News from the Chapters

The Chennai chapter of ELLSA (English Language Learning Specialists in Asia) had our first meeting of the year. This was our first meeting to include teachers from other schools in Chennai, which has long been a goal. Our focus was looking at student writing through the lens of language acquisition as well as writing craft. It was exciting to share different approaches and to make connections between our schools, and we look forward to continuing the discussion at our next meeting. Many thanks to AISC for hosting!

Allison Rabenau

ELLSA Chennai, India Chapter Coordinator

On May 15, colleagues from Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi gathered virtually for the first ELLSA All India Meet. With participants joining from across the country, the meeting was more than just a professional development meet; it felt like a reunion of passionate minds committed to equity in education.

The session kicked off by addressing common misconceptions about multilingual learners, such as the idea that students must stop using their home language to succeed in English or that they don’t need support in subjects like Arts or Maths. Through reflection and interactive polls, we surfaced not just the biases in our schools but also in ourselves as educators. The discussion around challenges revealed a shared desire to move beyond quick fixes and embrace inclusive, research-based practices. Participants also shared the favourite strategies from their toolbox,  from incorporating visuals, text-engineering and linguistic scaffolds etc. to support MLLs.

We closed with one hope and one takeaway for a renewed intention to support our learners. Most memorable was the energy -- warm, thoughtful and open, setting the tone for future collaboration.

The journey to transform multilingual education in India has found its collective stride through ELLSA.

Bindu Grover | Alex Gustad | Allison Rabenau

ELLSA New Delhi | Mumbai | Chennai, India Chapter Coordinators

Hi from the first ELLSA Seoul/Incheon meet-up! 🇰🇷

It was so nice to connect and share ideas!

During our Sip and Share, we discussed “Apart-Together Planning” (also known as Parallel Planning) and how to build trust and relationships between teachers. As specialists, forming strong relationships and collaborating with different teachers is one of our key priorities.

Hyewon Alguire

ELLSA Seoul, South Korea Chapter Coordinator 

New Delhi Chapter Enhanced by American Embassy School and The British School Partnership!

The two neighboring schools have officially partnered to form the first New Delhi ELLSA Chapter. It is a partnership that has long been desired, and Temisha Willis and Bindu Grover, New Delhi Chapter Coordinators, from both schools have worked hard to make it happen. Both meetings have been well attended, and ideas and networking galore have taken place. The chapter is hoping to offer outreach in the future by welcoming additional schools in the surrounding Delhi area to join. 

Temisha Willis and Bindu Grover

ELLSA New Delhi, India Chapter Coordinators

On November 8th, Bangkok Patana School welcomed over 50 ELL specialists from across Bangkok for a dynamic teachers-teaching-teachers professional meet centered on the theme Scaffolding in the Co-Taught Classroom. Participants gathered in small groups for engaging round-table sessions designed to foster dialogue about differentiation and scaffolding in the classroom. Rather than having a single facilitator, these sessions were an opportunity for teachers to exchange, discuss, and brainstorm together. Each teacher contributed an example,  strategy, activity, research finding, or article relevant to the theme. This way teachers got to tap into a collective expertise, and everyone left with fresh perspectives and actionable strategies to enhance their work with English Language Learners.  

A second round of discussions continued in this collaborative spirit, organized into thematic groups that encouraged exploration and shared problem-solving. The five topics addressed were: 

1. Innovative AI Tools in Language Learning  

2. Progress Monitoring and Effective Data Use 

3. Effective Co-Teaching Strategies 

4. Translanguaging as a Learning Tool 

5. Entrance and Exit Criteria for Language Support Programs

These sessions created a think-tank environment where participants shared insights, posed questions, and built upon one another’s ideas. This professional meet showcased the power of collaboration, reinforcing the value of collective learning to support and inspire educators in their mission to empower English Language Learners.

