Host LESLLA in Your City
LESLLA Symposium Host City Requirements and Guidelines
Thank you for thinking about hosting a LESLLA Symposium!
In 2024, we would like to be in an English-dominant country/setting. In past years, our “even years” LESLLA gatherings have been in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Finland! “Odd years” have gathered in the U.S. and Canada. In 2021, we had a fully virtual symposium, and our years are now ‘flipped’.
What we offer conference hosts:
In 2018, LESLLA elected its first leadership, and we now have a Board of Directors, non-profit status and banking established, and our membership list official. We are ready to support the host city in their work to host the LESLLA Symposium. We recognize that hosting our symposium is a BIG undertaking and requires many volunteer hours from the symposium organizers, but we are now here to assist and support this work! We will provide seed money to get started, previous symposium chairs’ planning documents, regular meeting time to answer your questions and, and 15+ years of experience in making this symposium a reality. We also will assist with the publishing of the proceedings volume following the symposium.
What do you get for putting on the LESLLA conference?
By bringing LESLLA to YOU, you are offering your local LESLLA educators a chance to go to an international teaching and research symposium they may never otherwise be able to attend! People who are fortunate enough to attend LESLLA come away with not only great ideas to improve their teaching and research, but extraordinary networking opportunities, new resources, and the chance to be a part of an international community working toward a common vision: serving our LESLLA learners more effectively worldwide. In addition, by hosting this symposium you can shine a light on the excellent LESLLA education happening in your area, lift up the students and teachers involved in this complex work, and bring much needed attention to immigrants & refugees in your area and the policies that affect them.
We hope you will consider becoming our host for 2024 in an English-speaking setting, or 2025 (in a non-English dominant locale)! Please review the basic and desired requirements below, and fill out the Google form indicating your interest. The form is NOT a promise to host, nor is it binding in any way, it simply indicates you would like to talk more about this opportunity.
Thank you! We look forward to talking with you more and possibly bringing LESLLA to YOU!
Best regards,
LESLLA Board of Directors
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Basic requirements:
1. Travel
a. Airport nearby
b. Reliable transportation from airport to symposium venue
2. Symposium venue
a. University, symposium center, or other venue with numerous meeting rooms, both small and large
b. Chair, table, easel, etc. rental at institution
c. Wifi access
d. Computers, screens, smart boards, etc.
e. Risk mitigation for airborne viruses, such as air filters, ventilation standards, etc.
3. Capacity to plan an integrated hybrid symposium
4. Lodging
a. A range of accommodations ($, $$, $$$)
5. Symposium committee
a. A core symposium committee committed to serving on the committee for at least one year
i. Head symposium committee member must commit to serving for two years
1. Year 1: plan and host
2. Year 2: help with subsequent symposium (e.g., write a report on symposium planning and results; be available to meet with upcoming symposium host up two to three times as needed)
b. Student or volunteer workers to assist with pre-symposium preparation
6. Public transportation
a. Safe, reliable, inexpensive with easy access to symposium venue, lodging, and restaurants
7. Services
a. Copy and/or printing services
b. International banking options for symposium registration
Desired, but not required:
1. Travel
a. International airport in town or nearby
b. Public transportation from airport to symposium venue
2. Symposium venue
a. Within easy walking distance to lodging, restaurants, interesting activities
3. Lodging
a. Easy walking distance to the symposium venue and to restaurants
4. Travel draw
a. Desirable location for out-of-towners to travel to
5. Entertainment
a. Available cultural or outdoors activities for the evenings or days before/after symposium
6. Interpretation
a. Host country language
b. Sign language, if requested
7. Local work
a. Local schools or education centers for LESLLA learners that can be toured possibly as pre-symposium visits
Other considerations for symposium:
1. Social, economic, or political factors that might prevent robust participation
2. Language policy: in non-English speaking countries, encourage the use of other languages.
3. Symposium planning
a. Maintain website content for the symposium
b. Use the LESLLA logo
c. Advertise the symposium at the international level (use the LESLLA listserv, Linguist List, TESOL, AAAL, BAAL, etc.)
d. Ensure proposal submissions are undergo an anonymous peer-review process
e. Contact LESLLA board for recommendations for keynote speakers
f. Reserve space for workshops, posters, and talks
g. Combine academic program with cultural/social activities
h. Consider pre-symposium visits to educational institutes working with LESLLA learners
4. Request diet requirements before ordering meals/coffee breaks
5. Organize symposium dinner (participants pay extra fee)
6. Reserve time for hybrid LESLLA business meeting
7. Take photos during the symposium and post on the LESLLA website or social media
8. Be prepared to issue proof of attendance certificates
9. Be prepared to offer invitations for folks needing to get visas to attend
10. Upload participant data to the LESLLA database
11. Contribute relevant planning information to the Google Drive
12. Connect with the LESLLA Publication editors about the symposium proceedings, especially if you have a particular vision about how you’d like the Proceedings to reflect the scope and focus of your Symposium.
Questions? Please contact us @ leslla.org@gmail.com