THEME: "A Heart to Communicate "
Date: October 7-12, 2007 (Sunday - Friday!)
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Host: Mission Training International (MTI)

THEME AMPLIFIED – "A Heart to Communicate "

Good coaching gets at the heart of it all. Good coaching starts and continues with the heart. Good coaches coach from the heart to the heart. Good coaches 'study' their 'athletes' to find out what's in their hearts. Good coaches have heart to heart talks. Good coaches have their 'athletes' in their heart, and the 'athletes' know it.

Heart has to do not just with purpose and persistence. It has to do with the learner's sense of ownership, with responsibility, with loyalty, with obedience and commitment to a 'deep inner call' - "A heart to communicate" in the people's heart language, and the willingness to persevere no matter what. Language learning is not for the faint of heart.

We look forward to ICLL6 and the emphasis on preparing well the hearts of our learners for the task that is before them. Of course, 'the sky is the limit' on anything you would like to present or suggest that is related to language and culture learning.

ICLL’S PURPOSE

To champion the cause of language and culture learning
To help each other pursue excellence in this field
To enhance the effectiveness of the coach/facilitator/teacher
To challenge the language supervisor with new approaches and new ideas
To provide the context for gaining support and sharing ideas
To provide a network with others who carry similar responsibilities
To facilitate the promotion of regional programs, conferences, workshops

People with responsibility to supervise others in language learning often lack awareness of what is currently going on in this field. ICLL provides input, resources, and contacts.

ICLL’S ROLE

To put on-field language teachers, language school administrators and language supervisors in touch with each other and with academicians, pre-field trainers, personnel directors and agency executives, all committed to enhancing the quality of language learning and cultural integration for agency personnel. (At ICLL5 there were 100 delegates from 34 agencies.)

The high level of networking and inter-agency consultation that has taken place over the last 12 years is abundant evidence that the ICLL has fulfilled its role very well.

More agencies need to get in on this.

ICLL’S FORMAT

Corporate meditation, plenary addresses, concurrent sessions, small group discussions, 15-minute reports, peer interaction, networking, focus groups, personal consultations, etc.

POST-A-SESSION -- Time-slots are provided for spur-of-the-moment presentations, demonstrations, impromptu discussions etc. Post-a-Sessions are becoming increasingly popular at ICLLs and we expect this to continue at ICLL6.

Who should attend?

The Congress is primarily for:

• those who want to stay abreast of the cutting-edge issues in language and culture learning
• those charged with the responsibility to keep their organization’s personnel pressing on toward communicative competence in the language and culture.

Sample topics for discussion / presentation:

• Children/Family issues in language learning
• Older-adult issues in language learning
• Learning styles/Individual differences
• Learning disabilities
• The role of the Coach/Facilitator defined
• Coaching the independent learner
• Coaching intermediate or advanced learners
• Helping people who are stuck
• Coaching the non-English speaking learner
• The training of language coaches
• Language school issues
• The language school advantage
• Post-Language school learning
• Pronunciation or Grammar issues
• Language supervisor issues
• Membercare for language/culture learners
• Keeping physically fit during language learning
• Goal setting and accountability
• Assessment of language proficiency
• Language/Culture learning demonstrations
• Language learning games, techniques, methods
• Current technology and language learning
• Demos, Demos, Demos

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

We are looking for a great number of presenters, people who are willing to share what they have learned, what they are doing, what they have been working on, what they have been experiencing, etc.

If you are willing to share insights, lead a discussion, present some findings, develop a topic related to language or culture learning, please send the topic and a short description along with your name, agency, role, to <dgradin@mti.org>. Don’t be shy!

The Congress theme is "A Heart to Communicate", but any topic related to language and culture learning will be considered.

Related Opportunities

Pre- and Post-Congress seminars or workshops are encouraged. Capitalize on the opportunity your group will have in being together here. MTI can provide information, but you will need to make your own arrangements.

An opportunity exists for ICLL participants to attend a Program in Language Acquisition Techniques (PILAT) after the conference. PILAT will be held, Oct. 15-26, 2007. This program will be offered on a space available basis.  If you are from an organization that sends participants to PILAT then you may attend the program for materials cost, room and board charges only ($634.00 ). If you are attending the PILAT for professional development or for replicating certain aspects of this program in your own agency then you will be charged the full PILAT rate ($1192.00).
Please contact Melissa at melissa@mti.org to make this special reservation.

Who are the congress planners?

The congress planners come from a mix of agencies, language schools, colleges and cross-cultural training centers, all with considerable experience and expertise in the field of language learning and all strongly committed to enhance the quality of language and culture training.

ICLL6 Planning Committee: Mr. Dwight Gradin, Chairman; Dr. Elizabeth Brewster, Ms. Julie Chamberlain, Mr. Bill Davis, Dr. Lonna Dickerson, Dr. Manuel Gutierrez, Dr. Greg Holden, Ms. Ellen Jackson, Mrs. Brenda Noble, Ms. Carol Orwig, Dr. Herbert Purnell, Mr. Todd Schmidt, Dr. Steve Sweatman, Dr. Greg Thomson

Dates and Rates

October 7-12, 2007.

Registration check-in will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 7.
The Congress begins with Sunday dinner at 5:30 p.m. and concludes at Noon before lunch on Friday, October 12.

Payment in full required at registration

For early arrivals or late departures, please contact the hotel for reservations (Please let them know that you are part of this conference):
Academy Best Western Hotel
8110 N. Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
800-766-8524 or 719-598-5770

** Includes Sunday dinner, 5 continental breakfasts, 4 lunches, daily breaks. Mon-Thurs dinners on your own - Multiple Restaurants are within walking distance.

Cancellation Policy:
If cancellation occurs before August 16, $30 administration fee is non-refundable.
If cancellation occurs before September 23, $145 fee is non-refundable.
Total conference cost is non-refundable if cancellation occurs after September 24.

Register Now for ICLL6

COMMENTS FROM ICLL5

“It was stimulation and humbling to spend five days with 100 experienced field workers (almost ½ of them from SIL International) from 34 agencies. I was awed by the cumulative knowledge and wisdom of the participants from around the world, by the breadth and depth of their experience. I was energized by being in the same place at the same time with so many like-minded people who share a passion for God, missions, and the crucial role of life-long language/culture learning in ministry.”

“The Congress renewed my motivation. It renewed and reinforced a conviction that we (my organization) need to continue working at improving the competence of our language learning facilitators and the effectiveness of the programs that we utilize.”

“It is a rejuvenating environment.”

“ICLL is a must for all language nurturers.”

“My thinking has been challenged about how we orient our language learners to the task of language acquisition. What we say can either send them out to the ‘job’ of language study or to the ‘joy’ of building relationships cross-culturally.”

“I became aware of available resources in the area of language teaching/coaching and language proficiency assessment and meeting people who will be potential human resources for me.”

“I enjoyed meeting people from other organizations and from different parts of the world and having a chance to discuss the different programs and methods for language learning.”

“I feel excited about going back to my group of people with a broad spectrum of tools, ideas, and encouragements to offer them—not to mention the boost this will offer to my personal language learning.”

“For the first time ever I have had a chance to be around others who are involved in the same thing I am—helping others learn language to be better equipped. It’s given me affirmation and encouragement.”

“I am returning to my assignment with so many great ideas to share and creative ways to encourage the people I serve. Also appreciate awareness of resources and opportunities for training that I hadn’t had before.”