The U.S. Embassy and the Dominico-American University Host the Annual Conference for English Teachers

This event brings together over 1,100 teachers from the public and private sectors across the country

Santo Domingo, D.N. – The U.S. Embassy and the Dominico-American University (UNICDA), through the Teacher Development Center (TDC), inaugurated the Annual Conference for English Teachers, under the theme “Teaching English: Connecting Communities, Cultures, and Classrooms.”

In its 2024 edition, this event aims to highlight the relationship between English language teaching and community engagement, emphasizing the transformative power of service-oriented pedagogy in language education, and reminding us of the role of language as a connector between people, communities, and cultures worldwide.

The opening ceremony was led by the Public Affairs Counselor of the U.S. Embassy, Chelsia Hetrick, and the President of the Board of Directors of the Dominico-American Cultural Institute, Darys Estrella.

During her welcome remarks, Ms. Darys Estrella emphasized that “when we connect communities, cultures, and classrooms, we are not just teaching a language; we are building bridges, fostering understanding, and creating a better, more connected world.”

For her part, Chelsia Hetrick stated that “the U.S. Department of State considers this conference to be of high impact, as evidenced by the presence of our Regional English Language Officer, William S. Little.” She added that teachers will leave this conference “with a deep reflection on how their role impacts beyond the classroom and how they can be leaders wherever they are.”

As part of the opening ceremony, the keynote address was delivered by Professor Melanie Johnson from the University of Southern California (USC), who is also an English Language Teaching Specialist for the U.S. Department of State. She addressed the topic: “The Future of Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century.”

The 2024 Annual Conference for English Teachers features a three-day program, which began on Wednesday, August 7, virtually with the presentation of three sessions, two from the United Kingdom and one from Chile, impacting hundreds of teachers; continuing on Thursday, August 8, with the formal opening ceremony held at the Catalonia Hotel, and concluding on Friday, August 9, with twenty sessions including plenaries, talks, and in-person workshops at the same hotel, where more than 1,100 teachers will be able to attend the sessions of their choice.

The topics covered during the conference revolve around professional practice, inclusion in the language curriculum, the formation and transformation of a global citizen beyond the classroom, critical thinking, innovative techniques in English language teaching, among other training aimed at enriching the teacher’s experience and consequently that of the student.

About the Conference:

The Annual Conference for English Teachers has been held in the country since the 1950s, strengthening pedagogical work in favor of cultural and educational development, which has been led by the Dominico-American Cultural Institute since its founding in 1947. Since its inception, ICDA has been the leading institution in English language teaching in Dominican society, simultaneously implementing quality, variety, and innovation in all its academic programs.