Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups

Our Mission

To empower English language educators through:

• Targeted professional development and leadership pathways.
• Collaborative research and knowledge sharing.
• Culturally responsive advocacy across all learning environments.

Our Vision

To build a dynamic network of specialized communities that elevate instructional excellence, cultivate educational leaders, and champion equity for all language learners.

For more information about joining a special interest group you can contact Lesley or the leader of the SIG that interests you.

Contact Lesley at sigs@nystesol.org

ESL Adult Education

The NYS TESOL ESL Adult Education SIG is a dynamic learning community dedicated to supporting and elevating professionals who teach English as a second language to adult learners across diverse educational pipelines.

What We Do:

• Share Adult Learning Theory: Discussing and implementing practices that honor adult life experiences and learning goals.
• Examine Practical Curricula: Exchanging resources for integrated digital literacy, workplace ESL, financial literacy, and civic participation.
• Navigate Program Structures: Providing a space to discuss funding, flexible scheduling challenges, and community-based education models.
• Foster Collaboration: Connecting community college instructors, non-profit educators, and institutional administrators statewide.

View this video for more information.

If you would like to get involved, please send an email to esladult@nystesol.org

Advocacy

The NYS TESOL Advocacy Team is a dedicated group of professionals working to advance policy, protect student rights, and ensure equitable resources for English language education.

What We Do:

• Monitor Legislation: Keeping members informed on evolving funding, employment rules, and state mandates.
• Amplify Voices: Serving as a statewide collective voice to influence federal and state government agencies.
• Protect Communities: Actively standing with New York’s immigrant communities to ensure safe, welcoming spaces of learning.
• Empower Educators: Organizing structured forums and workshops where teachers can organize local grassroots initiatives.

If you would like to get involved, please send an email to vpadvocacy@nystesol.org

Anti-Racist Action Special Interest Group

The Anti-Racist Action SIG (ARA-SIG) is a community of NYS TESOL members working together to dismantle racial inequities across all educational contexts.

What We Do:

• Engage in Dialogue: Creating safe, brave spaces to discuss race, language, and power dynamics in the workplace and classroom.
• Examine Pedagogy: Offering tools to critique curriculum and decode whiteness in English language teaching.
• Drive Practice: Sharing actionable strategies to support, protect, and elevate minoritized and multilingual students.

NYS TESOL is currently seeking a member to lead this group. If you are interested, please view this video and contact Lesley at sigs@nystesol.org

ENL Leadership SIG

The NYS TESOL Leadership SIG is a professional learning community built to support, connect, and elevate P–12 multilingual education leaders.

What We Do:

• Foster Collaboration: Exchanging successful district strategies for program implementation and instruction.
• Navigate Complexities: Discussing state updates, program compliance, and local administrative challenges.
• Cultivate Leaders: Empowering ENL educators, coordinators, and directors to grow their leadership impact.
• Champion Equity: Coordinating advocacy efforts to ensure multilingual students receive high-quality support.

If you would like to learn more or join this SIG, send an email to leadership@nystesol.org

Applied Linguistics SIG

The NYS TESOL Applied Linguistics SIG brings together educators and researchers to translate cutting-edge language science into actionable classroom pedagogy.

What We Do:

• Bridge Theory & Practice: Translating current second language acquisition (SLA) research into effective teaching methodologies.
• Explore Innovations: Examining the intersection of language teaching, global communication trends, and educational technology.
• Host the ALWC: Organizing the annual Applied Linguistics Winter Conference, a foundational event for scholarly exchange and professional learning.

View this video for more information. Contact appliedlinguistics@nystesol to join.

ENL Secondary SIG

The Secondary Education SIG provides a collaborative space for professionals navigating the unique landscape of middle and high school ENL, and bilingual education. We focus on addressing the academic, linguistic, and socio-emotional needs of adolescents as they prepare for graduation, higher education, and future careers.

What We Do:

• Professional Development: Share evidence-based instructional strategies, culturally responsive teaching practices, and curriculum resources tailored for secondary classrooms.
• Advocacy & Policy: Stay informed on New York State graduation requirements, Regents exams, and changing Commissioner's Regulations (Part 154) affecting older multilingual learners.
• Collaboration: Connect teachers across the state to share lesson plans, discuss co-teaching models, and navigate the challenges unique to secondary scheduling.
• Resource Sharing: Provide tools for supporting Students with Interrupted/Inconsistent Formal Education, long-term ELLs, and newcomers.

To join this special interest group, send an email to Karen.Gregory@nystesol.org and Pedro.Rodriguez@nystesol.org

NYS TESOL Bilingual & Dual Language SIG

Building New York State's Biliteracy Network

Connecting Educators. Developing Leaders. Advancing Bilingualism & Biliteracy.

The NYS TESOL Bilingual & Dual Language Special Interest Group is a collaborative community of educators and leaders dedicated to strengthening bilingual and multilingual education through professional learning, research, educational leadership, and advocacy.

Vision:

Advance bilingualism, biliteracy, educational excellence, and equitable opportunities for every multilingual learner.

