The TESL Canada Journal (http://www.teslcanadajournal.ca) is soliciting proposals from prospective guest editors for the 2024 Special Issue. The TESL Canada Journal is an open access, refereed journal for practicing teachers, teacher educators, graduate students, and researchers. As the federally funded flagship journal of the TESL Canada Foundation since 1984, its mandate is to publish articles that contribute to the advancement of the teaching and learning of English and French as second languages in Canada; second language teacher education; and the maintenance and development of minority, heritage, or Aboriginal languages. All published articles receive DOIs and are archived by Portico and LOCKSS.
The TESL Canada Journal (TCJ) publishes one (or two) Special Issue per year (in the late autumn) and two regular issues. Special Issue topics are selected by the Journal Advisory Committee.
Guest editors are responsible for the review process and the selection of content. Special Issues are published online only, on the TESL Canada Journal open access website (http://www.teslcanadajournal.ca). Previous Special Issues include the following:
2023-Second Language Writing in Canada: Research, Theory, and Instruction
2022- Plurilingualism and Translanguaging: Pedagogical Approaches for Empowerment
and Validation
2020- Corrective Feedback in Language Teaching and Learning: Connecting Research and Practice
2019- 1) Language and Higher Education, 2) Building capacity for 21st century digital ELT practices
2018 - The Shifting Landscape of Professional Self-Development for ELT Practitioners in Canada
2017 - Formulaic Language in English Language Acquisition and Teaching
2016 - Refugees in Canada: ESL for Resilience and Empowerment
2015 - Language Assessment in Canada: Critical Issues and Research Agenda
2014 - Task-Based Language Teaching and Learning
2013 - Teaching and Learning Pragmatics in TESL
2012 - Generation 1.5 in Canada: Multiple Perspectives on a Shifting Demographic Landscape
2011 - Ethics in Cross-Cultural, Cross-Linguistic Research
Please include the following details in your proposal:
Proposed title
Guest Editor(s), Affiliation, Contact information
Rationale for a Special Issue on this topic (including its current relevance to TESL in Canada) (maximum 4 pages; please place references at the end of the proposal)
Overview of proposed contents: a brief description of the theme, with topics to be included
List of possible contributors and proposed means of soliciting submissions (including conferences)
Qualifications of the Guest Editor(s) (including previous related experience and familiarity with the TESL Canada Journal)
Proposed timeline for Fall 2024 publication
References
Please submit your proposals to: by September 15, 2023. In the subject line, please insert “TESL Canada Journal 2024 Special Issue Proposal”. Please direct questions regarding proposals to Farahnaz Faez at or Antonella Valeo
International Conference on Multilingual and Multicultural Learning: Policies and Practices 3 (MMLPP 3) is to be held at Yerevan State University in Yerevan, Armenia from 24 to 25 May 2024. Confirmed keynote speakers are:
Zhu Hua, University College London Elizabeth Lanza, University of Oslo Li Wei, University College London
The conference website is: https://mmlpp2023.wordpress.com
If you have questions re: the conference or you want to make a submission, please contact us at
The title of the conference is: The 11th International Language Conference on the Importance of Learning Professional Foreign Languages for Communication between Cultures with the following topics:
Role of languages for specific purposes in the 21st century,
Intercultural dimension of an LSP course,
Use of technology in LSP courses
Digital genres in academic settings,
Preparation of materials for LSP teaching,
Authentic and adapted materials in an LSP course
Assessment and grading in an LSP course,
Teacher professional development
LSP teacher education & pre-service education of teachers
Discourse markers for LSP teaching
Genre analysis of LSP materials
Globalization and cross-cultural communication
If you need any further information, feel free to contact us at
or
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Conference Theme: The issue of specialised varieties of language in Applied Languages: the case of English and other languages
Université de Nantes, France
March 19–21, 2020
Call for Papers
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and LEA (Applied Languages) have been linked for many decades. Indeed, many ESP colleagues teach in Applied Languages and Applied Languages departments look to recruit ESP profiles as much as LANSOD (Languages for Students of Other Disciplines) departments do. However, this tangible professional convergence has not yet resulted in a scientific dialogue between the two types of foreign language training programmes, despite the many attempts made by colleagues involved in both areas.