Alis Gorcea
ELLSA Board Member | Bangkok, Thailand Chapter Coordinator

On Thursday, 28th November, ELLSA KL hosted a successful professional development event in collaboration with TeachMeet KL at Garden International School. The evening brought together over 70 enthusiastic educators from 12 different schools, all eager to explore innovative teaching strategies for multilingual learners.

The event featured an engaging lineup of 13 passionate presenters, each delivering either a 5-minute or 3-minute session packed with practical ideas, strategies, and insights. These short, dynamic presentations kept the energy levels high, sparking curiosity and inspiring new approaches to support multilingual students and teachers in the classroom.

The atmosphere throughout the evening was both upbeat and stimulating, with attendees actively connecting, sharing, and learning from one another. This collaborative effort truly underscored the power of community-driven professional growth.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated, especially the presenters who shared their expertise and the educators who made the event such a vibrant success. Here’s to many more opportunities to grow and learn together!

Natasha Viñales

ELLSA Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Chapter Coordinator 

Chiang Mai International School (CMIS) hosted a job-alike session for EAL teachers and coordinators. Representatives of leading international schools throughout the city, such as Prem Tinsulanonda International School, American Pacific International School,, Lanna International School, Varee Chiang Mai International School, and Tonkla School Chiang Mai met to share experiences and best practices. 

Sam Dawkins

ELLSA Chiang Mai, Thailand Chapter Coordinator

In mid-November, a small but enthusiastic group gathered for the Chennai chapter's first official meeting.  We enjoyed a 'what's in your toolbox' session. Members shared ideas including phonics through poetry, targeted adaptations of the "Patterns of Power" format,  ways to use Canva, various AI tools, and even  favorite EAL-related  instagram accounts and podcasts. 

Allison Rabenau

ELLSA Chennai, India Chapter Coordinator

Although it was called “Brainy Brunch”, we could just as well have titled the November 2, 2024 first annual meetup of the Cambodian ELLSA Chapter “English Breakfast” seeing as it was held at a newly opened English-style pub serving the cholesterol laden morning meal.

With input from the 18 attending chapter members themselves, Petra Macdonald created a Bingo matrix focusing on language learning and teaching items. With rounds of 5 - 10 minutes, chapter members mingled with colleagues from other schools. We got to know each other and information about topics of interest. It was fantastic to see many new faces in the ELLSA Chapter and we look forward to meeting again in 2025 AND at #ELLSA2025 in Beijing! 

Jon Banules

ELLSA Board Member | ELLSA Phnom Penh, Cambodia Chapter Coordinator

On Friday, October 4th, the ELLSA Singapore Chapter hosted its first informal networking meetup / Job-a-Like (JAL) of the year at the beautiful Mexican restaurant called Margaritas, located in the lush greenery of Dempsey Hill. Educators and leaders came together to share ideas and set goals for future events. More than 30 attendees from many different international schools exchanged their knowledge, participated in a fun bingo game (thank you Sarah) designed to encourage collaboration exchange of educational ideas, and left excited about upcoming JAL presentations. 

The evening was a great success, filled with meaningful conversations and connections. I’m excited to continue growing this chapter and organize impactful meetups, helping us enhance our skills as educators of multilingual learners, and can’t wait to connect with those who couldn’t make it this time around. Help us spread the word! 

Camee Gergely

ELLSA Board Member | ELLSA Singapore Chapter Coordinator

Exciting times with the ELLSA Beijing Chapter! On September 22, we had a fantastic first meet-up of the year at Great Leap in Lido, a cozy neighborhood just outside the fourth ring road in Beijing. 

The theme was ‘Go-To Resources,’ and it was awesome hearing everyone’s favorite tools for supporting multilingual learners. From graphic organizers to AI tools, we each left with a lot to explore and try out in our classrooms and roles. 

Thanks to everyone who came out and made it such a valuable session! Looking forward to the next one and continuing to share and grow our community of EAL enthusiasts in Beijing.

