AILA Newsletter – June 2025
What's on in Applied Linguistics ...
Newsletter
June 2025
Welcome to the second edition of the AILA newsletter in 2025. We invite all to read, share, subscribe and contribute to this vehicle to stay tuned with news from the AILA family. We start this issue by sharing some news from our regional associations, committees, ReNs and national affiliates.
AIALA
The AILA Ibero-America (AIALA) was created in 2020 with the support of the AILA national affiliates AMLA (Mexico), ALAB (Brazil), AESLA (Spain) and AAAL (USA) to promote multilingual collaboration in the region and beyond, increasing the representation of the Ibero-American applied linguists and languages in the field thus reflecting the linguistic diversity in the world and within AILA.
After initial presentations introducing AIALA at the national event of AAAL 2021 and ALAB 2021, AIALA has consistently shown its presence in the annual AAAL event and in the AILA international events having organized symposia at the 2021, 2023 and 2024 editions of the AILA World Congresses in Groningen, Lyon and Kuala Lumpur, respectively.
AIALA @ AAAL 2025
During the AAAL 2025 event held in Denver between March 22nd and 25th this year, AIALA (represented by AAAL representative Anne Marie Guerrettaz) organized a colloquium with two strands: Antiracism, Decolonization, and Intersectionality for Systemic Transformation (ADIST) and Language and Ideology (LID). Organizers from AIALA dialogued with 50 regional scholars presenting broad long-term questions for regional systemic transformation. The questions that guided the colloquium were: What regional innovations are emerging from ‘la lingüística aplicada en las Américas?’ and How can transnational professional relationships among Hispanophone and Lusophone applied linguists systemically transform ‘la lingüística aplicada en las Américas?’. The answers are emergent and complex and three themes structured the colloquium comprising five studies from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Presentations stressed that Latin America is underrepresented in applied linguistics journals (Wiley, 2024) and representatives from AAAL and prominent scholars (Pennycook & Makoni, 2020) called for broader disciplinary equity regarding the “Global South” (e.g. Kramsch, Castañeda-Peña & Gamboa, 2023). In response, the colloquium advanced disciplinary equity and inclusion vis-à-vis Latin America by centering: (1) regional scholars and (2) salient political and epistemological dynamics of Applied Linguistics in the Americas.
AIALA @ ALAB 2025
The Brazilian Association of Applied Linguistics (ALAB) will host the 14th edition of Brazilian Congress of Applied Linguistics (CBLA for the acronym in Portuguese) between July 14th and 18th, 2025, at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS). Celebrating its 35th anniversary (1990–2025), ALAB will bring together members, researchers, students, faculty, and professionals in Applied Linguistics and related fields to disseminate and share research and best practices creating and/or potentializing networks in the field. The 2025 edition of CBLA has the theme "Languages, territories, and bodies in motion" reaffirming ALAB’s commitment to expand the epistemological boundaries of Applied Linguistics, both nationally and internationally.
The symposium organized by AIALA is coordinated by Kyria Finardi, coordinator of AIALA, and Doris Matos, president of ALAB. With the theme "Multilingual Perspectives in Applied Linguistics and Contributions from the Ibero-American Association of Applied Linguistics (AIALA)" the symposium will feature participants and presentations from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, the United States, Mexico, Paraguay, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. AIALA aims to increase the visibility of applied linguists from the region, as well as of speakers of minoritized languages in other regions and from Spanish, Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, promoting the recognition of regional linguistic diversity with an emphasis on the knowledge of Indigenous peoples and historically marginalized communities. The event reaffirms ALAB's commitment to pluriepistemic and internationalized Applied Linguistics, oriented towards linguistic justice with the decolonization of knowledge.
ALAB and JEDI
ALAB reaffirms its commitment to historical reparation, epistemic justice, and territorial equity through affirmative policies aimed at including Black, Indigenous, trans, and socioeconomically vulnerable populations. Among the most recent initiatives is the exemption and reduction of annual fees and event registration fees as part of a policy to promote more equitable access to associative life.
