AILA Newsletter – December 2024
What's on in Applied Linguistics ...
Newsletter
December 2024
Welcome to the December 2024 AILA Newsletter. Considering the current global scenario of enduring wars and crises, I would like to finish this year with a message of hope and an invitation to think together about ways in which we, applied linguists, can make a difference for a better world.
As part of its strategic collaborations, AILA has a longstanding relationship with UNESCO having endorsed its Sustainable Development Agenda (https://aila.info/about/endorsements/policies-guidelines/un-2030-sustainable-development/). Moreover, we share an interest in the role of languages and intercultural competence for a more peaceful world. So as to stay tuned with the latest news by UNESCO, in this issue we share some highlights from the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competences newsletter published recently by Dr. Darla K. Deardorff, UNESCO Chairholder. For those who would like to read the news in full or subscribe to its quarterly newsletter, please write to: .
Highlights UNESCO Chair Intercultural Competences Newsletter
The newsletter highlights the UN Summit of the Future, emphasizing peacebuilding through intercultural dialogue, human rights, governance reform, and the role of multilingualism in global cooperation. The role of applied linguists is vital in fostering inclusivity, language accessibility, and ethical use of technology.
AILA Research Networks (ReNs)
AILA Research Networks (ReNs) (https://aila.info/research/list-of-rens/) aim to tackle important matters and advance research on specific topics of applied linguistics through the collaborative effort of scholars working on innovative research perspectives. ReNs also synthesize knowledge, examine the state of art, stimulate collaborations and identify promising directions in research areas of worldwide significance for applied linguistics.
Currently AILA has 22 ReNs that tackle important issues for the aforementioned UN agenda and that include, but are not limited to: the role of English and other languages in education and implications for multilingualism, the importance of multilingual education, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Language Policy and Planning, open scholarship, migration, content and language integrated learning, academic publishing, inclusive education, English as a lingua Franca and Virtual Exchange, to name but a few.
With an eye to further develop intra and inter-regional collaborations through AILA, we take this opportunity to share a report of submissions to AILA Research Networks for the period of 2024-2027. AILA Research Networks (ReNs) promote research and its dissemination in all academic areas of Applied Linguistics with a particular focus on areas that have the potential for new cross-disciplinary research. Typically, ReNs involve at least five members from at least three countries. Results of the application for ReNs will be out in January and a report can be seen here.
Highlights Events and Call for Papers
BAAL
The 58th annual British Association for Applied Linguistics conference will be hosted by the University of Glasgow, between 4th and 6th September 2025. The conference theme is "Applied linguistics in the face of global challenges and local needs". Please look out for an official call for papers in January, with a deadline for proposals on 31 March. The conference team can be contacted on .
LSPIC
The Linguistic Society of the Philippines has recently announced the Call for Papers for their upcoming international conference to be held on April 24-26, 2025.
Details can be found here: https://www.lsphil.net/post/536b624c
AESLA
The Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA) and the Organizing Committee of this edition of the Association’s annual conference are pleased to invite you to the 42nd International Conference of the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA), organized by the Department of Spanish, Modern, and Classical Philology (English Philology), which will take place from April 2 to 4, 2025, at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB, Palma, Mallorca) on the UIB Campus (Spain).
The two cornerstones of this conference will be language acquisition and teaching and intercultural and multilingual communication in the digital age.
Each participant may submit a maximum of two proposals, in Spanish, English, or Catalan, from October 31, 2024, until the submission deadline of proposals on December 20, 2024 through the conference website platform (https://evaluaciones.aesla.org.es/). For more detailed information about the organization of AESLA 2025, visit https://aesla.uib.eu or contact .
TAML2, Madrid 2025!
Next edition of the Tense, Aspect and Modality in L2 (TAML2) conference, which we'll be hosting at the Complutense University of Madrid between November 27 - 28, 2025. Deadline for abstract submission: 19 January, 2025, by email to or visit their Website: https://eventos.ucm.es/122980/detail/tense-aspect-and-modality-in-l2-taml2.html
CELEA
The 2025 Annual Conference of the China English Language Education Association (CELEA) will be held in Chongqing on October 17-19, 2025. For a report of the 2024 event and other activities by CELEA in 2024, click here.
