By Fang Sheng, Editor-in-Chief, Yifeng
Dear fellow CLD members, the time is approaching again to submit our proposals to the ATA64 conference in Miami! (https://www.atanet.org/ata64/call-for-speakers/)
This year there are a few new features in addition to the regular conference sessions we have been accustomed to:
• Microtalk – 15-minute quick speeches that focus on a quick topic of the language profession
• 30-minute session – this is also part of the regular presentation series, except it is only half of the time.
• Professional and committee forums – interactive sessions where members engage in discussions of affairs of the language profession and ATA committee work, rather than in a presenter(s)/audience format.
To help clarify some questions potential speakers might have, CLD Editor-in-Chief briefly interviewed Veronika Dimichelis, President-Elect and organizer of this year’s Annual Conference.
CLD: The Microtalk is a very new and exciting feature. Since it’s only 15 minutes, we think it must call for a quite different approach than the regular presentations in terms of topic, perspective, and content arrangement. Will the Microtalks be organized in quick succession in one (or more) bigger timeslots? Or will they be presented in a more random fashion scattered throughout the conference sessions? Will they be also presented in regular conference rooms like the regular 1-hour sessions, or will there be some form of “pop-up” speeches? Should the speaker put aside a bit Q&A time when they design their speech, or the Microtalk will be like a quick TED Talk?
VD: Yes, the Microtalk speakers should be concise and engaging. Their talks should be well prepared and rehearsed as there isn’t much room—or time—for improvisation. This is not a regular presentation, and it may even be best to skip the slides (or keep them to an absolute minimum). We will organize Microtalks in a regular conference room during the regular conference session, so we’ll have four (4) Microtalks that will go in quick succession in a 60-minute conference slot. We’ll have a moderator who will keep track of time and facilitate the transition between Microtalks. If a speaker wants to open it up for questions, they need to include that time in their 15-minute slot, which means their speaking time will be much shorter (I’d say 10 minutes speaking and 5 minutes Q&A). Q&A will be stopped when the total time of 15 minutes allotted to that Microtalk has passed. Out of respect to the other speakers, we will not be able to allow Microtalk speakers to go beyond their 15-minute time limit.
CLD: Similar questions can be asked about the 30-minute sessions. Though these are a bit longer than the Microtalks, we’d think that the potential speaker must bear in mind they must design their speech differently from the regular 1-hour sessions. What would your advice be for potential speakers to design the 30-minute sessions in a way that both fit in their content with substance yet still pace nicely?
VD: The 30-minute sessions are more similar to the regular conference presentations, but speakers will have to fit their content and the Q&A in 30 minutes. These sessions will be held in regular conference rooms during the 1-hour time slot, so there will be two (2) 30-minute sessions one after another during that time slot. We will have moderators in these rooms, and they will keep track of time and facilitate the transition from one presentation to another. Speakers should carefully plan their presentation, taking into account how long they plan to speak, how many slides they plan to show, how many minutes they need per slide, and how long they want to leave for questions. Out of respect to other speakers, we will not allow the speakers to go beyond their 30-minute total time limit. My advice to potential speakers is to fine-tune their key message and stick to that; a great example of how to do this is the ATA Back to Business Basics webinar series where speakers get 30 minutes for their presentations and have to share specific, practical advice in a short time frame.
CLD: Would it be advisable for potential speakers to submit multiple proposals in multiple formats, including 1-hour sessions and/or 30-minute and/or 15-minute talks? If someone is selected to present both a 1-hour session and a 15-minute Microtalk, for example, would this speaker receive only one discount? We understand that discounts cannot be combined, we’d guess it would be the discount for the 1-hour session. Of course, the discount is not the main purpose for submitting proposals, but it’s a technicality we’d like to clarify with our members when encouraging them to propose.
VD: Potential speakers are welcome to submit several proposals in different formats. If several proposals from the same speaker are approved, the speaker will only receive one discount (e.g., for the 1-hour session and a 15-minute Microtalk, the greater discount will apply).
CLD: Are there special requirements to submit proposals for AST sessions? How to qualify to be an AST speaker?
VD: We have very limited slots available for the AST sessions, and these sessions are very competitive. An AST speaker should be a well-known and sought-after expert on the topic they’re teaching, and they should have a proven track record in teaching hands-on, interactive workshops. AST sessions are an add-on that the conference attendees can purchase in addition to their conference registration, so we want to make sure that AST sessions offer great value for that additional investment. We want AST session participants to walk away with practical skills that they can apply right away and that will help boost their business. The topics of AST sessions should address the T&I areas and skills that are in demand, timely, and highly practical.
CLD: For the professional forums and committee forums, as they should be requested by the division and/or committee chairs, should they ask for members’ input when they formulate their topics to request?
VD: Yes, it is a good idea for Division Administrators to consult their Division members about the topic of the Professional Forum before submitting the request. Committee Chairs should formulate the topic of their Committee Forum proposal together with the rest of the Committee.
As ATA64 has more innovative ways of promoting sharing of information and expertise, members who would like to propose to have more flexibility to present their content. And if you have ideas to cover different topics, you are more than welcome to leverage the new formats introduced this year. We hope this quick Q&A would be helpful for CLD members’ consideration to propose. We hope to see many different presentations of our members at ATA64. See you in Miami!
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