Iryna Zhurenko

ELLSA Beijing, China Chapter Coordinator

Over in Malaysia we had our first ELLSA meet-up of this academic year on Thursday 19th September.  We met after school at a local restaurant/bar as a more informal social/networking event to reconnect with EAL/MLL specialists across KL and for those new teachers joining us, it was an opportunity for them to mingle and feel part of our warm community too.

Specialists from Alice Smith, St. Joseph's, MKIS and Garden International School came along and shared some of the great things happening in their schools already this year.

Our next event in Malaysia is an exciting one as we are teaming up with TeachMeet to bring a fun and engaging Professional Development. It will take place at Garden International School on Thursday 28th November and will be on the topic of Multilingual Learners, so save the date and see you there! 

Natasha Viñales

ELLSA Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Chapter Coordinator

We are excited to say that the Beijing ELLSA Chapter is up and running! Back in June, we kicked off our first meet up in the vibrant art district of 798. EAL specialists and homeroom teachers got together to share their favourite books! 

Chapter members had the chance to relax, eat and browse through new books. It was inspiring hearing how everyone’s favourite book has positively impacted their teaching practices and education philosophy. By the end of the event, everyone left with at least one book to seek out and explore! 

Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to connect over a shared passion for supporting multilingual learners and meet fellow educators in the city. We can’t wait for our next meet up, which will focus on ‘ Favorite Go-To Resources!’

Iryna Zhurenko

ELLSA Beijing, China Chapter Coordinator

The ELLSA Cambodian Chapter convened in Phnom Penh for a vibrant “AI Brunch” on Saturday, May 25, at our rebranded venue, Elevate!

Twelve educators from four schools across the city gathered over coffee and breakfast to discuss the innovative ways we are leveraging AI to support our multilingual learners.

Petra, the Cambodian Chapter Coordinator, and her co-teacher Erika from the International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP), shared numerous examples of using AI with their 5th-grade students through Magic School / Magic Students. In their classroom, students utilize tools that provide independent feedback on their writing. Additionally, Petra and Erika use Magic School’s Student Rooms to monitor how students engage with the AI tools assigned for various tasks. You can see some of these tools in action in this Magic School for Students Introduction video.

Monique from CIA First demonstrated how she inputs objectives and standards for the year groups she supports into OpenAI's Chat GPT to generate ideas and initial drafts of both formative and summative assessments. Later in the session, attendees were introduced to an intriguing tool, invideo AI, which can generate basic videos on any topic. Monique showcased how she often uses invideo AI to create short videos that introduce a concept or subject to be explored in a shared class text.

Asmaa, also from CIA First, guided us through using Google’s Gemini to search for images that could serve as comprehensible input to help students visualize concepts. She also referenced a fantastic video from Saul Khan to highlight the multi-modal and thought-provoking potential of AI.

Finally, Jon, Cambodian Chapter Co-Coordinator, shared his experiences in creating chatbots with Chat GPT 4 and 4o and Poe. At ISPP, secondary students are learning to use bots as tutors and research tools within set boundaries. Jon discussed the future of AI as an augmented reading experience where the reader interacts with and co-creates the text. He also touched on how the multi-modal capabilities of Chat GPT 4o can help bridge language barriers, aiding in research and question resolution.

As Wayne from the Canadian International School aptly put it, together we all “learned some new tricks.” As a chapter, we look forward to regularly checking in on this hot topic throughout the 2024-2025 academic year.

See other AI resources on our ELLSA Cambodia Hub, including resources from ELLSA members around Asia!

Jon Banules

ELLSA Phnom Penh, Cambodia Chapter Coordinator

On Thursday, May 9th, we held our first in-person ELLSA Malaysia Chapter Meet-up in Kuala Lumpur, since the pandemic. We were thrilled to welcome over 20 EAL specialists from 8 schools across KL. Our focus was on "Translanguaging to Empower Our Students," which led to engaging discussions and thought-provoking questions.  We delved into an interesting conversation based on this quote from Nordmeyer 2024 ‘Shifting towards a multilingual mindset allows teachers to support students in using their entire linguistic repertoire as a resource for learning’. We collectively recognised how students' L1 proficiency impacts their needs and the importance for educators to understand our students’ language history and abilities, through activities such as language profiles and language mapping. Additionally, it was really insightful to come together to share translanguaging challenges and success stories.

