SAHLA 2025 Languages Education Symposium
SAHLA’s 40 year anniversary: 1985-2025
“Languages Learning for Life: Social, Cultural and Economic/Career Development.”
Saturday May 10, 2025, 9am – 3:30pm
Skyline Room, DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, 2120 – 16 Avenue NE Calgary
AGENDA
9:00 am – Registration / Breakfast
9:15 am – Symposium Opens. Host: Michael Gretton, Coordinator, SAHLA
9:20 am – Welcoming remarks from SAHLA – Michael Embaie, President, SAHLA
9:30 am – Welcoming remarks from Guest of Honour:
Honourable Demetrios Nicolaides ECA PhD, Minister of Alberta Education, MLA Calgary Bow
10:00 am Morning Session I Workshop
Online learning tips and tricks for effective teaching and learning the language
classroom. Benefits and Challenges of AI in teaching languages.
Presenter: Vincent Chiew, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Host: Aurora Dacanay, SAHLA Board Member
Vincent Chiew has over 30 years of experience in various global industry sectors. He has also
been teaching, facilitating, accrediting, certifying, mentoring, advising, partnering, and coaching
in academia for about 20 years. He has used online teaching and learning, and AI to teach
children, adults, corporations, government, seniors, professors, teachers, law enforcement,
essential service providers, and AI experts.
11:00 am Morning Session II Workshop
University of Calgary Teaching Second Languages Program & the Communicative Classroom
Presenter: Dora Dilullo-Patten , Instructor, University of Calgary.
Host: Susan Eng, SAHLA Board Member
A Communicative approach to teaching second languages focuses on both the means and the
goal of language learning. In this interactive presentation, we will explore ways to encourage
and set the stage for engaging classrooms where the goal is for the students to learn naturally,
collaboratively and effectively. An overview of the Teaching Second Languages program at the
University of Calgary will also be provided.
Dora Di Lullo-Patten (M.Ed. TESL) has been in the field of second language acquisition for 40 years. She has taught students and teachers on 5 continents at various universities, colleges and schools. She has taught at the University of Calgary for over 30 years and had her own business Specialists in English Training for 23 years. Dora has a passion for mentoring and teacher training. She teaches in the Teaching Second Languages Program at the University of Calgary, has been a LINC PBLA lead teacher at the CBE, and an ACE trainer and examiner for several international exams such as IELTS. She has served on the ATESL board in the presidential chain from 2019-2022 and was the representative for Alberta to TESL Canada from 2022 to 2023 and currently she sits as the Vice-President of TESL Canada.
12:00 pm Lunchtime. Buffet.
12:15 pm Lunchtime remarks from SAHLA: Michael Embaie, President SAHLA. Michael Embaie was born in Eritrea (East Africa or Horn of Africa) and came to Canada in 1983. Michael has a Bachelor and a Master of Social Work Degree with specialization in Policy and International Social work from the University of Calgary. Michael completed the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Law program, and as a result is a licensed regulated Immigration Consultant in Canada. Michael completed a graduate course (Diploma) in International Law and Protection of Refugees at York University, Toronto, Ontario. Michael worked for the federal Government of Canada, Department of Immigration and Refugee Board for 25 years as Chief of Research and Documentation Centre for the Prairie Region (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba); and as a Tribunal Officer and Dispute Resolution Officer for Western Canada. Michael has been teaching graduate and undergraduate courses as a Sessional Instructor at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work & Dept. of Sociology for 17 years. Michael also worked for the United Nations for seven years as a Resettlement Consultant & Training Expert.
Languages learning for life: Social, Cultural and Economic/Employment Development.
Ahmad Katawazai, Everyday Banking Advisor, ATB Financial
Ahmad Katawazai is an Everyday Banking Advisor at ATB Financial, where he assist Albertans in
achieving their financial objectives. Originally from Afghanistan, Ahmad holds a Master’s
Degree from Beijing, China, and previously served as a Business Development Officer at the
Bank of China, where he achieved notable successes. Having relocated to Calgary, Alberta, in
January 2024, he brought a diverse perspective and a rich professional background to his role.
