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Writing Good Proposals for the TESOL Conference Davi S. Reis [email protected] Duquesne University May 16, 2011 1

Tesol proposal webinar

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Davi Reis's Webinar on Writing Good Proposals. Sponsored by the NNEST-Interest Section. May 16, 2011, Monday

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Page 1: Tesol proposal webinar

Writing Good Proposals for the TESOL Conference

Davi S. [email protected]

Duquesne UniversityMay 16, 2011

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Agenda Quick introduction (5’) Important points to keep in mind (5’) Tips on writing the session description

Proposal title (10’) Purpose and session type (10’) Relevance to TESOL field and IS (10’) Focus and organization (10’) Clarity and participant outcomes (10’) Contribution to theory, practice, or research (10’)

Final thoughts and Q&A (5’)Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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Quick BioDavi S. Reis

Assistant Professor of Education

ESL Program, Dept. of Instruction and Leadership

Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA

Submitted proposals to TESOL in 2009, 2010, and 2011 conventionsStill working on proposal for 2012 convention!!

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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Important Points to Keep in Mind Submission: ONLINE ONLY Deadline: June 1, 2011 (a Wednesday) by 5:00pm

EDT/EST Use the “TESOL 2012 Proposal Worksheet” to guide

your proposal writing (on Wiki and a part of “Call for Proposals 2012” document)

If you have any questions, call TESOL at 1-703-836-0774 or send an e-mail message to [email protected]

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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Important Points to Keep in Mind Factors Affecting Selection

Range of topics Levels of expertise Interests covered Professional and geographic distribution of

participants Relevance of the proposal to the needs of English

language teaching professionals theme How well the session description is written

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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Important Points to Keep in Mind Factors Disqualifying a Proposal

The presentation promotes commercial interests The proposal contains clear reference to the name(s) of

any of the presenters The proposal was not received by deadline The same (or very similar) proposal is submitted to more

than one interest section The proposal was faxed or mailed.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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Important Points to Keep in Mind Evaluation and Scoring

Total Score on Proposal Evaluation Rubric: 30 points (6 criteria x 5 ‘points’ each)

The higher the proposal score, the higher its chances of being accepted.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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Important Points to Keep in Mind Helpful Websites

TESOL Convention 2012http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/convention2012/index.html

Call for Proposalshttp://www.tesolmedia.com/convention2011/docs/2012TESOLCall.pdf

Submitting the proposalhttp://precis.preciscentral.com/User/UserLogin.asp?EventID=e836d813&bhcp=1

WIKI page for this presentationhttp://nnestwebinar2011.pbworks.com/w/page/39911102/Writing_Proposals_DaviS

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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Important Points to Keep in Mind Parts of the Proposal

10-word title: will be ‘graded’ and will appear in program book if

proposal is accepted 50 word abstract:

will be ‘graded’ and will appear in program book if proposal is accepted

300-word session description: will NOT appear in program book, but definitely the most

critical piece of the proposalDavi S. Reis | [email protected]

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TIPS for Writing the Description1. Proposal title

2. Purpose and Session Type

3. Relevance

4. Focus and Organization

5. Clarity of Outcomes

6. Contribution

Last but not least, the 50-word abstract

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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1. Proposal Title THE TITLE SHOULD:

Gain the reader’s interest and describe the session Accurately reflect the content Be clear to the intended audience (especially IS)

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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1. Proposal Title THE TITLE SHOULD:

Contain no more than 10 words (avoid hyphens and slashes to circumvent the word count)

NOT use exclamation or quotation marks around it Capitalize:

all verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns the first word after a colon both words in hyphenated compounds

NOT capitalize conjunctions, articles, or short prepositions of fewer than four letters

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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1. Proposal Title TIP: Try a few different versions and then choose your

best! EXAMPLE:

Deconstructing the Native Speaker Myth: Calling on NESTs and NNESTs

The Native Speaker Myth: What NESTs and NNESTs Can Do Debunking the Native Speaker: A Goal for NESTs and NNESTs How NESTs and NNESTs Can Deconstruct the Native Speaker

Myth A Study on the Deconstruction of the Native Speaker Myth

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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2. Purpose & Session Type EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The proposal matches the session type. The objective is clear (stated or implied) and there are specifics that make the reader want to learn more

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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2. Purpose & Session Type TIP: Identify your “Session Type” (refer to Call for

Proposals) Examples:

Discussion Group (45 minutes) Hot Topic (20 minutes) Poster Session (1 hour, 15 minutes) Research-Oriented Presentation (45 minutes) Video and Digital Media Theater (45 minutes) Workshop (1 hour, 45 minutes)

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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2. Purpose & Session Type TIP: Stick to “specific requirements” for your session type Examples:

Poster Session: main ideas and description of the visual display.

