A letter from the President

Martha E. Castañeda
OFLA President 2015-2016
Associate Professor of Foreign Language and ESOL Education, Miami University

Welcome to 2016, another year that is sure to feature significant and exciting initiatives in the field of language education. The Ohio Foreign Language Association’s (OFLA) vision is that “every Ohio student will be proficient in a second language” and one of the organization’s aim is to “build the capacity of foreign language teachers to prepare learners to demonstrate their proficiency.”One of the best ways the organization can support all language teachers in the state is through the annual conference. This year, the Ohio Foreign Language Association (OFLA) is proud and excited to join with the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (CSCTFL) for the 2016 CSCTFL/OFLA joint conference at the downtown Columbus (OH) Hilton Hotel from March 10- March 12, 2016. A joint conference has added benefits for everyone, namely, increased sessions, additional workshops, as well as added opportunities to grow your professional network.

The joint conference will feature 36 workshops and over 260 sessions by regional leaders including some of our very own Ohioans. Join us on Friday morning to hear the keynote speaker, John De Mado, who is sure to be a crowd pleaser and provide a unique perspective on language teaching and learning. On Thursday evening or Friday before or after the keynote address, visit the exhibit with your colleagues where you can explore the latest products, services, and technologies for language teaching. On Friday evening, join us at the International Dance Party. Remain at the conference for a full schedule of sessions and workshops on Saturday. Make sure to take advantage of this unique opportunity to collaborate with colleagues around the state as well as around the region. Come foster connections, empower communities, and celebrate the world.

Register for the CSCTFL/OFLA 2016 conference by January 18th to take advantage of early registration. Please visit our website to learn more about the conference and register for this special event: http://www.ofla-online.org or http://www.csctfl.org/conferences/2016conferenceregistration.html

If this is your first time attending our conference and want a general orientation to the conference and tips on deriving the maximum benefit from the conference, please join the Ohio New Teacher and University Student Scholarship Winners Meeting at session S-017 on Friday, March 11th at 7:45am.

I look forward to seeing you, meeting you, and to a successful and exciting conference with colleagues in the field.

Martha Castañeda