The connections made and ideas shared during this meeting were truly inspiring. Events like this underscore the importance of coming together, learning from one another, and strengthening our community of educators. By collaborating and exchanging insights, we not only improve our individual practices but also support the collective growth and success of our educational community.

Thank you Rebecca Simpson and Natasha Viñales, our wonderful Malaysia Chapter Co-ordinators for organising this warm get together, and a big thank you to Mont Kiara International school for hosting it.

We already look forward to the next meet-up in Kuala Lumpur in the new academic year. 

Have a great summer break!

Natasha Viñales

ELLSA Malaysia / Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Chapter Coordinator

The ELLSA Bangkok Chapter met up on November 18th, 2023, at Bartels Sukhumvit for a pleasant Meet & Greet over brunch, marked by lively discussions on Collaboration and Support, Language Development, and Teaching Strategies.

We engaged in an open conversation, sharing valuable insights and experiences related to language development and effective teaching practices. This led to exchanging useful resources and discussing tips and tricks practical in the classroom.

Highlighted during discussions were recommended books, including 'Talk Read Talk Write: A Practical Routine for Learning in All Content Areas' by Nancy Motley and 'Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction' by Isabel L. Beck, Linda Kucan, and Margaret G. McKeown, acknowledged for their practical approaches to language instruction.

The meet-up had a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, fostering a sense of community among educators and language enthusiasts. As the event concluded, participants expressed their interest for future meet-ups, with plans already underway for another get-together in February. Spending time with like-minded individuals dedicated to collaboration, support, and professional growth made this event a success.

Tashia Mante

ELLSA Bangkok, Thailand Chapter Coordinator

Nine intrepid language learning specialists, weary from a long day's work, wound through torrential rain and traffic to arrive at Play Cafe, the ELLSA Cambodian Chapter's EAL / MLL unofficial headquarters, for the “Bring an Assessment to Play Cafe Day” meetup on Wednesday, September 27.

Representing all cardinal directions of Phnom Penh, teachers from the International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP), Southbridge International School (SIS), Northbridge International School of Cambodia (NISC), East West International School (EWIS), and CIA First International School gathered around a large table, assessments in hands to chat over fries, coffee, and other beverages. 

Chapter Co-Coordinators and ISPP colleagues Jon Banules, Petra Macdonald, and Tan Huynh began the meeting with introductions and information about the upcoming ELLSA 2024 conference to be held at ISPP March 9th - 10th, 2024 before jumping into the evening’s main topic.

First, Shaheena Pall from SIS shared her school’s positive experiences using SpeechLink, a paid online assessment package that can be used to screen all students for language development. Teachers then looked over sample reports that were simple, yet informative and which directly connected to various strategies for language interventions and accommodations. 

After this, Petra brought out the Consortium on Reading Excellence (CORE) Phonics Survey. She also shared how the Elementary School EAL department in ISPP makes use of the University of Florida (USA) Literacy Institute’s reading research based Foundation Toolbox to help ALL students gain literacy skills.

Next up, Jon shared his recent discovery of the Bell Foundation’s (UK) EAL Assessment Tracker, a Google Sheets copy of which can be found and copied here. The EAL assessment tracker, once filled out for an individual student, produces easy to read and comprehensible reports that can be shared with mainstream teachers, who can resultantly design instruction and tasks that are inclusive of multilingual learners at all levels. Jon shared this list of resources for teachers and schools interested in using the EAL Assessment Tracker. 

Rounding out the evening, Mike Forster from CIA First led lively discussions about assessing collaboration skills during project based learning and AI tools, especially how Chat GPT apps can enhance our work with multilingua students! Topic for next time decided, we adjourned the meetup, but pledged to have another one before the end of the year. Be on the lookout for ELLS-Ai...

