Proposals Guidelines for #VenTESOL2015

1. 33rd VenTESOL National Convention
"Breaking Paradigms and Borders in ELT"
Universidad Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho. Edificio Juan Pablo II. Barcelona
May 30th (Sat) and 31st (Sun), 2015.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
TOPICS
Innovative proposals on classroom practices, connections between teaching and learning, language
interaction, integration of skills, cultural differences and similarities applied to language learning,
technology supporting teaching – learning processes, teaching English for translation, linguistics and
activities which improve the language skills, outcomes of own research or investigation are
solicited.
TYPES OF PROPOSALS
Participants from all TESOL contexts and related fields are invited to submit proposals. Unless
otherwise noted, all sessions are refereed by the TESOL interest section designated on the proposal.
Presenters are expected to provide handouts and encouraged to use audiovisual aids.
 Colloquium (90 min.): A forum for a group of scholars to formally present and discuss
current TESOL issues. Presenters exchange papers in advance and formally respond to each
other’s positions. The colloquium organizer is responsible for securing participants who
represent various viewpoints in the field before submitting a proposal. A colloquium may not
have more than seven panellists, including the leader.
 Commercial Presentation (45 min.): Such sessions are presented by publishers’
representatives or authors on the use of materials and resources in language classrooms.
 Demonstration (45 min.): In a demonstration, most of the time is used for showing, rather
than telling, a technique for teaching or testing the second language. Normally, the
presenter’s statement of the theory underlying the technique takes no more than five minutes.
 In-Progress (20 min.): This type provides research graduate students, teacher trainers,
administrators, teachers and other interested persons the opportunity to report on an original
research that is “in progress”. It also allows those interested in a common topic to meet. The
oral presentation should include all steps covered in the research: Title, introduction,
purpose, research questions, methodology, first results/ primary findings, bibliographical
references, author contact information.
 Paper (45 min.): A paper is a brief summary of an original research done. It is presented
orally. The presenter discusses and describes something he/she is doing or has done in
relation to theory or practice. The presenter often has handouts and may use some audio-

2. visual aids. The oral presentation should include: Title/topic, introduction,
purpose/objectives, research questions, methodology/procedures, results/ findings,
conclusions, recommendations, bibliographical references, author contact information.
 Workshop (90 min.): A carefully structured, hands-on professional development activity.
The leader helps participants solve a problem or develop a specific teaching or research
technique.
 Poster Session (1 hour, 15 min.; 2 presenters max.): A visually explanatory exhibit that
allows for short, informal discussion between the presenter(s) and attendees, as attendees
circulate within the poster-session area. Poster sessions serve as an important and interactive
forum for sharing professional ideas and for receiving feedback. Poster exhibits are set up
side by side within the session area during the hour before the session and dismantled within
the hour afterward. The poster is mounted on a 4-foot-by-8-foot display board that includes
the session title, the name and institutional affiliation of the presenter(s), and very brief text
with clearly labelled photos, drawings, graphs, or charts. Presenters are expected to be
available for discussion during the entire midday session as attendees circulate among the
posters. No AV equipment or electrical access will be available. Detailed guidelines will be
sent to accepted presenters.
 Show-and-tell Session (20 min.): A session that shows, as well as tells, a technique for
teaching or testing. This session is an oral summary that discusses the presenter’s work in
relation to practice.
FACTORS AFFECTING SELECTION
The convention brings together individuals working in diverse roles to benefit English language
learners of all ages and at all stages of language development. Therefore, an important factor in
selection is program balance. The Convention Program Committee seeks such balance in:
• range of topics
• level of expertise
• interests covered
• relevance of the proposal to the needs of English language teaching professionals and the
convention’s theme.
Another important factor is how well the summary is written. Summaries should be clearly and
concisely written, and should convey the session’s importance and appropriateness to the field:
• significance for the intended audience
• evidence of a high standard of research and/or practice (where applicable)
• evidence that the presentation will be well prepared
You should carefully read the Proposal Rating Rubric (provided in this call) and refer to it as you
are drafting your proposal.
FACTORS DISQUALIFYING A PROPOSAL
• The presentation promotes commercial interests.
• The proposal is not completed according to the guidelines outlined in this call for
participation (see below).

3. • The proposal was not received at VenTESOL by the appropriate deadline: February 1st,
2015 for all proposal types.
• The same (or a very similar) proposal is submitted to more than one interest section.
PRESENTERS’ ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A presenter will be presenting the proposal at the convention. A presenter can also serve as the
organizer and correspondent for the session. The presenter’s name will appear in the Convention
Program Book.
A contributing presenter contributed to the proposal and will be presenting at the convention.
All presenter(s) will:
• Refrain from changing the conceptual content of the session after it has been accepted.
• Provide handouts for the anticipated number of attendees.
• Specify how many people they expect for their session and confirm the room capacity after
they have been notified of their room number.
Additionally, the organizer will communicate in a timely manner with all presenters about the status
of the proposal and other information sent by VenTESOL.
SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL
In order to submit a proposal, you need to complete two (2) Proposal Forms. The first one implies
gathering information to be exposed in the Convention Program Book and the second one for the
Evaluating Committee.
Proposal Form 1 (Convention Program Book)
The following information will only appear in the program book.
Presenter(s): If there is more than one presenter, one person must be responsible for receiving,
collecting and distributing information on the presentation. Contact numbers and addresses for this
person should be provided.
Title: The title may NOT be more than 8 words.
Biographical Statement: Prepare a biographical statement of 50 words to be included in the
program book. Such information must include your place of origin, education and titles, teaching
experience, publications, and any other relevant information.
Abstract: The presenter/s must provide a clear description of the presentation. Please use A4 or
‘letter’ size paper, with the following information typed: Title of Presentation; topic of interest;
scope of presentation, intended audience; audio-visual equipment to be used; context of
study/research/technique; method of presentation; relevance for intended audience; conclusions.
Font: Times New Roman
Size: 12
Spacing: Single line
Intended Audience: Be sure to highlight or underline one or more of the options provided. This will
be included in the program book and indicates the participants whether your presentation is relevant
to them or not.

