Newsletter
Table of Contents
From the President And here we are again, reaching the end of the year, ready to sum up what has happened and looking forward to what is to come. No, I have not skipped several pages in my calendar, it's just that an APIBA year closes before either the calendar or academic years, with the Annual Seminar and the Annual General Meeting. For our Seminar, we have opted for a debate modality, a most democratic communication activity to provide a clear example that debating ideas and supporting our positions is at the core of our professional interaction. During the lunch break, we will be holding the Annual General Meeting at which two Committee members will be elected. We count on all our members taking part in both events. When it comes to looking back at what this year has been like, the most accurate description is probably "active". We have achieved our aim of taking APIBA to the suburbs with a varied selection of quality presentations. We have also co-organised a number of lectures with other organisations. Although academic activities are central to our role, we have also devoted a great many hours to lobbying the authorities to defend the status of teachers' degrees. These activities have been advertised through our newletters, our network of local delegates, posters at various institutions and, shortly, our Web site. All this movement has been reflected in an increase in the number of members up to date with their dues and the joining of new members. When it comes to looking forward to the year ahead, the unquestionable event looming in the horizon is obviously FAAPI 2001, with all its organisational intricacies and academic challenges. This will not however overshadow other activities to be organised for next year including SIG meetings, talks and presentations, so look for APIBA news in 2001. As a final word, I would like to remember our recently departed former president, Mr. George Lewis. As a colleague put it: "He loved everything English and transmitted this to their students" ... an achievement many of us probably only aspire to. Dr. Cristina Banfi
We have a fax!!
Issue 8, September 2000
If you want to send APIBA a fax or leave a message on our answering machine, you can now phone (11) 4326-3927. We remind you that APIBA office hours have been extended. Our office at KEL (Marcelo T de Alvear 1369) is now open on Tuesdays 11 to 15, and Fridays 11 to 13.
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From the President APIBA new members Forthcoming events FAAPI 2000: information and APIBA scholarship APIBA SIGs update AACI/BAC news NEW Discounts for APIBA members! FAAPI 2001 update Certificates of attendance Halliday in Mar del Plata APIBA fax/phone number APIBA Annual Seminar
APIBA Would Like to Thank: •
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IES en Lenguas Vivas "J.R. Fernández", SBS Palermo, CIBA, L2 School of English, Interaction Language Studio and ENS "J.F. Kennedy" for lending their premises for the organisation of APIBA SIG events. ISA 2000, IES “J R Fernández”, AACI Lomas de Zamora and IFD “Bernardo Houssay” (Bernal) for offering their premises for APIBA events Nora Alvarez and Silvia Ronchetti for kindly donating the fee of their talks to APIBA Librería Rodríguez, for offering their premises and providing APIBA with a phone line for our new fax/answering machine
Events galore! APIBA events are everywhere! Nora Alvarez and Silvia Ronchetti have given two very successful talks, David Crystal packed UCA’s conference hall, and the hits keep coming!! Ana María Armendáriz will be delivering a talk, "On paradigms and shifts in FL teacher education", on September 26th at IFD "Bernardo Houssay", Luis María Drago 246, Bernal Luke Prodromou will be leading a workshop “Breaking Frontiers: in search of a good lesson” at ESSARP (Esmeralda 672 8th floor) on September 28th from 5 to 8 PM. Admission is free. To enrol, phone 4322-2840 or email <centre@essarp.org.ar>. Cristina Thomson de Grondona White will be delivering a presentation, “Do they really dislike reading?”, on Saturday 7th October, from 10.30 to 12.00, at KEL Martínez (Emilio Frers 2228, Martínez). For further information, e-mail us at <apiba99@yahoo.com>.
A Reminder People who have applied for membership in the last few months are reminded that they will not become full members until two passport-sized photographs and a copy of their degree have been received by the APIBA committee.
