Conferences

Every October, WAFLT sponsors a conference featuring presentations and demonstrations by prominent state national members. Locations are chosen that best serve the needs of the entire state. Every second or third year the fall conference is a joint conference with our colleagues from Oregon in COFLT. Features of the fall conferences include:

• Extensive publisher's exhibits of the latest language teaching aids from national and local sources
• Keynote addresses and workshops by regionally and nationally recognized leaders in language learning/teaching
• Recent state developments
• Meetings of specialized groups such as the AATG, AATF, AATSP, WATJ, frequently with guest speakers in those languages
• Displays of state poster contest winners
• A general membership meeting

COFLT-WAFLT Bi-state Fall Conference, Cross-cultural Communication: Building a Better Future will take place October 10-11, 2008 in the beautiful, certified-green Vancouver Hilton Hotel and Convention Center. WAFLT participants will start the conference on Thursday evening at the Welcome Reception and WAFLT participants will also be able to pick up registration materials that night. It is Oregon's (COFLT) host year and the conference planning for the bistate conference is already underway. The COFLT chair is Larry Crain and WAFLT's chair is Jenny Ferries. The keynote speaker for Friday will be Peggy Boyles; Saturday's keynote speaker will be Deborah Blaz. The conference presents sessions that are offered by volunteers from the two state organizations. Please consider sharing with your colleagues! The online proposal submission form is available now! Click here for the form. Questions? E-mail WA Conference Chair Jenny Ferries at ferriesj@bsd405.org. Keep checking the website for ongoing updates!

If you are a first year teacher or a full-time university student in the last year of pre-service education, who plans to be teaching a language next year, you may qualify for a WAFLT Beginning Educator's stipend. These stipends are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as the budgeted funds last. The stipend covers WAFLT dues and registration fees to the WAFLT fall conference and spring regional conference. Because they have been so popular in recent years, there will be a deadline this year to make sure that enough time remains for recipients to register for the conference on time--September 15, 2008.

Last update: May 13, 2008