A significant example is the free membership of 15 Indigenous students from the Graduate Program in Letters: Language and Identity at the Federal University of Acre (PPGLI-UFAC), selected through the process "Affirmative Policies: International Decade of Indigenous Languages". This action, resulting from the partnership between PPGLI-UFAC and ALAB, marks an important step in expanding the Association's partnerships with the North Region of Brazil.
This initiative contributes to decentralizing academic practices and valuing the presence of Applied Linguistics in historically marginalized contexts within the circuits of scientific power. It represents a symbolic and political milestone in recognizing the protagonism and intellectual production of Indigenous peoples in the field of Applied Linguistics.
AILA ASEAN and ALAA
At the AILA World Congress in Kuala Lumpur in August 2024, a dynamic symposium - supported by the Australian High Commission in Malaysia - brought together Early Career Researchers (ECRs) from across ASEAN nations (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and Australia, alongside established leaders in the field.
Building on papers accepted at AILA 2024, the ECRs presented forward-thinking ideas for advancing their research beyond the conference, turning initial findings into long-term projects. Experienced researchers participated as discussants, offering feedforward - not just feedback, but strategic, future-focused advice designed to foster growth and leadership in the field.
The energy and collaboration sparked at the symposium have already borne fruit: the group has launched its first collective initiative - an edited volume led by three ECRs, with mentorship from a senior scholar and contributions from others in the cohort. This project marks an exciting step in nurturing the next generation of academic voices across the region.
This initiative is coordinated by Elke Stracke (ALAA), Azirah Hashim (MAAL/AILA ASEAN) and Shameem Rafik-Galea (MAAL).
Applied Linguistics in Europe
As part of preparations for the next AILA-Europe Junior Research Meeting's EUJAL issue, we aim to replicate a study conducted in the early 2000s by Karlfried Knapp.
If you are a member of one of the AILA-Europe affiliates, we warmly invite you to complete the survey available at the link below. It will take approximately 10 minutes, and the deadline for submission is June 15, 2025.
Survey link: https://enquetes.univ-lorraine.fr/index.php/689722?lang=en
Please note that the survey is fully compliant with GDPR regulations. All responses are anonymous and securely stored on the University of Lorraine servers via the LimeSurvey platform. Data will be retained for 10 years and may be used for scientific publications.
China English Language Education Association (CELEA)
- The 2025 Annual Conference of China English Language Education Association will be held in Chongqing on October 17-19, 2025. The theme of the conference is “English Teaching in the New Era: New Approaches for Intercultural Communication and Mutual Learning”.
- CELEA is going to host the 24th AsiaTEFL International Conference (May 29-31, 2026). The theme of the conference is “ELT in a Changing World: Global Challenges and New Opportunities”.
- CELEA signed a cooperation and exchange agreement with the Korea Association of Teachers of English (KATE) in February, 2025. Prof. Sun Youzhong will attend the KATE2025 Conference on July 17-18, 2025.
- CELEA council member, Prof. Mu Yang will attend the 2025 JACET International Convention in Japan on August 26-28, 2025.
