Since COVID struck we’ve had to learn to change our mindsets in order to cope, but perhaps we’ve also learned to change in order to thrive. Everyone has reacted to the pressures of working in a pandemic in different ways – and maybe we are becoming more aware of just how diverse we are – as teachers, as students, as writers, as people. TESOL-SPAIN would like to celebrate what we’ve learned, how we’ve changed and how enriching diversity can be.

Looking back over the last decade of TESOL-SPAIN Annual Conventions, we’ve zigzagged across the country, from Madrid to Bilbao and Seville and back to Madrid, from Salamanca to Vitoria-Gasteiz, Elche, Madrid, Oviedo and back to Salamanca. In 2021 we held our first Online Convention, and we have taken the decision to stay online for ’22. There are many reasons behind our decision, not least because of the extremely positive feedback we got from participants, speakers, sponsors and everyone working behind the scenes. There will be changes based on our experiences back in March, including the calendar (1 weekend, not 2), timetabling (sessions will be 45 minutes long) and more interactive features on Whova, such as Roundtables. We will endeavour to offer the same range of high quality sessions that TESOL-SPAIN conventions are known for, plus the Community Board, Platinum, Gold and Silver sponsors, Speaker Grants (First-Time Speaker and Robin de Andrés), and once again we hope to welcome speakers and participants from across the country and around the world.

We are very happy to confirm the three plenary speakers for our 45th Annual Convention: Kath Bilsborough, Gabriel Díaz-Maggioli and Vicky Saumell, and are looking forward to reading through all the speaker proposals that reach us by the deadline of October 15th.