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Statutes

Statutes updates last approved at the Joint EB/IC Meeting Lyon 2023

  1. The name of the Association is the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA - from Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée).
  1. AILA is an international and worldwide organization of scholars interested in and active contributors to the multi-disciplinary field of applied linguistics.
  2. The affiliate organizations of AILA, through their members, promote principled approaches to language-related topics.
  3. The objectives of AILA are to:
    1. promote research and teaching dealing with the sub-areas of applied linguistics,
    2. disseminate the results and promote the practical application of this research, and
    3. promote international and interdisciplinary cooperation in applied linguistics.
  4. AILA is to pursue these objectives using all the means at its disposal. In particular AILA is to:
    1. oversee a World Congress of applied linguistics every three years,
    2. facilitate scientific and professional cooperation among its members,
    3. collaborate with other organizations with related objectives and goals,
    4. promote the dissemination of scientific information by a variety of means including its website, AILA Review, and book publications, and
    5. promote multilingualism.
  1. AILA is an association under Swiss law.
  2. Siège Sociale of AILA is Zurich, Switzerland.
  3. The Head-Office of AILA is at the location of the Secretary General.
  4. AILA is a federation of national and regional associations.
  5. AILA may not discriminate against any member, on the grounds of race, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation, language, ethnicity, disability, or political affiliation.
AILA is composed of the following types of members:
  1. Regular Affiliate Member
    1. A Regular Affiliate Member
      1. is a non-profit national or regional organization,
      2. has an active scientific program in the field of applied linguistics.
      3. is a recognized association within its country or region,
      4. has accepted legally-binding statutes or an equivalent form of legally binding principles and procedures,
      5. agrees to undertake the responsibilities of AILA and
      6. should normally have no fewer than 20 members.
    2. Temporary Affiliate Membership may be awarded for up to two years to groups active in the field of applied linguistics while attempting to meet the criteria of regular membership.
  2. Executive Board Member Any individual who is elected to an EB office automatically becomes an Executive Board member for the period of office.
  3. Associate Member An Associate Member is an institution, corporation or non-profit association that has interests and activities relevant to the objectives and practices of AILA.
  4. Individual Member An Individual Member is a person working in the field of applied linguistics in a nation or region where there is no association that is a regular affiliate member.
  5. Honorary Member An Honorary Member is, by nomination only, a person who has made an exceptional contribution to AILA and to the field of applied linguistics.
  1. Continuation of membership is based on compliance with the objectives of AILA as outlined in §2. The Executive Board and International Committee (EBIC) may revoke membership by a vote of 2/3 of the votes cast at its meeting when a member ceases to abide by these objectives.
  2. Regular affiliate members are admitted by a majority vote by EBIC.
  3. EBIC may cancel regular affiliate membership of those affiliates that have not paid their annual dues in the preceding two years.
  4. Individual and Associate members are admitted after acceptance by the Secretary General (SG) and after paying dues to the Treasurer. Membership must be renewed annually.
  5. Any member may leave the organization voluntarily following a 6-month notice in writing to the SG.
  1. AILA is governed by EBIC which consists of an Executive Board (EB) and an International Committee (IC). EBIC meets at least once a year either at the AILA World Congress or, in non-Congress years, at a venue selected by the EB at least nine months prior to the meeting itself. All EBIC members are expected to attend all EBIC meetings.
  2. Executive Board
    1. The EB administers the affairs of AILA and represents AILA in all judicial and extrajudicial proceedings.
    2. EBIC, on the basis of an election under § 2 of the Bylaws, elects from among individuals nominated by Regular Affiliate Members the Executive Board composed of:
      1. a President (P),
      2. a Vice President (VP),
      3. a Past President (PP),
      4. a Secretary General (SG),
      5. a Treasurer (T),
      6. a Research Network (ReN coordinator),
      7. Publications Coordinators (PC),
      8. a Congress and Events Coordinator (CEC),
      9. four Members at Large (ML) and
      10. a co-opted representative, proposed by the host affiliate of the next congress and approved by tha AILA EB.
    3. The duties of the officers are defined by Bylaws § 1.
    4. Elections take place at each World Congress for all positions except President and Past President. The term of office for Vice President is three years. The Vice President moves to the position of President following his/her three-year term as Vice President. The President moves to the position of Past President following his/her three-year term as President. The Secretary General, Treasurer, ReN Coordinator, Publications Coordinators, Congress and Events Coordinator, and Members at Large may be re-elected to the same position only once for a further period of three years. The maximum length of time on the EB for a member is restricted to 9 years. This does not include Vice President, President, and Past President positions. A person can only be Vice President, President, and Past President once.