AAAL News
As leaders of a professional organization, the AAAL Executive Committee opposes the United States Presidential Executive Order issued on March 1, 2025, “Designating English as the Official Language of the United States.” In doing so, they reaffirm AAAL’s mission of building and sustaining just and equitable conditions for individuals, communities, and societies. A commitment to protecting linguistic rights, supporting multilingualism and multiculturalism, and promoting ethical and informed understandings of language-related processes and practices through evidence-based research lies central in this mission. The full statement can be viewed at:
Also, AAAL published another manifest in March. The U.S. Department of Education announced on March 11, 2025 that it would reduce the Department’s workforce by nearly 50%. As a professional organization dedicated to advancing language education, multilingualism, and international engagement, the AAAL Executive Committee is deeply concerned about reports suggesting that two major offices under the purview of the Department – the International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office and Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) - could be eliminated, in line with the Department’s proposed reorganization. The IFLE office administers Title VI and Fulbright-Hays grant and fellowship programs that prepare U.S. students, teachers, and citizens to address global challenges by fostering a deeper understanding of languages, cultures, places, and peoples. OELA provides national leadership to help ensure that English learners (ELs) and immigrant students attain English proficiency and achieve academic success. While no formal announcement regarding the shutdown of the two offices has been made, we urge policymakers to reaffirm their commitment to the essential programs run by these two offices whose elimination will have a direct and long-lasting impact on language education and research designed to better serve multilingual communities. The AAAL Executive Committee will work with peer language professional organizations and through their representative at the Joint National Committee for Languages-National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS), which is committed to ensuring that Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language, in order to affirm the importance of multilingualism and multiculturalism both abroad and within the United States, and to protect all individuals’ rights to language education. The full statement can be seen at:
https://www.aaal.org/aaal-ec-committee-statement-on-the-us-doe-workforce-reduction
During the AAAL 2025 event, the editors of all major AL and SLA journals conversed and debated items of mutual interest in their online JOURNAL EDITORS GROUP, which has been managed by Dr Graeme Porte (Editor of the CUP journal Language Teaching) for the last 16 years. In that time its membership (by invitation) has grown from an initial 20 editors to well over 50 - itself reflecting the increasing number of journals out there aiming to provide a platform for research in the many subfields of AL and SLA. Recent discussions have included how to work with plagiarism in submissions, paper mills and how to detect and report these, the use of AI in submissions, and how to encourage new reviewers onto the journals. Through this forum, the manager also organizes the annual Editors open meeting, which is presented to attendees at the AAAL conference (see below for this year's offering in Denver). Over the last few years these have attracted over 300 attendees and have proven one of the most popular sessions in post-conference feedback questionnaires.
To see Summary of Editors' Open Meeting in Denver AAAL 2025: click here.
News from AILA Research Networks (ReNs)
Discover the ReN "Research & Educational Cultures in Applied Linguistics" (RECAL)
Coordinated by Paola Gamboa and Claire Kramsch, this Research Network invites scholars and educators to rethink applied linguistics across cultural and institutional boundaries. Read the open-access interview in International Journal of Applied Linguistics (Wiley):
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijal.12752?af=R
AILA continues to promote its ReNs
Join us for the first joint webinar hosted by the EMEVEDI and Inclusive FL Education Research Networks which will take place on 25 June 2025 from 1:00–2:00 PM (CEST), and explore the theme of 'Thinking inclusivity in Applied Linguistics'. Registration is required for this free webinar. The connection link will be sent a few days before the event.
Register here: https://evento.renater.fr/survey/aila-ren-webinar-emevedi-inclusive-fl-education-n58uhhxg?lang=en
Shaping Inclusion: JEDI at a Glance
The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee is tasked with ensuring AILA practices promote JEDI, proposing meaningful changes when needed, and proposing objective ways to measure the potential impact of these changes.
Explore key concepts and values surrounding Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) - a central focus for AILA as we foster inclusive, impactful research and collaboration across our global network.
Publications
UNESCO
Some UNESCO recent publications related to its Intercultural Competence Chair are:
- Global citizenship and peace education: https://www.unesco.org/en/global-citizenship-peace-education
- Unmasking racism: Guidelines for education materials book. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000388802
- Mainstreaming social and emotional learning in education systems (2024):
UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education: Here
News of Relevant Organizations
IATBLT
The International Conference on Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) took place April 2–4 in Groningen, the Netherlands, bringing together 347 participants from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Celebrating 20 years of TBLT conferences, scholars and practitioners engaged in task-based research and pedagogy convened to share the latest developments in the field, highlighting the vibrant interplay between theory and practice in language teaching and learning.
Hosted collaboratively by faculty at the University of Groningen and the International Association for Task-Based Language Teaching (IATBLT), this year’s conference centered on the theme of, “Task-Based Leveraging of Technology.” The program featured an engaging mix of paper presentations, workshops, and plenaries. In line with IATBLT’s commitment to accessibility and knowledge sharing, all plenary sessions were live-streamed and are now available for open-access on-demand viewing on the TBLTea YouTube channel.