Mission:

Connect educators and leaders to collaborate, learn, lead, and advocate for high-quality bilingual and multilingual education across New York State.

Our Focus:

•  Connect

  • Build a collaborative network of educators and leaders.

•  Learn

  • Share research, resources, and evidence-based practices.

•  Lead

  • Develop educational leadership and strengthen bilingual and multilingual programs.

•  Advance

  • Promote bilingualism, biliteracy, and equitable opportunities for every multilingual learner.

Our Guiding Belief:

"Every language a child brings to school is a superpower waiting to be cultivated."

For more information, email Robert at bilingual@nystesol.org.

Elementary Education SIG

The NYS TESOL Elementary Education SIG is dedicated to supporting and elevating educators who teach young multilingual learners in elementary settings.

What We Do:

• Share Scaffolding Strategies: Exchanging tools to make elementary math, science, and social studies accessible to emerging bilinguals.
• Advance Early Literacy: Discussing research-backed methods for foundational reading, phonics, and writing instruction.
• Promote Co-Teaching Practices: Reviewing successful collaboration models between standalone ENL specialists and general education teachers.
• Engage Families: Exchanging creative ideas to foster deep, supportive partnerships with immigrant families and local communities.

For more information or to join the group, contact Lisa and Tina at Lisa.Loesch@nystesol.org and Tina.Villalobos@nystesol.org

Publishing SIG

The NYS TESOL Publishing SIG is dedicated to helping language professionals share their knowledge, stories, and research with the wider educational landscape.

What We Do:

• Demystify the Process: Offering guidance on turning dissertations into books and polishing articles for peer-reviewed journals.
• Support Varied Media: Exploring all avenues of professional writing.
• Connect Writers & Editors: Creating a collaborative space to exchange drafting feedback, editing tips, and submission strategies.
• Amplify Teacher Voices: Empowering K-12 and higher-education practitioners to contribute to the evolving scholarship of language education.

To join send an email to publishingsig@nystesol.org

Special Education and ELLs SIG

The special education and ELLs SIG provides a collaborative platform for professionals working with multilingual learners and English language learners who also have identified or suspected disabilities. Our mission is to promote equitable, inclusive, and evidence-based practices that honor both the linguistic profiles and diverse learning abilities of these students.

What We Do:

• Resource Sharing: Distribute evidence-based tools for differentiating instruction, implementing assistive technology, and adapting curricula for dually identified students.
• Collaboration & Co-Teaching: Explore effective collaboration models between ENL teachers, special education teachers. 
• Identification & Assessment: Share best practices for distinguishing between language acquisition patterns and learning disabilities to prevent over or under identification.

Join the group by sending an email to specialeducation@nystesol.org

ENL Teacher Education SIG

Vision

A New York where every multilingual learner is taught by a well-prepared, culturally responsive, and linguistically knowledgeable educator — and where teacher preparation programs statewide are recognized as models of research-informed, equity-centered practice.

Mission

The Teacher Education SIG advances high-quality, research-based, and culturally responsive teacher preparation by connecting the professionals who shape educators' careers. We provide a collaborative forum for those working in pre-service preparation and in-service professional growth, uniting university faculty, clinical supervisors, mentor teachers, instructional coaches, and district PD leaders around a shared commitment to equipping teachers to serve New York's diverse multilingual learners.

Focus Areas

1. Curriculum & Pedagogy — Exchange innovative course designs, instructional practices, and clinical field experiences that strengthen pre-service ENL and bilingual teacher preparation.
2. Certification & Policy — Track and interpret evolving New York State certification pathways, clinical hour requirements, and teacher education mandates so members can respond proactively to change.
3. Mentorship & Support — Build capacity among new teacher educators, field supervisors, and mentor teachers who guide novice educators through their critical early years.
4. Research & Collaboration — Bridge theory and practice through collaborative inquiry into language acquisition, teacher identity development, and effective ENL instruction

Who Should Join?

This SIG is an ideal professional home for university faculty, clinical supervisors, school-based mentor teachers, instructional coaches, and school district professional development coordinators. If you are passionate about shaping the future of the TESOL profession and supporting educator growth, we invite you to join us.

Connect with our network to share your insights, discuss teacher preparation trends, and collaborate on elevating the field of TESOL education!

To join the group, send an email to teachereducation@nystesol.org

Technology-Enhanced Language Learning SIG

The TELL SIG provides a collaborative space to explore, evaluate, and implement digital technologies that accelerate language acquisition. We aim to empower educators to use technology intentionally to enhance communication, foster creativity, and build digital literacy skills for multilingual learners.

What We Do

• Tool Evaluation: Showcase user-friendly apps, AI-assisted learning tools, and digital platforms that support differentiated ENL instruction.
• Digital Equity Advocacy: Address the digital divide by sharing low-bandwidth resources and strategies for accessible, inclusive digital learning.
• Blended Learning Strategies: Share best practices for hybrid, flipped, and asynchronous language learning models that keep students engaged.

Join us by emailing techlearning@nystesol.org