    5. If there is a vacancy on the EB during the period between the triennial World Congresses, the President has the power to co-opt a temporary replacement until the next EBIC meeting when it is subject to ratification. The term of office of the duly appointed and ratified replacement is until the next World Congress.
    6. The President may co-opt a member of a regular affiliate member to serve on the Executive Board as the need arises.
  3. International Committee
    1. The IC is composed of a single representative from each regular affiliate member.
    2. When an IC representative is elected to the EB, the individual's regular affiliate member is required to elect or appoint a new official representative to the IC.
  4. Proxies
    1. If a regular affiliate member is not able to send a representative to a meeting of EBIC, that regular affiliate member may appoint in writing another EBIC member to serve as its proxy.
    2. A regular affiliate member may not hold more than two proxies.
    3. EB members may hold a proxy exclusively for their own regular affiliate member.
    4. A proxy is to be written and signed and brought to the EBIC meeting to be verified. With the authority of the members of a regular affiliate member, a proxy may be transmitted electronically but must be verified at the EBIC meetings to the SG.
  1. The proceedings of the EBIC meetings are not valid unless a majority of EBIC members are present or represented by proxies.
  2. EBIC meeting
    1. Voting rights are given only to Regular Affiliate Member representatives and EB Members.
    2. The President or, in the President's absence, the Vice-President chairs the meeting.
    3. Resolutions are by a majority vote of the members (present or represented by proxy).
    4. Voting is by a show of hands.
    5. If one member present so wishes, voting may be by secret ballot.
    6. In case of a tie, the President has and must cast the deciding vote.
    7. If EBIC does not have a quorum, the President has the power to call a ballot of EBIC members either by post or electronically.
    8. For procedural matters, Standing Orders shall be followed.
  3. EB meeting
    1. The President, or in the President's absence, the Vice-President chairs the meeting.
    2. The EB makes recommendations to EBIC.
  4. Special IC Meeting
    1. A special meeting of the IC may be convened at the request of two-thirds of the regular affiliate members.
    2. A Chair for that meeting will be elected by only the members present.
    3. The special IC can make recommendations to EBIC.
  5. Appeals
    1. Any member has the right to appeal an EBIC decision.
    2. A written appeal is to be sent to the AILA President who will establish an ad-hoc committee to assess the appeal. The ad-hoc committee will make a recommendation to the President who will present it to EBIC for a decision.
  1. A member pays its annual dues to the AILA treasury within the time specified on the notice of annual dues issued by the Treasurer.
  2. A Regular Affiliate Member pays annual dues on a per capita basis for each of its own members. The actual amount of the dues is to be determined by the EBIC.
  3. A member with temporary status pays reduced annual dues to cover the benefits that it receives.
  4. Individual and Associate Members pay annual dues as determined by EBIC.
  5. The fees for different categories of membership are to be approved each year by EBIC. This information is to be made available on the website.
  1. The fiscal year of AILA starts on January 1 and terminates on December 31 of the same calendar year.
  2. Each year at the annual business meeting of AILA, the Treasurer is to submit, for approval by EBIC, the budgetary statements for the financial year completed, and the budget for the upcoming year.
  3. Each year at the annual business meeting of AILA, EBIC approves of the financial statements that have been audited by a qualified external auditor.
  1. A motion to amend the Statues may only be made at the World Congress. Any member of EBIC may send notice to the SG of a suggested change to the Statutes. Notice must be sent at least three months prior to the World Congress.
  2. The SG is to bring to the attention of EBIC the full details of the amendments or dissolution two months in advance of the World Congress.
  3. A motion to amend the Statutes is not valid unless supported by a majority of those EBIC members present or represented by proxy.
  4. A motion to dissolve AILA may only be made at the World Congress. The motion is not valid unless at least two-thirds of all EBIC members vote.
  5. Amendments to the Statutes are disseminated through the AILA website.
  6. In case of dissolution, AILA assets are to be donated to a language-related non-profit international organization determined by the EB at its final meeting prior to the vote of dissolution. If the vote fails, AILA remains an association with the set of statutes and bylaws in operation at that time.