TESOL 2025

Call for Preconvention Institute (PCI) Proposals

TESOL invites proposals for PCIs that deal with classroom practices and applications of research in language learning and teaching. Proposals are welcomed from teachers, teacher educators, researchers, program administrators, materials and curriculum developers, and other professionals in communications, education, linguistics, foreign languages, and other related fields who have extensive experience in providing in-service programs and consulting for educational organizations. All proposals are refereed by TESOL’s Conferences Professional Council (CPC).

What Are PCIs?

PCI workshops offer participants an extended learning experience with hands-on, interactive training. Lecture is kept to a minimum to allow as much time as possible for participant involvement.

PCI workshops differ in terms of length of sessions. PCIs are four and six hours long and are offered in conjunction with the annual convention. An organizer facilitates the planning of the workshop, recruits one or more presenters, and submits the proposal. The organizer may or may not be a presenter.

  1. Complete the online Preconvention Institutes Call for Proposals submission form. Completely answer all required questions. Include a document with a 250–300-word summary of the proposed PCI with the following information in the top left-hand corner:
    • Title of the workshop.
    • Target audience (e.g., elementary school teachers, ESOL educators).
    • Skill level (e.g., little or no experience, all levels of expertise).
    • Optimal size of the audience.
  1. Include a detailed schedule of the workshop (four or six hours), showing what the participants will be doing and how they will achieve the proposed workshop objectives.
  2. Include evidence of the PCI organizer's experience and expertise with the workshop topic:
    • A one-page list of related presentations that the organizer has given on the topic, including title, location, date, and audience.
    • Curriculum vitae of no more than three pages for the PCI organizer only.

If you have any questions, contact us.

The Conferences Professional Council reviews proposed PCIs using  the following criteria:

  • PCI organizer is a TESOL member when the workshop is presented.
  • Abstract and summary show clarity of purpose, succinctness, appropriateness and significance for intended audience, familiarity with current practices, and, if relevant, quality of research on which the workshop is based.
  • PCI organizer demonstrates considerable experience and success in conducting teacher-training workshops, especially on the proposed topic.
  • Workshop is educationally sound and does not promote commercial interests.
  • Workshop topic is especially relevant to meeting continuing education needs of TESOL professionals.
  • Proposal includes a detailed schedule of the workshop (4 or 6 hours), showing what the participants will be doing and how they will achieve the proposed workshop objectives.
  • Proposal is complete, edited, and free of typographical errors.

PCI organizers play an important role in creating a useful and positive convention experience. Here's how:

  • PCI organizers are responsible for notifying all other presenters about the status of their workshops.
  • PCI organizers must notify TESOL Education and Events of any changes in their contact information or affiliations of co-presenters.
  • PCI organizers must respond to inquiries from TESOL Education and Events in a timely fashion to expedite the best possible support for their workshops.
  • In the event they cannot present, PCI organizers must find suitable replacements to run the workshop exactly as it appears in the marketing materials and contact TESOL Education and Events immediately. The CPC is the approving authority for replacements.

  • The content of the workshop should not change significantly after proposal has been accepted.
  • TESOL pays one honorarium per workshop.
  • TESOL covers costs of audiovisual equipment as long as the requests are noted on the proposals. Only the equipment listed in the online Preconvention Institutes Call for Proposals is covered.
  • TESOL reserves the right to sell seats in the workshops to the maximum number indicated on the proposals. TESOL may also cancel workshops that do not attract minimal enrollment.
  • All workshops are evaluated by the participants, organizers, and presenters. Organizers and presenters are responsible for distributing, collecting, and returning evaluations for their workshops. TESOL provides evaluations for online workshops.
  • On-site volunteers are normally available to assist PCI organizers on site.
  • All participants attending PCIs must pay appropriate fees.

Document 1 includes:

  • Workshop summary, including intended audience and level of expertise needed.
  • Detailed schedule of workshop activities.

Document 2 includes:

  • One-page list of the PCI organizer's related presentations.
  • PCI organizer's CV (not more than three pages).

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