ICLHE
The Organizing Committee of the International Conference on Language and Higher Education - ICLHE - invites you to their 8th edition, the ICLHE 2025 Conference themed "EMInclusion: Integrating Language and Content for Egalitarian Higher Education" that will take place from September 24 to 27, 2025, at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The conference focuses on the complexities of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) and Other Languages as a Medium of Instruction (OLMI), promoting dialogue on fostering inclusivity and linguistic diversity in higher education. Participants are invited to submit proposals in one of seven tracks, exploring themes such as linguistic inclusion, identity, language policies, and the role of languages in higher education. Contributions may take the form of papers, experience reports, posters, workshops, or colloquia. Submissions will be accepted from December 10th, 2024, to January 19, 2025, via https://www.even3.com.br/8thiclhe/. For detailed information about the conference, visit ICLHE 2025 or contact the Organizing Committee at or on Instagram @iclhe2025conference.
CFP Local Voices, Global Impact: Examining the role of English in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts of the Global South
We are pleased to invite researchers, educators, and advocates to contribute chapters to an upcoming edited volume titled “Local Voices, Global Impact: Examining the role of English in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts of the Global South”, for submission as an edited volume to Routledge. This volume is edited by Dr. Mona Nishizaki (University of Genoa), Dr. Rafael Timmermann (Federal University of Pará), and Prof. Dr. Kyria Finardi (Federal University of Espírito Santo) and aims to identify, interrogate and hopefully interrupt the ongoing legacies of colonialism that continue to shape education systems across the Global South, with particular focus on whose knowledge, experiences, and perspectives are centered and whose are marginalized. At the same time, as we observe a growth in English Medium Instruction (EMI) as the internationalization of higher education accelerates, we seek to highlight how the Global South can carve its own place in this evolving landscape while promoting multilingualism in situated, decolonized educational practices. This book will showcase local voices and experiences that connect to global trends, emphasizing the importance of multilingualism and decolonization in shaping more inclusive and equitable educational futures. We welcome contributions that explore both theoretical frameworks and practical approaches from diverse contexts within the Global South. Submissions may include but are not limited to:
- Original research studies
- Conceptual/theoretical papers
- Case studies of best practices
- Policy analyses
- Reflections on grassroots initiatives
We are particularly interested in chapters addressing one or more of the following broad themes:
- Decolonizing Education: Reclaiming Knowledge and Epistemologies in the Global South
- Multilingualism and Linguistic Justice in Postcolonial Contexts
- English as a Global Language: Opportunities and Challenges for the Global South
- Navigating Globalization: The Global South in the Internationalized Higher Education Landscape
- Pedagogical Innovations: Bridging Local and Global Contexts in Multilingual Classrooms
- Language, Power, and Identity in Higher Education: Whose Voices Are Heard?
- Policy, Equity, and Access in Education in and for the Global South
- English Medium Instruction (EMI) and Its Impact on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Grassroots Educational Movements: possibilities and challenges for Local Voices and Global Advocacy
- Technology in Education: exploring affordances and challenges in a Multilingual-Interconnected World
We invite contributions that critically engage with these topics from local perspectives, emphasizing the ways in which educational practices in the Global South can influence and reshape global discourses. Contributors are encouraged to provide contextually grounded insights that reflect the realities of multilingualism, colonial legacies, and the push for decolonization in educational settings.
Submission Guidelines:
Please submit an abstract (300–500 words) that clearly outlines your chapter's focus, methodology (if applicable), and how it relates to the overarching themes of the volume. Please submit your abstract and biography to .
Key Dates:
- Abstract submission deadline: 15 January 2025
- Notification of acceptance: 15 February 2025
- Full chapter submission deadline: 15 August 2025
For inquiries, please contact the editors at .
Obituary
GAL / AILA
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our colleague Wolfgang Kuehlwein on September 23, 2024, at the age of 84. We would like to express our sincere condolences to his family. Professor Kuehlwein was president of GAL, the German affiliate of AILA, from 1977 to 1986, and Vice President of AILA from 1981 to 1987. GAL and AILA are grateful for his service to the field of Applied Linguistics and will honor his memory!
A full obituary (in German) can be found by clicking here:
https://gal-ev.de/nachruf-auf-prof-dr-wolfgang-kuehlwein/
Markus Bieswanger (Vice President of AILA and Past President of GAL)
Forthcoming Affiliates’ Conferences and Other Events
Stay Tuned
To receive the AILA newsletter, register at https://aila.info/members/welcome/newsletter/ and please share it widely, keeping us up to date about relevant actions and events to be announced in the upcoming issues. We plan to publish newsletters in March, June, September and December every year and invite all affiliates to send us updates and news to include in them. To keep us up to date with news and contacts from your affiliate, please write to .
With best wishes of happy holidays, especially to those colleagues and friends who will be celebrating Christmas, with hopes for peace for all for the new year.
Best wishes,
Kyria
Professor Kyria Finardi
President, AILA International Association of Applied Linguistics