TESOL Trieste Italy 2022/23

 2022/23 In Person Activities:

Friday, March 10, 2023 - 18:00-19:00 

Workshop:  Teaching Unaccompanied Minors (MSNA - Minori Stranieri Non-Accompagnati) 

Associazione Italo Americana FVG / American Corner Trieste

Piazza Sant’Antonio Nuovo, 6 – Trieste

In recent years migration patterns have changed drastically and we find more and more minors traveling on their own, often sent by their families with the promise of a better future. FVG and Trieste / Muggia in particular, are entry points on the Balkan Route, the gate of hope to a bright future. In 2022 alone around 1200 Minors entered FVG. They live among us, work with us, and are part of our society, but most importantly: whoever is under 16 is at the age of compulsary schooling, even if they have never attended school before.  What does this mean for us teachers? How can we approach them and integrate them into our classes? What are the main issues when teaching this group of students? Come learn more about MSNA and its implications in today's society through practical examples.

This workshop will be led by Konstantina Mavroidakos, Legal guardian of MSNA since 2019. She holds a BA in Communication Design and a MA in Product-Service System Design both of the Politecnico di Milano, has a CELTA Certificate Pass-A, and has completed the 24 CFU for public school teaching in Italy. Konstantina has been working as an independent English and German Teacher in particular with teenagers for over a decade and has specialized in the creation of workshops to teach complex content, like Marketing or Gender, through creative practice and approach.  Born in Germany to Greek parents and living in Italy for half her life, she perfectly understands what it means to be contemporary foreign and at home.

Register to Participate at this link: Teaching Unaccompanied Minors

The deadline for registration is: Friday, March 10, 2023

Previous 22/23 Meetings

October 14, 2022, 6 pm 

FREE - Storytelling and Creative Writing Workshop for Teachers with Wendy Fambro.

This workshop will be led by Wendy Fambro, who is a recently retired, American Baptist minister from upstate New York. She holds a BA. in Psychology and a Master of Divinity (Mdiv). She has taught ESL to Haitian migrant workers, interpreted for deaf students, conducted programs for a regional branch of the United Nations, and currently teaches Tai Chi and Balance classes to older adults.

November 25, 2022, 6 pm

Education in Emergencies Workshop with Meagan Abrahamsson - English Language Specialist - American Spaces Ukraine.

What is Education in Emergencies and Building Resilience? Wars, epidemics, and natural disasters spare no children. More countries are gripped by conflict today than at any time in the past thirty years. Many of these crises span entire childhoods. In countries affected by emergencies, children lose their loved ones and homes. They lose access to safe drinking water, health care, and food. They lose safety and routine. And, without access to education, they risk losing their futures. In this workshop, we will focus on the main principles of EiE, how they are applicable to current events, and how to implement INEE standards and build resilience in the classroom.

This workshop will be led by Meagan Abrahamsson. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Meagan has lived and worked in the U.S., Honduras, China, Australia, and China. She has worked remotely in Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, the Philippines, and Ukraine. She is currently working on projects to promote mutual understanding across cultures and fight disinformation with her Ukrainian colleagues and audiences.

Her professional interests include project-based learning, community service projects, education in emergencies, social-emotional and ethical learning, democratic classrooms, human rights education, and educational technology integration.

January 20, 2023, 6 pm  

African American Vernacular English Workshop.  Speaker:  Karoline Steckley

Linguists use terms like African American Vernacular English (AAVE), African American English, African American Language, or Black English to refer to a group of dialects of English spoken all over the United States by many (but not all) Black people. AAVE is no more nor less complex, expressive, or

systematic than any other dialect of any language, including Standard American English (SAE), the dialect commonly used in media, academia, commerce, and government in the US today.

This workshop will be led by Karoline Steckley who is President of the Associazione Italo Americana FVG in Trieste, a non-profit language school and the host institution of the American Corner. She holds a B.A. in French Language & Literature and an M.A. in Foreign Language and Literature from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. She began teaching and translating in 1997 and has lived in Italy since 2003. Currently, she teaches English at CIOFS FP,  the University of Trieste, and at the Associazione Italo Americana FVG.

QUESTIONS?  Fill in this FORM and we will contact you.

What is TESOL Italy

What is TESOL Italy?
TESOL Italy (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) is a grass roots organization, run by teachers and for teachers. It is a non-profit Italian organization founded in 1975 by Mary Finocchiaro and Renzo Titone along with other foreign language teaching experts and pioneers. It has many members in Italy and abroad and is an affiliate of TESOL International Association, based in Virginia, USA, with over 11,000 members worldwide. TESOL Italy is also accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) Direttiva 170/2016

What is TESOL Italy’s mission?
Its mission is to develop the expertise of those involved in teaching English to speakers of other languages and to foster professional growth and active participation in language teaching. This includes promoting community understanding of the role of language in a progressively changing environment while respecting individual language rights.

Who does TESOL Italy collaborate with?
TESOL Italy collaborates with people and organizations involved in English Language Teaching including:
Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR)
The U.S. Embassy – Public Affairs Section
The British Council
INDIRE
Other Professional Language Associations:
ANILS, LEND, AISPI, ADILT, etc.
The Fulbright Commission
Italian universities
Regional educational authorities

What kind of professional development activities does it offer teachers?

• Language improvement courses
• CLIL language improvement and methodology courses
• Pre-service and in-service training
• Self-development opportunities
• Training of teacher trainers
• All-day seminars
• After-school workshops
• Annual National Convention
• Local Group Activities

Why should I become a member?
Besides being able to take part in all professional development activities, members receive publications:
The Newsletter (five times a year) and the academic journal, Perspectives (twice a year). Members can
also start or join a local group anywhere in Italy.

What exactly are local groups?
Local groups are made up of at least five TESOL Italy members. These groups organize and hold
professional development activities in their areas. Existing groups are located in Benevento, Bologna,  Formia, L’Aquila, Marche, Messina, Napoli, Palermo, Roma, TRIESTE, Val d’Adige, and Venezia.

TESOL Trieste Local Group The TESOL Trieste Local Group was officially recognized by TESOL Italy on January 1, 2018.  Janine Sprague Zolle is the TESOL Trieste Local Group Coordinator.

A local group does many different things but basically it is a group of enthusiastic teachers who share a common goal – to engage in developing personally and professionally as EFL educators. The idea that “we are our own best resource” is empowering; it is the foundation of all grassroots organizations and what guides all local group activities.

Please remember that TESOL Italy is also accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) Direttiva 170/2016

For more information about becoming a member of TESOL Italy, go to this LINK.  The TESOL Membership Year is from January 1st until December 31st.  

If you are a Teacher and have the Carta del Docente, you can use your funds to participate in TESOL initiatives.