APIBA annual seminar Date: Saturday 21st October, 2000, 9 to 15.30 Venue: IES en Lenguas Vivas "Juan R. Fernández" Price: free for APIBA members and trainee teachers and $25 for all others This year the association has decided to organise its Annual Seminar around debates on specific topics. Tentative Programme (topics and speakers to be confirmed)
NEW Di$count$ for APIBA Member$!!! •
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1. Teacher Training Colleges should only train for state schools 2. Literature is essential for teachers and learners 3. Methodology is just an endless succession of fads. Speakers will include Silvia Stagnaro,Claudia Ferradás Moi and Daniel Reznik. ♦ The room will be arranged in a parliament format (two sets of rows facing each other), and participants will be directed to sit on the side the agree with (either the Proposition or the Opposition). The speakers will face each other and give their back to their side of the audience. ♦ There will be a moderator for the debate who will make sure the speakers comply with the time limit and keep order during the ensuing debate ♦ Each speaker will present arguments for his/her side for a period of 15-20 minutes (first, the Proposition and then the Opposition). ♦ After these presentations, the discussion will be opened to the floor and members of the audience will be encouraged to ask questions and participated in the discussion. ♦ To encourage participation, speakers should, to a certain extent, play the debating game, making their positions as “extreme” as possible (always within the bounds of civil debate!!)
FAAPI 2000 FAAPI’s annual conference 2000 will take place in Comodoro Rivadavia between the 21st and the 23rd of September. For further information, contact Adriana L. Marcos <almarcos@satlink.com.ar> or visit their site <www.welcome.to/faapi2000>
APIBA Scholarship granted To encourage APIBA members to take part in FAAPI 2000, the Association offered a scholarship to its members, consisting of a waiver of the enrolment fee and granting a travel subsidy. The scholarship was awarded to Mónica Cuello. We congratulate her, and wish her well at the congress!
APIBA SIGs keep growing! We are very pleased to see the success our SIGs (Special Interest Groups) have been having among members of APIBA, teacher trainees and the public in general since their launch in March. As you know, eight SIGs (Language, Methodology, Business, Literature, Computers, Phonetics / Phonology, History / Civilisation, Grammar / Linguistics SIGs) have been running since then, and a new one has just been set up: Kids SIG. A further development is that an APIBA SIGs Handbook, containing guidelines and material used in the running of APIBA SIGs, will be available shortly. Those interested in finding out more about APIBA SIGs may wish to know that at the forthcoming APIBA Annual General Meeting on October 21st, the APIBA SIGs Liaison Officer, Analía Kandel, together with SIG Co-ordinators and SIG members, will make a brief report on the acitivities and topics each of the APIBA SIGs have been dealing with since their first meeting. SIG events are free of charge for a) paid-up members of APIBA, b) members of paid-up FAAPI Associations, and c) teacher trainees (in ALL cases proof of status required). Non-APIBA members are also welcome, but a $10 contribution per session is requested. If you wish to receive information on APIBA SIGs, or if you'd like to be e-mailed regular APIBA SIGs Timetable updates, you can contact the APIBA SIGs Liaison Officer, Analía Kandel, at apibasigs@hotmail.com
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Idiomanía offers a 12% discount on single issues and annual subscriptions. For further information contact Ana María Bergel at <amrbergel@sinectis.com.ar> The British Arts Centre (BAC) will be offering a 50% discount on their play tickets for all APIBA members, and a 25% global discount for groups of students accompanied by an APIBA member. The National Resources Centre and AACI’s General English Library offer 25% discounts on memberships for all APIBA members
To claim these benefits all you need to do is bring along your APIBA membership card and your receipt for the current year.
FAAPI 2001 As we informed in our last newsletter, APIBA is in charge of organising FAAPI’s annual conference for the year 2001, which will take place in Buenos Aires. Offers of help and suggestions are welcome, not to say desperately needed. A questionnaire has been circulated among members, requesting suggestions as to the content and form of the congress. Members who who would like to co-operate, please request a copy from our email address, <apiba99@yahoo.com>
Halliday in “La Feliz” Drs M A K Halliday and R Hasan will be offering an intensive course, "Engaging with Discourse: A Systemic Functional View", as part of the VIII Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Lingüística, on Saturday, September 23rd, 9 to 19:30, at Hotel Costa Galana, Mar del Plata. The course is free for those who attend the congress. Non-participants who wish to attend the course must enrol at <linguist@mdp.edu.ar>. The fee is $50
Crystal clear! David Crystal’s talks, sponsored by APIBA, were a huge success. CUP and David Crystal have granted APIBA permission for selling copies of two audio tapes with both sessions. Those interested in buying copies, mail us at apiba99@yahoo.com
Activities at the British Arts Centre Theatre: Perla Santalla’s one-woman-show “Con Olor a Agua Florida”, Fridays and Saturdays at 20:30 Jazz Concerts: the last Wednesday of every month, at 19:30, free admittance British Cinema: movies on London through Hollywood eyes, shown on Tuesdays at 17, 19 and 21 hs. Video BAC: episodes of the detective series “Cracker”, Mondays to Saturdays.
