstract
submission deadline: 1 January – 31 March 2015.
Acceptance notification: 10th April 2015. Registration and payment
1 April 2015 – 1 July 2015. The abstract should consist of 250 words with the
title at the top of the page and the name of the presenter(s) and their
affiliation below the title on the right. Biographical data should not exceed
100 words and should be written on a separate page in the third person. Thirty
minutes are allotted for a research paper presentation, and sixty minutes for
a workshop or colloquium.
|
3.
ALAA/ ALANZ/ ALTANZ 2015
Learning
in a Multilingual World
|
The
Research Centre for Languages and Cultures at the University of South
Australia-ADELAIDE
|
30
November – 2 December 2015
|
The
deadline for submitting abstracts is 28 February 2015.
Abstracts
should be single-spaced, use a 12-point font, and employ italics rather than
underlining (except for URL addresses).
Papers
are 20 minute lecture-style presentations followed by 10 minutes for
questions/responses. Abstracts should be no more than 250 words, including no
more than 2-3 key references if desired.
Posters
consist of a display of material on (no more than) one A0-sheet poster. Posters
will be displayed at designated times throughout the conference with
scheduled opportunities for the presenters to discuss the material with
interested individuals.
Your
abstract should be no more than 250 words, including no more than 2-3 key
references if desired.
|
4.
TESOL International Association Regional Conference 2015
|
National
Institute of Education Singapore
|
3-5
December 2015
|
Theme:
Excellence
in Language Instruction: Supporting Classroom Teaching and Learning
Proposal
deadline: 15 April 2015
|
