This year, many members of the AU TESOL community attended the WATESOL Fall 2025 Conference at The Catholic University of America. Read this recap to learn more about the event!

WATESOL’s Fall 2025 Conference provided an insightful look at the connections between language teaching, cultural awareness, and technology. Keynote speaker, Dr. Christa de Kleine spoke on Critical Language Awareness in a Time of Dramatic Change. During her presentation, she discussed how language ideology can impact students’ success, and emphasized the importance of celebrating language diversity in education. Participants were then able to choose between 19 different presentations across four sessions. Several presentations focused on effective technology use in language learning classrooms, from managing student AI use, to integrating tech tools in lessons, to finding ways to build community in online classes. After the main panels, attendees participated in small-group discussions with other professionals working with similar learner populations. 

Some highlights for AU’s TESOL community included two panel presentations featuring AU students and faculty. During the morning session, Dr. Polina Vinogradova, Viann Casteel, Lewis Erickson, Yuni Silvana Manik, and Benjamin Tamatey presented on Technology Tools to Maintain Community in the Changing Landscape of English Language Education, which addressed how to use specific technological tools to encourage student engagement when teaching online.

Benjamin Tamatey, Viann Casteel, Yuni Silvana Manik, and Lewis Erickson demonstrates how to use classroom tech tools.

Then, in the afternoon, Dr. Sarah Knowles, Xingjie Chen, Ruth Sullivan, and Viann Casteel presented on Family, Motivation, and Meta-Cognition: Case Studies of Three Extraordinary English Learners, which explored how family support can impact English learners’ motivation.

Dr. Sarah Knowles, Viann Casteel, Xingjie Chen, and Ruth Sullivan present learner-motivation findings.

Another conference highlight was AU alumna, Lisa Dyson, and Dr. Sarah Knowles’s presentation, Lessons Learned from Teaching Literacy Online, in which they discussed strategies for working with low-literacy adults on Zoom. These presentations covered a wide variety of topics, showcasing AU TESOL’s diverse range of skills and interests.

AU TESOL students, faculty, and alumni at the Fall 2025 WATESOL Conference.

Viann: At WATESOL, I learned about new tools, websites, and teaching techniques. I was also able to meet other people in the field. Dr. Knowles’s and Lisa Dyson’s presentation was really fascinating and informative, and although I’m not teaching low-literacy learners right now, I’m considering it in the future! 

>Ben: Presenting on Pear Deck at WATESOL was an energizing experience. Many participants were discovering this edtech tool for the first time, and it was exciting to see their genuine engagement and curiosity. The conference created a welcoming space where educators could explore new technologies together, exchange ideas, and imagine fresh possibilities for multilingual classrooms.