Practice-Oriented Presentations: synopsis, including demonstration of teaching strategies.

Research-Oriented Presentations: synopsis, including central idea and supporting evidence.

Teaching Tips: synopsis, including brief description of teaching practice.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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2. Purpose & Session Type TIPS:

Have a clearly stated purpose and point of view State HOW your presentation format supports your

stated purpose Include the supporting DETAILS of your paper, practice,

or study, as well as examples. Consider… Participants Data Collection Data Analysis Preliminary findings/etc. Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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3. Relevance EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The topic is current, immediately relevant, or important to the field and the Interest Section. I would definitely attend of recommend this session.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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3. Relevance Remember:

All proposals are evaluated and refereed by the various Interest Sections (IS), so it is imperative that you submit your proposal to the appropriate IS. To help you decide which IS best suits your proposal, peruse the interest sections on TESOL’s Web site

The Nonnative English Speakers in TESOL strengthens effective teaching and learning of English around the world while respecting individuals' language rights

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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3. Relevance TIPS:

Consider these two questions as your write your session description How does your proposal connect to your chosen IS? How does it connect to the TESOL field in a broader sense?

Capitalize on the answers to these questions as your write your session description.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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3. Relevance TIP:

Relate your description to the convention theme for 2012: A TESOL Declaration of Excellence

How does your proposal “declare [your] vision of excellence in all aspects of the profession”? (…) “This year participants are invited to reflect on their practices, voice their opinions, and declare their pursuit of excellence in the ELT profession.”

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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4. Focus & Organization EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The proposal is well-focused. It previews the topic, presents the material in an interesting way, and shows how it will be concluded.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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4. Focus & Organization TIPS:

Show appropriate amount of material for the allotted time

Avoid “beating around the bush” and redundancy (NOT the time to be verbose due to limited space)

Consider a couple of different options for how to best organize your ideas in a logical sequence and later choose your best option

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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4. Focus & Organization TIPS:

One way to sequence ideas: Introduce the topic (problem, question, etc.) Explain the nature of your intended session and how it fits with

the topic Provide details about your session (key points and numbers) “Entice” the reader with one or two main ideas to be discussed

during your presentation Explain what audience members will take away from your

presentation (What’s in it for them?)Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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5. Clarity & Outcomes EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The proposal abstract (“summary”) is well written and provides an explicit statement of participant outcomes where appropriate and how they will be achieved.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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5. Clarity & Outcomes TIPS:

demonstrate careful editing and proofreading state what the audience can expect to gain from

attending your presentation state how your presentation will be structured

(e.g., activities) and how it will be delivered (e.g., visuals such as video clips)

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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6. Contribution EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The abstract refers to the theory, practice, and/or research on which the presentation is based and clearly shows how it is connected to the presentation in a relevant and useful way.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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6. Contribution TIPS:

Tie your session description to current practices and/or research

State HOW your presentation can add to current practices and/or research (the “so-what” factor!)

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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50-word Abstract THE ABSTRACT SHOULD:

be carefully edited and proofread be written to draw the most appropriate audience to the

presentation spell out any acronym(s) used in the title except for

L1, L2, CBI, EAP, EFL, ELT, ESL, ESP, IEP, SLA, TESOL, TESL, and TEFL

THE ABSTRACT SHOULD NOT: exceed 50 words contain references to published works Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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50-word Abstract CONSIDER:

What is the session about? Who is the intended audience? What are the main features of your session? How will the audience benefit from attending?

(Implications, real-life applications, resources, etc.)

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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50-word Abstract TIP:

Wait to write the abstract until AFTER the session description has been written. You can then identify the main points of your proposal in 50 words. Remember that most convention participants will decide on whether or not to attend your session based on this information.

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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Q&A Thank you for your participation!

Davi S. Reis | [email protected]

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