Newsletter No. 54–December 2015

From the President

Dear colleagues, As the year draws to a close, most of us are really looking forward to a break and to having some time off. What we all need is a good summer rest! At APIBA, we have been busy with closing the year and preparing for the new events in 2016. Make a note of our SIGS Opening Event taking place on Saturday, March 19th. Venue to be announced! Some members and colleagues have suggested opening new SIGS. What about launching one on Mindfulness? Fancy a SIG on Drama for Teachers of English? How does a SIG on Skills of Academic Management sound to you? Our SIGS are more active than ever! Write to us and share your thoughts on these new SIGS that might get launched next year. There are lots of exciting academic events that will be happening at different locations, both in the City of Buenos Aires and the province! More news in March! In this issue of our newsletter, you will read what some of our committed members who attended the FAAPI Conference organized by ACPI last September have to say about attending FAAPI Conferences. And what’s more, you will be able to read an account of some of the plenaries and workshops attended by one of our members. I wish you all the best for the end of 2015 and a great start in 2016! Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Best regards, Virginia López Grisolía APIBA President | presidente@apiba.org.ar

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SIG’s Closing Event 2015 and 15th Year Anniversary Celebration

Read below Diana Schcolnicov’s speech, APIBA Executive Committee member and one of APIBA’s Liaison Officers

“Let me start this very brief reflection by quoting a few lines from APIBA SIGs Handbook, first written by Analía Kandel, and then revised by her together with Viviana Myslicki and Romina Arena:

Back in November 1999, the then recently appointed Executive Committee were thinking of ways in which APIBA could provide its members with more and better services, as well as ways in which the aims of the Association could be achieved more effectively, in particular those concerning the professional development of teachers of English. (1.1. Past, Present and Future of APIBA SIGs/ How APIBA SIGs started) Up until then, APIBA had catered for the professional development of teachers of English by organising various conferences, seminars, workshops and courses1. However, the 1999-2000 Executive Committee (with Cristina Banfi as President) observed that there appeared to be no existing forums for teachers to learn from one another, to interact as peers and to meet regularly with colleagues who share a common interest in order to exchange opinions, materials and their own expertise in a given subject. (1.1. Past, Present and Future of APIBA SIGs/ How APIBA SIGs started)

Fifteen years have gone by. Some of the originally created SIGs are still alive and kicking, others have either temporally or permanently ceased, new ones have been formed, some have been re- launched while others have merged. What has remained unchanged is their democratic spirit and the interest in meeting colleagues and friends monthly to study and discuss and learn from one another. I would say that the SIGs pay tribute to life-long learning”.

Have a look at some pictures!

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More pics

FAAPI 2013 Conference: Online Material

FAAPI 2013 was held not only on-site but also online at www.apiba.org.ar/faapi-apiba/faapi13. In addition, a selection of keynote presentations, academic conversations and thematic panels were recorded in high definition. We are glad to announce that all the recorded material is now available for free access on our website and our YouTube channel!

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APIBA’s newly renovated Online Member Directory

We are proud to finally and officially announce our newly renovated online member directory.

We carried out this tough job given that many colleagues, both APIBA members and non-members, often get in touch with APIBA in order to be considered in job hunts and also because at times, prospective students express an interest in contacting English teachers through our Association. The new roster is equipped with smart filters through which a member can be located by the initial of his last name, by his first or last name or by geographical location (area, neighbourhood, etc.). Likewise, members will have the opportunity – if they wish to do so – to include information about their academic and professional background as well as contact information, which will be shown in the search results. This will no doubt facilitate contact with colleagues – members or not – and institutions, either to benefit from employment opportunities or to encourage socialization among APIBA members. You are kindly invited to visit the new member roster and to update your information by filling out this form.

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FAAPI 2015 by ACPI Córdoba

Read more about the ANNUAL FAAPI CONFERENCE.

Why should both graduate and trainee teachers attend the Annual FAAPI Conference?

Attending FAAPI conferences is a unique experience. Apart from the possibilities of networking, of meeting educators from all over the country, one finds opportunities to learn, to debate, to reflect, and to enjoy! It is great to see that in the latest congresses, panels have been organized in which the audience can make their voices heard, and these panels have to do with Argentine matters, to what happens in our classrooms. All of these, and much more make FAAPI an event you cannot miss.

