History of PALT

 Founding the Association

The Philippine Association for Language Teaching, Inc. (PALT) is the oldest professional organization of language teachers in the country. It was founded in 1960 by a group of professional language educators headed by Prof. Aurora L. Samonte. Since then the College of Education of the University of the Philippines in Quezon City has been its base.

Goals of the Association

The association primarily devotes itself to the promotion of excellence in language teaching, language education research, and professional development. It does not only concern itself with the teaching of English but also with the teaching of Filipino, local languages, and for some time, foreign languages such as Spanish.

Activities

The establishment of local and regional chapters facilitates the delivery of professional services of the association. PALT holds annual conventions on language teaching that showcase the expertise of the members of the national executive board of officers, its members, and invited scholars here and abroad. In the year 2001, PALT held its first international convention. The most recent international convention took place in 2004. PALT also holds special midyear conventions, especially those that are organized by local chapters. In its effort to establish scholarship in language education, it has launched in the year 2000 the Theses and Dissertation Awards and the Research Grant for those conducting their masteral or doctoral research.

Scholarship and Leadership

Over the years, PALT has served as home to outstanding scholars in the discipline of language education. Some of them include the late Dr. Bonifacio P. Sibayan, Dr. Rosario E. Maminta, Dr. Ma. Lourdes G. Tayao, Prof. Teresita P. Ignacio, Prof. Magelende M. Flores, and Prof. Edna M. Dela Cruz. Most of these seasoned and the new members of the national executive board continue to serve as consultants in various public and private endeavors related to language teaching, especially those managed by the Department of Education. It continues to hone very promising leaders and scholars in the discipline through its constant collaboration with both local and international organizations.

Current Status

At present, PALT is one of the newest country affiliates of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) . Recently, PALT has been installed as the newest country affiliate of the Pan-Asian Consortium for Language Teaching (PAC). In the years to come, PALT will continue to uphold its mission of being a humble and dedicated professional organization at the service of language teachers, teacher educators, and ultimately the students they serve.