Jon Banules

ELLSA Phnom Penh, Cambodia Chapter Coordinator

On December 1st, teachers from four schools came together at The Fig cafe to get to know each other and discuss teaching multilingual learners.  After sharing a few favorite strategies that can be found on this Padlet (including contributions from people who couldn’t make it), we broke into two groups to discuss: translanguaging or strategies to use in a class with diverse language needs and levels.

In the group discussing translanguaging, the conversation centered around big picture topics like policies that promote translanguaging, making its value clear to stakeholders in the school community.  They discussed ways they have leveraged this powerful strategy in their classrooms and shared ideas.  All concluded that there’s power in inviting students to think and express their ideas in their L1s.  It was lovely to have teachers of Modern World Languages included in this discussion because our methodology is the same and we need to partner with one another more often.  We are teaching language acquisition.  Collaboration with our colleagues who deliver other subjects will make our teaching stronger. 

The other group talked about strategies that work with classes that contain diverse language levels.  We concluded that exemplars help students see what’s expected for success.  Additionally, students are more motivated when their work has an authentic audience.   The common thread was that we need to help students find motivation to excel and reach the next level.  We felt torn whether to select the text so we could give guidance or offer more student choice in terms of readings and agreed that they have to ‘get into their books’ to make headway, but that a variety of factors influence whether that happens.  Ideally, teachers guide them through understanding of some readings and students select their own based on interest at other times.  We’d love to begin a list of recommendations that have ignited the reading spark for students at our schools to create a bank of those that our students at international schools across Asia relate to.

Diana Sorobey

ELLSA Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Chapter Coordinator

Our 1st ELLSA meeting in Bangkok, finally happened in November, after many years.  A small group of teachers were able to attend, representing: Bangkok Patana, NIST, Ruamrudee, Shrewsbury Riverside and Rose Marie Academy. 

Teachers were happy to meet; they briefly shared how the EAL program looked at their school, and asked and answered different questions on how things are being done at their schools.

A school visit is next on the agenda for the Bangkok Chapter where teachers from different schools will meet to discuss a common topic.” 

Alis Gorcea
ELLSA Bangkok, Thailand Chapter Coordinator

The Cambodian Chapter of ELLSA had its first ever face to face meet up on September 22, 2022. Over 30 teachers from four Phnom Penh schools, ISPP, CIS, CIA, and East West International School, met at a local cafe for an evening of mingling with colleagues to discuss a variety of topics proposed by the participants themselves. 

Taking inspiration from speed dating, the chapter coordinators nudged attending teachers to meet as many colleagues from other schools as possible through employment of Kagan’s "3 Stay, 1 Stray" cooperative learning strategy at 15 minute intervals. As new groups formed around the cafe tables, teachers introduced themselves, discussed the particulars of their school roles, and/or chatted about topics gleaned from a pre-meetup Google Forms survey. If groups chose, they could also role dice at the tables to randomly determine which language teaching/learning topic to delve into, a strategy the organizers called “Choose Your Own Adventure”. Some of the many conversation provoking topics that teachers suggested included:

• Translanguaging and Language Policies

• BICS vs CALP

• The Collaborative Cycle

• Whole school admissions, testing, benchmarks with multilingual learners in mind

After an hour of professional chatting, the formal side of the meetup ended with a raffle drawing in which one lucky educator won a bilingual Khmer - English picture dictionary to share with her team and students. 

One ELLSA member who attended summed up the relevance of the event when she stated:

“...being able to talk to other EAL teachers was such a valuable and helpful experience...Many colleagues were happy to share their personal experiences and resources that are used at [their schools]...”

The ELLSA Cambodian Chapter looks forward to having another live event in the early part of 2023 in order to continue to spread great teaching practices and advocacy for our multilingual learners. 

Jon Banules
ELLSA Phnom Penh, Cambodia Chapter Coordinator