We hope that many of you are planning to attend the ATESL conference on October 21^st and 22^nd at the Marriot Hotel and Telus Convention Centre in Calgary.

On Friday, October 21^st, the keynote speaker will be Norbert Schmitt, Professor of Linguistics, second language vocabulary specialist, and author of eight books and numerous journal articles. During his keynote presentation, Professor Schmitt will be discussing the amount of vocabulary learners need to function well in English and how to choose which vocabulary to teach. He will also critique and suggest new boundaries for the concepts of high and low-frequency vocabulary.  The presentation will then introduce the notion of mid-frequency vocabulary, discuss the importance of ensuring that second-language speakers acquire these words, and suggest pedagogically sound ways to make this happen. The presentation is sure to be informative and provide new ways to look at second-language vocabulary acquisition.

We're very excited to have Stephen Lewis as our keynote speaker on the second day of the ATESL conference on Saturday, October 22nd. Following the conference themes of 'Igniting Language, Learning, and Leadership', Mr. Lewis will explore the ways in which education transforms lives throughout the world and how it can be the greatest instrument for social change.

As the chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, he is dedicated to stopping the spread of AIDS in Africa and is a board member of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. In addition, Mr. Lewis performed several roles during more than two decades working with the United Nations, including the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, and Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations.

Mr. Lewis is the recipient of multiple honorary degrees and awards, including the Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest honour for lifetime achievement, and the Pearson Peace Medal, for 'outstanding achievement in the field of international service and understanding'.

Mr. Lewis will bring all of this global knowledge and experience to a fascinating presentation on the international importance of education.

View the conference schedule HERE..

If you haven't yet registered for the conference, please visit www.atesl.ca and follow the registration link.

To reserve a room, please call 403-266-7331 or 1-800-896-6878 or visit http://www.marriott.com/ .

Registration for the ATESL conference will be open from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on Thursday, October 20th for those who wish to check in prior to the conference on October 21st and 22nd. Registration will be located on the 2nd floor of the Marriot Hotel.

If you wish to register for the conference, please register here.

Can't see the poster below? Click HERE.