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While we want to provide personalized attention, especially to submitted work, testing and grading, learning is still heavily dependent on the teacher. But because the teacher in turn is responsible for assembling, and often presenting, the materials to be learned, customization and personalization have not been practical. So we have adopted a model where small groups of people form a cohort, thus allowing the teacher to present the same material to more than one person at a time, while offering individualized interaction and assessment.

Though networks have always existed, modern communications technologies highlight their existence and given them a new robustness. Networks are distinct from groups in that they preserve individual autonomy and promote diversity of belief, purpose and methodology. In a network, however, people do not act as disassociated individuals, but rather, cooperate in a series of exchanges that can produce, not merely individual goods, but also social goods.

In the case of informal learning, however, the structure is much looser. People pursue their own objectives in their own way, while at the same time initiating and sustaining an ongoing dialogue with others pursuing similar objectives. Learning and discussion is not structured, but rather, is determined by the needs and interests of the participants.

  Welcome to the NNEST Interest Section Website! We're glad you're here. As the NNEST CAUCUS we had a great 10 years, and our thanks to all the Caucus Members and all the Caucus Leaders who lead us so well and so far. We must particularly mention all the Caucus Presidents: George Braine, Jun Liu, Lia Kamhi-Stein, Paul Matsuda, Masaki Oda, Ahmar Mahboob, Lucie Moussu, Karen Newman, Luciana C. de Oliveira. Now, as the NNEST INTEREST SECTION, with new roles, new orientations on research, and new areas for outreach, we will work hard to achieve the same kind of success that the Caucus had and we hope you'll join us in making that happen. It is very important to us that the Interest Section find ways to maintain the sense of community, the support for member publication, and the commitment to developing new leaders that so characterized the Caucus. Those are some big shoes to fill, but together we can manage it. Over the next few months as the transition from Caucus to Interest Section occurs, we may need some help from you--engaging in processes like indicating that you want to be an NNEST Interest Section Member (and we hope you'll decide to make the NNEST IS your primary Interest Section), and participating in Interest Section elections (which we intend to carry out online in February so new officers will be ready to lead at the TESOL Convention in Denver). When we have guidance from Central Office on such matters we will let you know as soon as we can--your participation gives our Interest Section all its meaning.. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don't hesitate to contact us--we'll do our best to help Katya Nemtchinova, NNEST IS transitional Chair (and final Chair Elect of the NNEST Caucus!) Brock Brady, NNEST IS transitional Chair Elect   ******************************************************************** What's New   December 2008 The International Association for the Integrational Study of Language and Communication (IAISLC) in collaboration with The Amsterdam Center for Language & Communication (Research group Sociolinguistic aspects of multilingualism) announces an international symposium on"The Native Speaker and the Mother Tongue"December 11-13, 2008 Cape Town, South Africa Call for proposal: Inquiries, abstracts and proposal for papers should be addressed to Nigel Love (nigel.love@uct.ac.za) and Umberto Ansaldo (uansaldo@gmail.com). Closing date for abstracts: 31 Jul 2008   July 2008 New URL: The NNEST Caucus website moved from http://nnest.moussu.net to http://nnest.asu.edu.   June 2008 The TESOL Board of Directors has approved the creation on the NNEST Interest Section. Congratulations to all!   April 2008 The 42nd TESOL Annual Convention and Exhibit will happen on April 2 to 4, in New York,