Dear TESOL Türkiye members,

It is with great excitement that I am greeting you as the President of the “İngiliz Dili Öğretimi ve Mesleki Gelişim Derneği” (TESOL Türkiye), which was officially founded in June 2017 in Turkey after having functioned as T-PLUS (Trainers’ Professional Learning and Unlimited Sharing) since 2012. T-PLUS holds a special place in my professional heart. I sincerely find it an honor and a privilege to begin my term in this formal association in which, I trust, the T-PLUS spirit will live on forever, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank every individual who believed in T-PLUS and actively took part in transforming T-PLUS into a national organization.

Our new national association of ELT professionals is deeply committed to advancing the quality of English language teaching in Turkey, as well as in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. TESOL Türkiye aspires to become an international association trusted for knowledge and expertise in English language teaching, teacher education and in-service professional learning. In this endeavor, I am accompanied by my colleagues on the Board of Directors – Beril Yücel, Sibel Tüzel Kandiller, Yeşim Eraslan and Yasemin Yelbay Yılmaz as well as my colleagues in the other boards and councils within the association. We will be doing our utmost to ensure that the ELT practitioners in the country will have an array of opportunities to strengthen their already existing capabilities through the collaborative efforts of the members in this community.

Since the beginning of T-PLUS, I have had so many opportunities to see the amazing work we collectively engage in as professionals in the field of ELT, and I have seen how much our work matters. I firmly believe that TESOL Türkiye will continue to create dynamic and vital grounds for professional development by providing new opportunities and insights into our profession through the exchange and discussion of ideas and practices.

Through the special commitment we have for our profession, I invite you to be inspired and to work together to create a lasting impact in the world of ELT by becoming and remaining a member of this community. Together, we will continue to foster our association with persisting dedication. I would like to express once again how privileged I feel to be working with such committed members as yourselves.

Sincerely,

Bahar Gün
Founding President