On a personal note, it was a pleasure to reconnect in person with current and former AILA EB/IC members Rasmus Steinkrauss, Marjolijn Verspoor, and Audrey Rousse-Malpat, as well as TAAL President Kornwipa Poonpon, who organized an invited colloquium. Steinkrauss and Verspoor were on the scientific and organizing committees, and Audrey served as Conference Co-Chair and Social Chair, alongside Conference Chair Marije Michel.
TBLT is an active subdomain within the field of instructed second language acquisition (ISLA), offering a robust framework for both empirical research and pedagogical application. By centering research and learning on authentic, real-world tasks, TBLT aligns closely with the broader objectives of applied linguistics and overlaps with current AILA priorities focused on meaningful, real-world impact.
Looking ahead, we warmly invite you to keep an eye out for the Call for Papers for our next conference, to be held in August 2027 in Honolulu, Hawai’i, immediately following the AILA World Congress in Vancouver. Visit tblt2027hawaii.com for updates.
To learn more about TBLT, explore membership, or get involved in our global community of researchers and educators, visit iatblt.org, or contact current IATBLT President Laura Gurzynski-Weiss at .
Call for Chapters
Edited Volume: Handbook of Teaching, Learning and Artificial Intelligence
To be published by: Edward Elgar Publishing
Edited by:
Dr. Lucas Kohnke, The Education University of Hong Kong
Prof. Di Zou, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Prof. Benjamin L. Moorhouse, City University of Hong Kong
Overview
This Handbook of Teaching, Learning, and Artificial Intelligence aims to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and global perspective on integrating AI across educational contexts. The volume will bring together scholars and practitioners to explore how AI technologies are reshaping educational theory, practice, policy and ethics.
The handbook is organised around four thematic sections:
1. The role of AI in teacher education and professional development
2. Disciplinary perspectives on AI in teaching and learning
3. Ethical, equitable, and human-centered approaches to AI use
4. Future directions and innovations in AI-driven education.
We welcome contributions that are theoretical, empirical, conceptual, or practice-based, and encourage submissions from diverse global, methodological, and disciplinary perspectives.
Proposal Submission Details:
Deadline: August 1, 2025
Submission: Please email a 500–600 word abstract outlining:
- The context of your chapter
- Methodology or approach
- Contribution to the field in one of the four key areas.
Submit proposal to: Dr Lucas Kohnke,
Call for Chapters
Edited Volume: Generative AI in Teacher Education: A Handbook for Teacher Learning and Development
To be published by: Springer
Edited by: Dr. Lucas Kohnke, The Education University of Hong Kong
We are inviting chapter proposals for a forthcoming edited volume that explores the intersection of generative artificial intelligence and teacher learning and development, with a focus on both pre-service and in-service educators.
This handbook will provide a comprehensive and critically informed resource for understanding how generative AI is reshaping teacher education, professional development, and pedagogical practice across diverse educational contexts.
Suggested Topics (but not limited to):
- Integrating GenAI into pre-service teacher education programs
- GenAI and professional learning for in-service teachers
- AI literacy and teacher agency
- Ethical, social, and pedagogical implications of GenAI for teachers
- Case studies of GenAI use in teacher PD or practicum contexts
- Equity, access, and inclusion in AI-supported teacher learning
- Reflective practices, identity formation, and AI
- Cross-cultural or comparative insights into GenAI in teacher development
We welcome diverse methodological approaches and international perspectives.