APIBA delegates Our network of local delegates keeps growing. Local delegates help APIBA by advertising activities, enroling new members and helping organize APIBA events in their area. If you are interested in becoming a delegate at the place where you work, send an email to apiba99@yahoo.com. Current delegates are Analía Kandel (I.S.P. J. V. González), Stella Maris Schulte de Ugarte (I.E.S. en L.V. J. R. Fernández), María Inés Artigas de Cambiasso (I.E.S. EN L. V. J. F. Kennedy), María Isabel Santa (I.N.S.P.T. UTN), María Teresa Stringa De Vido (William Blake), Silvia Ronchetti (Clover), Rita Faré de Garrido (Summerhill), María Albina García de García (I.F.D. “Bernardo Houssay), Laura Renart (I.S.P. “Presbítero Sáenz), Valeria Artigue (Interaction), Marcela Russo (Norland Lanús), Mónica Cuello (St. Michael’s Adrogué and schools in Alte. Brown), Nora Alvarez (AACI), Andrea Ogilvie, Angeles Cagliolo (FISK), Liliana Raimondo (American Teaching), Margarita Paulero (Colegio “Santos Padres), Claudia Brachetti (ORT), Nancy Fernández (IFD “ Ricardo Rojas” ), Ma. Teresa Barriorro (St Trinnean’s), Ma Marta Ripio (Las Cumbres). Why not join them?
New APIBA Members The following teachers have joined the proud hosts of APIBA recently. Congratulations, welcome on board, and we hope to see you at all our activities: María Laura Gradilone, Mónica Araujo, Silvia Alberti, Andrea Norma Scagnetti, María Teresa Barinoto, Maria Ines D’Antoni.
MEMBERSHIP FORM – 1999 / 2000 (Please feel free to make copies) I would like to (re-)apply for membership of the Association of Teachers of English of Buenos Aires. Name:____________________________________________________________________________ I.D. Number (DNI/LE/LC): ___________________________________________________________ Address: Street: _____________________________________________________________________ Town: ____________________________________________ Post Code: _______________________ Telephone Number: ___________________________ Fax Number: ___________________________ E-mail Address: _____________________________________________________________________ Degree: _______________________ Awarded by: _________________________ Year: __________ Work at: _______________________________________ Position: ___________________________ Date: ______________________________ Signature: ______________________________________ Please tick [ ] and complete as appropriate: 1) Are you already a Member of APIBA?
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Members need only pay outstanding dues for 1999 and 2000 as APIBA has declared a Moratorium on dues not paid before 1999. If known, please complete: Date of 1st enrolment: ____________________ Member number: _______________
2) Are you applying for Membership for the first time?
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New members have to pay dues for the year 2000, submit a photocopy of their degree and two passport-sized photographs. Remember that this is an initial step and that the application procedure is concluded when all the material is submitted and once the APIBA committee have accepted the membership. Statutes of APIBA are available and all members should be acquainted with their contents and abide by them.
1999 Dues ($50) 2000 Dues After April 30th ($50) Voluntary Contribution: Total Amount
$______ $______ $______ _________________ $______
Send/Bring cash or a cheque to M.T. de Alvear 1369, Capital Federal, (Kel S.A.). Office Hours: Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Or deposit total amount at any branch of Banco Francés, account numbers: Caja de Ahorro en dólares: N° 017-501318/2 or Caja de Ahorro en pesos: N° 017-008530/2. Please write your full name on your deposit slip and fax it to (011) 4326-3927 together with this membership form.
APIBA Executive Committee President: Cristina Banfi Vice-President: Stella Schulte de Ugarte Secretary: Rita Faré de Garrido Treasurer: Susana Masoero Deputy Treasurer: Analía Kandel Member: Silvia Iummato Member: Pablo Toledo
Reserve Member: María Valeria Artigue Reserve Member: Silvia Rettaroli