Leonor Corradi

FAAPI 2015 in Cordoba was, once again, one of those events that one cherishes heartily and is worth every minute, not only because of its academic quality but also for the professional and personal bonds that keep intertwining and strengthening as time goes by. FAAPI is a meeting place, a place we build together, a place of our own. A place where we can be our best in order to share our passion for the teaching of English.

I strongly believe in CPD (Continuing Professional Development) and FAAPI is, by far, the leading national conference per excellence. And I do believe in this reunion

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of people we’ve met because of the choice we’ve made, which is our profession. And it is here at FAAPI where we all come together once a year and we get to enjoy ourselves and each other, both academically and personally.

Thanks FAAPI for letting us be the ones we’ve chosen to be!!! Gustavo González

Being at a FAAPI Conference is an amazing experience in many different ways. Professionally, we have the chance to meet people from diverse teaching contexts from Argentina and abroad and we have three full days to engage in interesting debates on topics related to education, English teaching, literature and the arts. The plenaries, papers and workshops are food for thought, introduce the current trends in ELT and can be highly inspirational. On a personal level, we develop a strong sense of belonging to an ELT community both locally and internationally as can be seen in the many friendships that FAAPI has helped to build all along these years.

Griselda Beacon

What follows is an extract from an official report on some of the workshops and plenaries attended by one of our members, now a newly-elected committee member as well, Analía Duarte. Thanks for your commitment and dedication! Your report is both detailed and very insightful too. Read the full report HERE.

FAAPI Conferences: our professional gas station and kitchen

Teaching is about sharing. No other profession, in my view, shares more than teaching because teaching is the most bi directional activity I can think of. There is no learning at all if teacher and learner do not bond. There is no learning if teachers are not skillful enough at establishing rapport and reaching, truly reaching, the learner. There is no learning if we teachers do not decode what each learner needs and are able to spell it out. This brings in the dimensions of the individual, the tacit mandate of keeping up with what learners want, expect and need, among others. As the singular becomes plural and the learner turns into learners, the challenge grows colossally at times. Daunting as it may

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seem, we all know that it IS feasible to work it out. On top of that, we find it motivating; the challenge fuels us up.

The question I would like to ask you is how you fill up your professional tank. The tank inevitably empties. I have found that FAAPI Conferences, the most important annual event in our profession, are the best gas stations in Argentina we teachers have where we can replenish our ideas bank, store up fresh approaches, revitalize our practice, learn about new trends, recent findings, and best practices. Last but certainly not least, every teacher finds tremendous opportunities for networking and socializing with colleagues in the most friendly and nurturing manner you can imagine. You reach out well beyond your immediate circle of colleagues. You get to know the person behind the professional; priceless! There is no substitute for the personal touch, even truer in our profession.

Last 24-26 September was the 40th FAAPI Conference in Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, brilliantly organized by ACPI (Asociación Cordobesa de Profesores de Inglés). I would like to share with you the highlights of the presentations I attended which, by no means, represent the whole Conference. There were 175 presentations. If my memory does not fail me, I think this is what Sandra Gastaldi, the president, said in the opening. Except for the plenaries, which everyone

attended, then we had to choose what semi-plenary or concurrent session to attend. Inevitably, that left out presentations and workshops which were truly luring. As you will see below, there are big names. FAAPI Conferences give you the chance to listen to international speakers as well as outstanding local colleagues. Also, and equally important, new presenters can be found in FAAPI. This is something worth pointing out. Every teacher who has something significant to say, new insights or fresh techniques to share, to name just two of the possibilities, and then academically backs up the theory, practice or research to be presented can submit a proposal. Unluckily, I attended just two FAAPIs in my already 21-year-old career (2014 in Santiago del Estero and 2015 in Córdoba) and I hope I will not miss a single one of them in the future. By no means am I one of the big names. However, I presented in both. Therefore, I am especially interested in encouraging all teachers to follow suit!