Ahmad can speak fluently in 5 different languages: English, Pashto, Farsi, Chinese, and Turkish,
with some proficiency in Arabic, which has proven invaluable in his career and client
interactions in Canada.
1:00 pm Afternoon Session III Workshop
Activities to Motivate Students in the Language Classroom.
Presenter: Birgit Mau, Instructor, Calgary Board of Education; SAHLA Director.
Host: Cecelia John, SAHLA Board Member
Birgit Mau is a longtime instructor with the Calgary Board of Education and is teaching an
awesome group of Grade 5 students, 75% of whom are English as an additional language
learners originating from more than 8 countries. Communication, vocabulary and knowledge
building are part of every lesson in her classroom.
Birgit has been teaching for 3+ decades! She has taught Kindergarten, Grades 1- 10 and adults.
Languages taught include English, German and French. Her goal is providing an engaging space
for students to feel supported and respected so they can learn and grow in their knowledge
and language skills.
2:00 pm Afternoon Session IV Workshop
Community Language Schools Panel Session. Schools Overview, challenges and solutions
Principals from 6 different language schools will share some highlights about their schools.
-Horizon Academy Institute (Arabic)- Israa Al Ani, Principal
-Calgary Chinese Private School – Wanda Tong, Principal
-Calgary Italian School – Luigi De Somma, Principal
-Malayalam School of Calgary – Vivek Nair, Principal
-Swedish Language School of Calgary – Annika Lindh Cully, Principal
-Yoruba Language School – Nasir Adio, Principal
- Purpose & overview of school. What year school was first established. School location, #of students, teachers & volunteers. Grade levels taught, # of classes.
- Roles & responsibilities at school (principal, teachers, volunteers, parents & students).
- Brief overview of school curriculum & classroom teaching and learning activities.
- Language school operations, budget & overhead costs (facility rental & instructors’
honorarium). Funding/fundraising activities. - School collaboration with country of origin; And collaboration with other language schools
in Calgary, or schools in other cities or provinces. - School successes and challenges.
Questions and answers.
3:30 pm – Closing remarks / Symposium close
SAHLA wishes to thank ALBERTA EDUCATION for its grant support.
Alberta Education’s funding is essential for SAHLA and our schools for our programs and
services including the teaching and learning of international/heritage languages, schools’
curriculum and resource development and language instructors’ professional development.
SAHLA wishes to thank all of our language schools, principals, teachers, parents, students and
volunteers for their commitment to the teaching and learning of languages.
SAHLA and our 45 language schools represent 600 teachers and principals, and over 7,000 K-12
students in the teaching, learning and development of international languages education.
SAHLA leads, coordinates and deliver professional development programs and activities for
language schools, instructors and principals; including the University of Calgary Teaching
Second Languages (TSL) Certificate Program, workshops and our annual Symposium. SAHLA
assists schools with curriculum development support, CBE classroom facility rental support and
teaching resources support for community language schools, principals, teachers and students.
Southern Alberta Heritage Language Association (sahla)
205, 1409 Edmonton Trail NE Calgary AB T2E 3K8
403-233-7998
http://www.sahla.ca
Alberta Education: International languages
Programs of study under Provincial curriculum to support study in 9 international languages.
https://www.alberta.ca/international-languages
University of Calgary Teaching Second Languages (TSL) Certificate Program
www.conted.ucalgary.ca/tsl
https://conted.ucalgary.ca/public/category/courseCategoryCertificateProfile.do?method=load&certificateId=3081675
Southern Alberta Heritage Language Schools (SAHLA): CBE School Rental Request Process
https://www.cbe.ab.ca/FormsManuals/Southern-Alberta-Heritage-Language-School-SAHLA-Guidelines.pdf
Calgary Public Library: World language storybook readalouds for children
Read and listen to picture books in 65+ languages, including English, French, Spanish, Ukrainian,
Punjabi, Tagalog, Arabic, German, and Russian.
https://www.calgarylibrary.ca/read-learn-and-explore/digital-library/lote4kids
Calgary Indigenous Treaty land acknowledgement:
We acknowledge and pay tribute to the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, which
include the Blackfoot Confederacy (the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations),
the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney
First Nations). Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).