In 1847, a group of settlers or pioneers moved across the
United States looking for a place to build a new community. The account relates
that as the lead portion of this group came down the western edge of the
greater Rocky Mountains into the Salt Lake Valley in what is now the state of
Utah the group's leader declared that 'This is the place.'
The phrase 'This is the Place' for that group represented
the conclusion of a difficult journey where what they learned informed the
journey of those that would follow. However, as the modern city that has been
built on the foundation of those early settlers’ labors indicates, 'This is the
Place' marked a beginning more than it declared an end.
Similarly as we declare that this is The ESL Place, we
acknowledge a culmination of effort and experience that has marked our journey
this far but we also initiate new challenges of exploration, discovery and
community building.
The ESL Place will be an online space where all who are
connected to the challenges of language learning and teaching generally and
more specifically those of learning and teaching English as a second (or third
or fourth) language can meet similarly tasked professionals and volunteers,
share insights and encouragement, and take away tips, tricks and tools that
they can employ in their efforts around the world.
What we have in common will be enhanced by what makes us
unique. What is new to some will be innate to others and what is challenging to
many will be an opportunity for a few to lend and lead. Please join us.
Thank you for your
visit today. We look forward to your contribution tomorrow. We are excited by
the potential of this The ESL Place.
No comments:
Post a Comment