Proposal Submission Details:
Deadline: June 18, 2025
Submission: Please email a 200-300 word abstract outlining:
- The context of your chapter
- Methodology or approach
- Contribution to the field of teacher learning and development
Submit your proposal to: Dr Lucas Kohnke,
CFP TBLT
Task-Based Language Teaching has been widely researched and implemented in second language (L2) education over the past several decades (East, 2021; Ellis et al., 2019; Skehan, 1998; Willis & Willis, 2007). With its emphasis on communicative, real-world tasks that promote meaningful interaction, TBLT has gained traction across various educational contexts, including English as a Second Language (ESL) and French as a Second Language (FSL) programs in Canada (Gutiérrez, 2024; Payant & Michaud, 2020; Wouters et al., 2023). Despite its growing popularity, TBLT continues to present implementation challenges, especially in standardized curricula, technology-mediated environments, and multilingual classrooms. This special issue seeks to explore emerging innovations and persistent challenges in TBLT, offering new insights into its application in both Canadian and international settings. Papers written in English or French will be considered. We welcome papers for inclusion in one of three sections: “Full-Length Research Articles” (original research), “Perspectives” (theoretical explorations of relevant issues), and “In the Classroom” (pedagogical focus). Please refer to the TESL Canada Journal author guidelines for more information: http://www.teslcanadajournal.ca/index.php/tesl/about/submissions.
Interested authors are invited to submit a 400-word abstract (including references) to by August 1st, 2025. Notice of abstract acceptance will be emailed by August 31st. Full manuscripts are due January 5th, 2026 and will be subject to a double-blind review process. The special issue will be published in Fall 2026. If you have any questions or queries about this special issue, please contact Gabriel Michaud at .
Upcoming Events
The Call for Papers for the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (ALAA) 2025 Conference is open. The conference will be held in Darwin from November 17 to 19 with the theme ‘Language and the interface of mono-/multi-/translingual mindsets.’ The CFP has recently been extended to June 10. For further information visit here.
ELINET
ELINET is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual ELINET Conference held in conjunction with the 6th EMI Symposium, Transforming Education, Transforming Lives, which will take place on 3–4 July 2025 at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. The event will be held in conjunction with the 6th English Medium Instruction (EMI) Symposium. Confirmed speakers include Dr. Ali Fuad Selvi, Dr. Ikuya Aizawa, Prof. David Lasagabaster, Prof. Julia Reckermann, Dr. Samantha Curle, and Prof. Rowland Imperial. This international conference will bring together leading scholars and practitioners to examine key developments in (English) Medium Instruction, Global Englishes, and the interplay of internationalization, languages, and education. For more information visit the site:
Bridging Applied Linguistics and STEM Communication
Dr. Glenda El Gamal, Secretary General of AILA and Senior Lecturer at Khalifa University, the UAE’s leading university, was recently featured in a video podcast discussing the critical role of communication in STEM and how AI is reshaping the way complex scientific content is conveyed. In just four weeks, the video podcast has garnered over 150,000 views, a clear indicator of the demand for effective communication strategies in technical fields.
The video podcast, hosted by Khalifa University, aligns with AILA’s EmTechAL – Emerging Technologies in Applied Linguistics ReN, emphasizing the importance of bridging the gap between research, emerging technologies and broader audiences through accessible, impactful communication. To watch the video podcast and explore how applied linguistics can elevate STEM communication, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZIAKwRxtUM
This initiative underscores AILA’s ongoing commitment to advancing applied linguistics in interdisciplinary contexts, reinforcing the importance of impactful communication across academic and professional domains.
Stay Vigilant: Email Phishing Scams Targeting AILA Members
By Glenda El Gamal, AILA Secretary General.
Recently, several members of the AILA community have reported receiving suspicious emails from individuals falsely claiming to be Kyria, AILA President, or Rasmus, AILA Treasurer, requesting money or other sensitive information. These are phishing scams designed to deceive recipients into sharing personal or financial details.
While we have taken measures to address these incidents, it is important to remain vigilant. With public-facing websites, such scams are unfortunately common and difficult to completely eliminate.
If you receive an email that seems suspicious – particularly one requesting money or personal information – please do the following:
- Ignore the email. Do not respond or engage with the sender.
- Do not open attachments or click on any links within the email.
- Be vigilant. If you are uncertain about an email’s legitimacy, contact us directly to verify.
Your caution helps protect our community. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and vigilance.
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 .
Best wishes,
Kyria
Professor Kyria Finardi
President, AILA International Association of Applied Linguistics