CATESOL24

This presentation offers insights into workshops offered to Pakistani educational coaches working with refugees from Afghanistan as part of an English Language Specialist assignment in 2023 with the U.S. Department of State. In addition to examining the complexities of delivering virtual workshops in a synchronous, transnational space, the presenter will examine how liminality, uncertainty, and social presence offered opportunities for humanization and connection. The presenter will offer both theoretical and practical insights into virtual Communities of Practice, including specific tools and techniques used for sustained community-building and connection across four distinct geographic locations and a virtual space.