ABOUT THE AUTHOR


BYRON P. PALLS was born in Greece and immigrated to the United States as a WWII victim soon after completing his secondary education in Athens. He volunteered for service in the U.S. Army and spent his tour of duty in Italy (which he used as a base for extensive travel throughout Europe). In the United States, he earned a BA and MA in Spanish/French, and a Ph.D. in Spanish literature. His dissertation (La evolución de la novelística de Antonio Ferres), was directed by Dr. José Angeles of the University of Valencia, Spain. He has taught English, Latin, Modern Greek, Spanish (etymology, historical grammar, language and literature), comparative literature, literary theory, and Western civilization courses at different institutions of learning, his most recent posts being at the University of Tampa and the Berkeley Preparatory School. He has authored Intermediate Greek Reader and Grammar Review, a second-year college reader; Cultural Portraits: A Synoptic Guide, a resource for educators and those who improve on their knowledge of foreign cultures; and several critical articles on Spanish literature, published in Spain, Mexico and the United States. He developed and directed numerous study-abroad and educational programs in Argentina, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Russia and Spain and has visited many countries in five continents. Among his honors are: membership in the Cum Laude and Sigma Delta Pi honor societies; the prestigious Wershow Award, for his contributions to the field of foreign language edu-cation in Florida; and inclusion in Who's Who publications, i.e., Men of Achievement, International Who’s Who of Intellectuals, Dictionary of International Biography, Who's Who of Greek Origin in Institutions of Higher Learning in the U.S. and Canada, Personalities of the South, et al. He is fluent in Greek, English and Spanish and has a working knowledge of French and Italian. He is a member of the American Association of University Professors, serves as Vice-President of the American/International Foundation for Greek Language and Culture, and volunteers regularly for a number of profes-sional, civic and philanthropic organizations.

ABOUT THE CONSULTANT


Bea Palls is a former Supervisor of Foreign Languages and ESOL of Hernando and Pasco County School Districts of Florida. She holds a BS degree in Elem . Ed./Spanish from the U. of Western Connecticut, an MS in Sec. Ed./TESOL from the U. of Central Connecticut, and an Ed. Leadership Cert. from the U. of S. Florida. She has taught foreign languages, ESOL, Curriculum & Methodology graduate-level courses, and has served on the committees that developed the Florida Sunshine State Standards for Foreign Languages and ESOL, the Florida Curriculum Frameworks, Grade Level Expectations, and the Florida ESOL Certification Test documents. She was named by the Commissioner of Education as a Resource on the Florida Technical Advisors Directory for ESOL &World Languages, is currently Vice-President of B&B Educational Consultants, Inc. and is engaged as a Senior Natl. Ed. Consultant by Santillana USA, Textbook and Prof. Development Divisions. She was an Evaluator for the Infusion Model of ESOL Pre-service Education at FAU and USF. During 2004-2007, Bea co-authored, both in-presence and on-line, ESOL Training for Administrators & School Guidance Counselors, and is the Lead Trainer for both courses. She has given ESOL, Foreign Language and Cross-Cultural training from Florida and New York to California, Mexico City and Costa Rica, as well as for the Department of Defense Education Agency (DODEA) in Washington, DC. She has presented at several World Language and Leadership Conferences throughout the United States and Central America. She co-founded FFLA (Florida Foreign Language Association, Inc.) and was elected its President in 1998. She has served as President of FABES (Florida Assn of Bilingual and ESOL Supervisors), FLAME (Foreign Language Administrators and Managers of Education) and of the SLA (Sanibel Leadership Association), and on the Executive Boards of FFLA, SCAAF and FAISA. She was named the Outstanding Administrator of the Year in Pasco (1994), and was presented the Wershow Award, Florida’s most distinguished state award for her contributions to foreign language education in Florida. Her continued experiences as a world traveler have enhanced her knowledge of and appreciation for world cultures and second language learners.