Colorado Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages was formed in 1977, 10 years after the TESOL International Association, at a time when there was a surge of Intensive English Programs (IEPs) opening in Colorado. The early years of the CoTESOL organization were influenced by returned Peace Corps volunteers, who brought back a culture of volunteerism, diversity, internationalism, and inclusiveness. The membership consisted largely of higher education and IEP educators representing DU, UCB, CSU, Spring International, UCD, UNC, and ALA.
There was initially a heavy focus on linguistics and more traditional methods for teaching English; however, the wheels were in motion to explore and embrace innovative and emergent approaches emphasizing communicative, task-based, and learner-centered approaches. CoTESOL had around 150 members for the first 5 years and retained a strong connection with TESOL. Over the years, membership surged to 900 before the pandemic, and as we move through the post-pandemic years, we are seeing our membership grow steadily once again.
Thank you for being part of the journey and the CoTESOL family!
