Writing a successful proposal for TESOL Convention and Expo in Tampa, Florida 🇺🇸

A lot of people have asked, “Was it difficult?” The short answer is yes and no.

On the surface, no, it wasn't difficult. What it takes to submit is three simple actions:
- create an account;
- write 500 words or less;
- click "submit."

But under the surface, there is a lot of invisible work going on.

1️⃣ First, you need to come up with an idea for your talk. The idea should be interesting, new or special in some way. More importantly, it should be useful to others.

My topic was "Using similes to boost creativity in four simple steps." 🦋

A simile is a comparison with the word "like" or "as" in it. For example, on my way to the airport, I asked my Uber driver what Florida was like in summer. He said, "Living here in summer is like living in a bowl of soup."

I have four activities I do with similes in my writing courses. They are not particularly innovative or mind-blowing, but they are not something you find in any text book.

2️⃣ The second invisible component of a successful application is communicating your idea clearly. To do this, you need to understand what the TESOL Convention and Expo is. It's an event for teachers from all over the world: the USA, Mexico, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, you name it. The countries are very diverse, and so are the teaching contexts - in terms of ages, types of schools, access to resources, classroom sizes, etc. It's really crucial to communicate what context you work in and/or what context your ideas are useful in.

One important experience that helped me understand this was my participation in the ELEX exchange program last year, when I attended TESOL 2023 as a humble attendee.

So, going back to the original question - was it difficult to write a proposal that was accepted? In isolation, none of the actions above were difficult, but combined, they took time and careful thought.

So, who is applying for TESOL 2025? It's in Long Beach, California! 🇺🇸