ESOL Conference at SU on April 26

SALISBURY, MD -- Salisbury University's Training for All Teachers Project (TAT), in conjunction with the Bilingual Education Career Ladder Program, will sponsor an ESOL Professional Development Conference and Book Fair at SU on Friday, April 26.

"The immigrant population of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. English language learners now attend school in every county on the Eastern Shore. Educators throughout the region are recognizing the need to promote newcomers' English language development and academic achievement," said Karen Gianninoto, project director.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs, TAT aims to improve educational services to English language learners and their families on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. TAT accomplishes this goal by training pre-service and in-service K-16 teachers, administrators and staff in intercultural communication and effective strategies for teaching ESOL students in mainstream classrooms.

The Professional Development Conference is held from 8:15 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Scarborough Student Leadership Center on Camden Avenue. Local and nationally recognized presenters will offer workshops on ESOL in the content areas, adult ESOL instruction, and cultural diversity. The keynote speaker is Francisco Millet, director of the Speakers of Other Languages Program for Fairfax County Public Schools. Publishers will exhibit ESOL texts and materials, and the Delmarva ESOL Teachers Association (DETA) will meet in the afternoon. One MSDE credit is available for in-service teachers.

The conference is free and the public is cordially invited, but attendance is limited by advance registration. For more information, contact Stephanie Shultz at 410-677-5009.