To wrap up, let me bring in here someone I personally admire. I love cooking. It is one of my many hobbies, a joyful passion. I can stick to a recipe or I can mix and match, try out, ‘design’ what you I cook. Cooking has incidentally trained me to be more and more creative. I love transforming, blending, enriching, savoring, having the art of opening the refrigerator and the kitchen cabinet and creating a harmonious output from whatever I have, marrying random ingredients, making the most out of them, allowing them to give out their best. As one of my main areas of professional practice is business English teaching– the other one is teacher training – I often read a lot about business. I remember reading an article last year where a business guy talked about the many lessons learned from cooking, which became useful for his professional practice but, most importantly, for life. One of the points he made was creativity and this is where I would like to bring in someone I admire: chef Adrià Ferran, claimed to be the world’s greatest chef in his restaurant El Bulli. Certainly, the most creative.

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News from FAAPI: A.J.A.L.

Read the current issue (Vol. 03, No. 02 - November 2015).

More information for those interested in publishing HERE.

In addition, we would like to highlight three important initiatives regarding the Argentinian Journal of Applied Linguistics (AJAL):

• Special edition Collaborative Writing in Teacher Education (August 2015- August 2016)

This special issue is open to students in the last two years of Teacher Education, accompanied by their tutor (maximum 4 students and one tutor per submission). For this special call, the following types of manuscripts are welcome, to be published as from May 2016: reflective article, classroom activities, classroom account, materials review. More information

• Incentive to publish FAAPI is offering a 50% discount in the enrolment fee for the 2016 FAAPI Conference to be held in San Juan to the authors of the first five manuscripts by Association members accepted by AJAL between June 2015 and June 2016. Also, a 30% discount to non-members publishing jointly with members. More information

• Writing to be heard in FAAPI Conferences: An online course on Academic Writing for first-time presenters

This proposal is structured around a space of academic exchange: FAAPI ANNUAL CONFERENCE. It aims at providing graduates with some tools and accompaniment for them to develop their academic writing abilities. The main goal is to help teachers present their production at our annual conference and thus share their experience with their community. More information and enrollment

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APIBA Members’ Contributions

APIBA Members: Send your contributions to info@apiba.org.ar

Letters to the Editor – Classroom Tips & Ideas – Articles

Anecdotes – Reflections

Why am I an APIBA Member?

Leave your testimonial HERE

APIBA Members

Become an APIBA Local Delegate HERE

Discounts and benefits for APIBA Members

Discounts

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If you are an APIBA Member or a formal association or institution and would like to suggest a discount for your fellow Members, please fill in this form.

Your name and contact details on APIBA’s website

Are you an APIBA Member? Would you like to add more information / contact details (e.g. website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc) to the newly renovated APIBA Member List currently available on our website? If so, simply complete this e-form.

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Free monthly publication service: Events and Job Offers

We would like to remind you of this service APIBA has been offering to members who need to start a job search for teachers or who would like to announce seminars or workshops where they participate as speakers or organizers.

APIBA Members with their dues up to date have a free publication service through the online Calendar at www.apiba.org.ar as well as on APIBA’s social networks:

Those who wish to publish, please complete this e-form.

"APIBA se limita a difundir noticias e información sobre cursos, talleres y búsquedas laborales enviadas por sus socios u organizadas por instituciones formales como organismos estatales, universidades, Institutos de Formación Docente y Asociaciones, lo cual no supone recomendación alguna. Si desea mayor información le solicitamos se dirija a los organizadores o empleadores."

Annual Dues

Pay your annual dues NOW!

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APIBA Executive Committee

President: Virginia López Grisolía (re-elected Nov. 2015-17) Vice-President: Claudia Ferradas (newly-elected Nov. 2015-17) Secretary: Alfredo Daniel Núñez (newly-elected Nov. 2015-17)

Treasurer: María Ángela Di Gaetano (newly-elected Nov. 2015-17) Deputy Treasurer: Analía Duarte (newly-elected Nov. 2015-17)

Members: Viviana Myslicki (newly-elected Nov. 2015-17)

Griselda Beacon Romina Arena (newly-elected Nov. 2015-17)

Anabella Herfert

In accordance with legal regulations for “Asociaciones Civiles”, the APIBA Executive Committee is composed of elected Members of the Association (APIBA Statutes, Article 8) who perform their duties pro bono (ad honorem).

Hace a la profesión www.apiba.org.ar info@apiba.org.ar

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