Virginia Levine Second Language Educators’ Conference

Engage in workshops

Participants collaborating and making posters during a workshop

Professor Patricia Martinez And Former Student

Reunite

Prof. Martinez, VLSLEC organizer, and her former student who returned to present at the conference

Engagement & Motivation Virginia Levine SLE Conference

Attend presentations

A SUNY Cortland graduate presenting at the Virginia Levine Second Language Educators' Conference

Lectures at the Virginia Levine SLE Conference

Build connections

Regional teachers connecting at the Virginia Levine Second Language Educators' Conference

Pre-service teachers and practicing teachers connecting at the 2023 Virginia Levine Second Language Educators' Conference

Learn together

Pre-service and practicing teachers connecting between workshops

Join us on September 19, 2026!

Thanks to everyone who made the 2025 conference a success.
See photos from the 2025 Virginia Levine Second Language Educators' Conference

About the Conference

The Virginia Levine Second Language Educators' Conference (VLSLEC) is a professional development platform for Second Language teachers and teachers-in-training. The annual event is open to students and all area World/Foreign Language, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and English as a New Language (ENL) colleagues.

The free event is held on the SUNY Cortland campus. The conference fosters an environment of socialization, education, and professionalism. The program presents a keynote speech delivered by a distinguished member of the Second Language community, a variety of classroom workshops offered through mid-day, and culminates with brief closing remarks.

2026 preview:

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Location: Sperry Center on the SUNY Cortland campus
Time: 8:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Theme: “The Butterfly Effect: Creating a Lasting Impact”

Keynote Speaker: Linda Slade, Jamesville-DeWitt High School, DeWitt, NY

Formal professional development opportunity: attendees earn 4 hours of CTLE (Continuing Teacher & Leader Education) credit

Workshop Topics:

Small Moments. Big Impact: Exploring the Butterfly Effect of World Language Instruction
But what about DEI? How does AI Impact the Representation of Cultures in the World Language Classroom?
Creating Lists of Frequent Words Using the Vocabulary List Generator
Dynamic Assessment Meets AI: Training ChatGPT to Support Interactive Language Learning
The Case of the Missing Language Function
Bringing Old School Engagement to New World Tools
Integrating Quebec Culture in French Courses
Building Confidence and Vocabulary Retention: Engaging Games and Extending Language Practice with AI in the WL Classroom
From Theory to Practice: Creating Engaging Classrooms
Tried and True Activities to Promote Oral Proficiency

This conference is free, but registration is required. Click here to register.

Conference Resources

Conference Coordinator

Patricia Martínez de la Vega Mansilla, Lecturer of Spanish, SUNY Cortland
For further information email [email protected]

Hosted by: Modern Languages Department, SUNY Cortland

Co-sponsored by SUNY Cortland Auxiliary Services (CAS), SUNY Cortland’s International Programs Office, Clark Center for Global Engagement, and SUNY Cortland Modern Languages Department, SUNY Cortland