4. Topic of Interest: Be sure to indicate by highlighting or underlining the topic that your presentation
addresses. Again, this will be included in the program book and will once more help the participants
decide on the relevance of the presentation for them.
Size of Audience: This will help the organizers place your presentation in the room most suited to
your needs.
Proposal Form 2 (Evaluating Committee)
The information required in this proposal form (abstract and summary) should cover two (2)
complete pages.
Abstract: It is the same abstract explained in the proposal form 1. It must be typed or pasted in the
proposal form 2.
Summary: It requires the development of the abstract in a deeper way. It should contain the
following information:
 a clearly stated purpose and point of view
 supporting ideas and examples
 evidence of current practices and/or research
 a variety of techniques (e.g., activities, visuals)
 reference citations
 conclusion
This proposal form 2 will be sent to the Evaluating Committee and will appear in the Proceedings of
the Convention at http://www.ventesol.org and http://ventesol.ning.com/
DEADLINE
All Proposals
Deadline: Received by February 1st, 2015. Proposals received after the deadline will not be
considered.
NOTES:
1) All participants must submit proposals online. Both Proposal forms should be emailed to
proposals@ventesol.org until February 1st, 2015.
2) Title each file as follows: Lastname-Firstname (number).doc, for example: Flores, Ana1.doc
(for Proposal Form 1) and Flores, Ana2.doc (for Proposal Form 2).
3) Acceptance will be notified via e-mail by April 15th, 2015. More than one proposal from
the same individual may be accepted based upon space availability
PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA
Three peer referees will blind review all proposal submissions and will have the opportunity to
provide comments to the submitting author. All reviewers’ identities will remain confidential. All
proposal referees will use the evaluation criteria and scoring rubric below. Total possible score is
based on a scale of 30 points.

5. Proposal Rating Rubric
Evaluation
Criteria
Poor
1
Fair
2
Satisfactory
3
Good
4
Excellent
5
Total
1. Proposal Title
The title gives
little
information
about the
session’s
content.
The title has
some indication
of the session's
content.
The title generally
describes what the
session will be
about.
The title clearly
describes the
session.
The title gains the
reader's interest,
describes the
session.
2. Purpose &
Session type
The proposal is
inappropriate
for the session
type, or the
objective is not
stated, implied,
or clear.
The proposal
may be
appropriate for
the session type.
The objective is
too general and
how it will be
achieved is not
explained.
The proposal is
generally
appropriate for the
session type. The
objective is stated
or implied, but
how it will be
achieved is not
explained.
The proposal is
appropriate for the
session type. The
objective is clear
(stated or implied),
and it is clear how
the presenter will
attain it.
The proposal
matches the
session type. The
objective is clear
(stated or
implied); there
are specifics that
make the reader
want to learn
more.
3. Currency,
Importance, and
Appropriateness of
Topic to the Field
and the Interest
Section (IS)
The topic is not
current or not
appropriate to
the field or IS. I
would not
attend this
session.
The topic is
somewhat related
to issues in the
field and the IS,
but it is not
current. I would
probably not
attend this
session.
The topic may not
be current but
focuses on issues
appropriate to the
field and the IS. I
may attend this
session.
The topic is current
and appropriate to
the field and/or the
IS. I would
probably attend this
session.
The topic is
current,
immediately
relevant, or
important to the
field and the IS. I
would definitely
attend or
recommend this
session.
4. Focus and
Organization of
Content (based on
the proposal type)
The topic is not
focused or there
is little or no
organization to
the proposal.
The top ic’s focus
is too narrow or
too general. The
proposal shows
some
organization, but
it may not
provide
sufficient
guidance for the
audience.
The organization
may be
understandable to
the audience, but
the proposal could
be more focused
and better
organized.
The proposal is
focused and
explains how the
presenter will
introduce and
present the material
in a comprehensible
way.
The proposal is
well-focused. It
previews the
topic, presents the
material in an
interesting way,
and shows how it
will be
concluded.
5. Clarity of
Proposal &
Participant
Outcomes
The proposal
needs work on
sentence
structure and
fails to give
outcomes.
The proposal
gives some ideas
about outcomes,
but needs to
specify how they
will be reached
during the
presentation.
The proposal is
adequately written
and includes a
statement of
participant
outcomes where
appropriate but
needs more detail.
The proposal is
clearly written and
provides a general
statement of
participant
outcomes where
appropriate and
how they will be
achieved.
The proposal is
well written and
provides an
explicit statement
of participant
outcomes where
appropriate and
how they will be
achieved.
6. Theory,
Practice, and/or
Research
Contribution to the
Convention and/or
to the Field or IS
The proposal
does not
mention theory,
practice, or
research.
The proposal
mentions that
some theory,
practice, and/or
research was
used, but the
abstract is not
specific or does
not relate it to the
presentation.
The proposal
refers to theory,
practice, and/or
research on which
the presentation is
based and relates it
to the presentation
to some extent.
The proposal refers
to the theory,
practice, and/or
research on which
the presentation is
based in an
understandable way
and relates it to the
presentation.
The proposal
refers to the
theory, practice,
and /or research
on which the
presentation is
based and clearly
shows how it is
connected to the
presentation in a
relevant and
useful way.
TOTAL SCORE
= 30
BRIEF Overall Comments if necessary:
Total 
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