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Cultivating, Supporting and Treasuring the ELT Profession in Colombia

About us

A forum for everyone involved in English language teaching in Colombia

ASOCOPI was founded in 1965 and remains a non-profit association run by teachers, for teachers.

Mission

ASOCOPI tendrá por objeto principal servir de foro a todos los interesados en el campo de la enseñanza del inglés, para estimular la cooperación profesional, impulsar altos niveles académicos y promover el intercambio de ideas y recursos a nivel nacional e internacional, dentro del marco de respeto mutuo entre educadores y educandos.

En este sentido, ASOCOPI tiene como propósito fomentar la calidad de la enseñanza del inglés en Colombia a través del fortalecimiento de la educación y desarrollo profesional en beneficio de las personas.

Vision

ASOCOPI will be seen as a respectable representative of English teachers and English teaching in Colombia and will play a leading role in the promotion of quality teaching, and social responsibility in our country and the region.

Objectives

  • Identify and promote teamwork among English Language Teachers in Colombia.
  • Strengthen the sense of belonging among the members of the profession.

Governance

National Board 2024–2026

Jhonatan Vásquez-Guarnizo

Jhonatan Vásquez-Guarnizo

President

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English-language professor at Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC). He is pursuing the Interinstitutional Ph.D. in Education, with emphasis in ELT Education, at Universidad del Valle. He holds an M.A. in Education with emphasis on English Didactics from Universidad Externado de Colombia, an M.A. in Language Teaching from the UPTC, and a B.A. in English language teaching from Universidad de la Amazonia. His research interests include materials development, rural education and critical interculturality in ELT. He belongs to the research groups TONGUE at the UPTC and EILA at Universidad del Valle. He was recognised as a Junior Researcher by MinCiencias and as an Academic Peer Reviewer by the National Accreditation Council (CNA).

Andrés Felipe Micán-Castiblanco

Andrés Felipe Micán-Castiblanco

Vice-president

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English language educator-researcher in the Departamento de Estudios del Lenguaje at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. He is pursuing the Interinstitutional Ph.D. in Education, with emphasis in ELT Education, at Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. He holds an M.A. in Neuropsychology and Education (UNIR), an M.A. in Foreign Language Teaching (UPN) and an M.A. in Literary Studies (Universidad Nacional de Colombia). His areas of interest include teachers' narratives, identities and pedagogic knowledge, Anglophone Caribbean literature, and the intersections between pedagogy, linguistics and literary studies.

Jonathan Delgado-Ochoa

Jonathan Delgado-Ochoa

Secretary

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English-language teacher-educator at Institución Universitaria Colombo Americana (ÚNICA) and research assistant at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Education. He holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics and a B.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. His research focuses on inclusion, decolonial studies in ELT, and design in ELT.

Luz Mary Quintero

Luz Mary Quintero

Treasurer

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English-language teacher-educator at Universidad Industrial de Santander and Ph.D. candidate in the Interinstitutional Ph.D. in Education, with emphasis in ELT Education, at Universidad del Valle. She holds a B.A. in Languages from Universidad Industrial de Santander and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics for the Teaching of English from Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. Her research interests include critical interculturality, pre-service English teacher education and community-based pedagogies.

Wendy Jineth Panche Arias

Wendy Jineth Panche Arias

Official spokesperson

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Full-time English-language professor at Fundación Universitaria Compensar. She holds an M.A. in Communication – Education from Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas and a B.A. in Spanish and English from Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. She leads the “Puentes Interculturales” seedbed research group and is a member of the ESTUPOLI research group. Her research interests include critical literacy studies, literature and racialisation within EFL contexts.

Team

ASOCOPI's staff

Arian Cuervo Vargas

Arian Cuervo Vargas

Administrative Manager

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Cultural manager with academic training from Universidad EAN and EMMAT. Since 2020 he has served as President of the VillaJazz Festival Corporation, where he leads administrative planning, artistic curation and logistical production. His experience includes event production and the management of strategic partnerships.

Silvia Lucía Molina Higuera, Ph.D.

Silvia Lucía Molina Higuera, Ph.D.

HOW Journal Editor

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Ph.D. in Language and Culture from Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC). She holds a B.A. in English Language Teaching and a Specialization in Pedagogy from Universidad de la Amazonia, where she is a tenured professor in the B.A. in Foreign Languages with Emphasis on English. Since 2011 she has been a research professor and supervisor of the teaching practicum.

Elianna María Serna Correales

Elianna María Serna Correales

Assistant Editor

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Completed her internship at HOW Journal in 2025 to earn her B.A. in Foreign Languages with emphasis on English and French at Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC). Her academic interests include academic writing, materials development and experiential learning in ELT.

Sileny Villaveces

Sileny Villaveces

Accountant

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Graduated as an accountant from Universidad Externado de Colombia. ASOCOPI's accountant.

Where it started

Founding members

Clare de Silva · Charles Genand · Gabriel Gómez · Anttoine Katah · Helena de Reyes · Beatriz Castilla · Peggy Drumgold · Shuyler Hamilton · Patricia de Morales · W. Leland Northam · Lino Betancourt · Yvonne Garrido · Hugo Acosta · Ruth Romero · Enrique Escobar · Gustavo Troncoso.

In 1990 the Board of Directors created the Clare de Silva Award in honour of one of these founding members, the first President of ASOCOPI.

Be part of the association

Membership is open to undergraduate students, teachers, other professionals, schools, universities and companies.