The 41st GERAS International conference will take place in 2020 at the University of Nantes, which has a strong and vibrant LEA department. The scientific committee sees this as an excellent opportunity to reopen up the debate on the issue of specialised varieties of language in LEA in order to highlight not only the professional convergence between ESP and LEA, but also the convergence between linguistic content and pedagogical approaches.
In this context, the first issue that arises concerns the scientific divergences and convergences between the terms “applied language” and “specialised language”. Apparently, ESP and LEA are not exempt from the “contradiction” highlighted by Elisabeth Crosnier, who observed that the professional world and the academic context are “two culturally opposed worlds” (2002: 158–159). On the contrary, “specialisation” and “application” both refer to dimensions outside of the language, which are professionalising and/or disciplinary in nature and thus seem to belong to the same “functional” cultural world. What theoretical and practical differences differentiate them? What factors oppose them and/or place them in a position of complementarity? In this regard, Applied Linguistics approaches can offer insights for exploring possible answers.
A second issue concerns the role that language specialisation can play in LEA. This issue can be approached from many different perspectives, but three in particular come to mind. The first is driven by the increasingly widespread trend to steer the LEA cursus from a multidisciplinary approach towards greater specialisation and professional training. In other words, from a multidisciplinary base of subjects at the undergraduate level including economics, law and management, the courses lead to a wide range of specialisations at master’s level covering: international marketing, international logistics, international business, management of humanitarian, cultural or international projects, sustainable development design and planning, corporate social responsibility, fair trade, digital documentation, catering and tourism, wine economics, oenology and gastronomy among others… These specialisations seem difficult to implement without a parallel specialisation of language skills. So how should we go about this? What lessons have been learned in this area? These questions renew the recurring debate about the absence of relations between languages and vocational subjects, as summed up by E. Crosnier – “the notion of ‘applied language’ has not been widely implemented”. She went on to say “with this general training, students have perfected their knowledge of the language, but without really having access to specialised fields with a view to applying them” (2002: 160). However, this view has been challenged in recent years by a growing number of LEA courses, which place language learning and their application to specialist subjects at the heart of their curriculum.
One way to approach the problem could be to look at the different specialised genres whether they be open, hybrid, evolutionary, transversal or hyper-genre in nature etc. The aim would be to make LEA students aware that genres reflect messages specific to a professional culture and setting and help them to achieve particular goals in particular situations. Genre analysis – particularly contrastive genre analysis – could make LEA students more aware of the notion of specialisation and the tools it provides to serve its purposes.
A second approach is specialised translation, which is included in many LEA courses and can take various forms (professional, business, legal, corporate, scientific and technical translation, etc.). It questions the relationship between language and a specialty and the optimal degree of specialisation that can be offered according to the nature of the course (Crosnier 2002: 161–162). This offers the opportunity to examine the extent to which Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP), designed as complex “language-discourse-culture” sets, can go beyond a level of specialised granularity limited to the lexicon or terminology.
A third way to address the problem is through civilisation classes. These modules generally account for many hours in LEA course schedules. Gilles Leydier points out that “the multidisciplinary and vocational nature [of LEA] with its multiple career opportunities” places heavy demands on civilisation courses, but that “civilisation programmes in LEA often resemble an endless inventory” (2004b : 136). In fact, very generalist modules, often directly imported from the LLCE (Languages and Literature) department, can often be found alongside more vocationally oriented modules. The author also highlights the convergence between LSPs and civilisation since “it is difficult to design studies on specialised language without taking into account the surrounding civilisational and cultural context” (2004a: 18–19). With this in mind, Michel Van der Yeught examines the conditions under which specialised language can serve civilisation in LEA: “specialist domains and languages are an important vector for promoting and studying civilisation” (2006: 258). There are, therefore, a number of avenues to explore in LEA between civilisation and LSP.
The need to ensure consistency between the aforementioned specialist linguistic content and the professional skills that LEA students need for their future career raises questions about pedagogical methods. As Marie-Françoise Narcy-Combes (2008: 133) points out, LEA students must “be able to carry out a project as part of a team, conduct research and report on it in one or more languages, be able to be autonomous and take responsibility”. In this regard, action-oriented approaches such as task-based language learning and teaching, project-based learning and other innovative pedagogical methods including technology mediated learning help to reduce the distance between the academic context and the business world.
A third issue concerns the relationship between English and the other languages taught in LEA (often referred to as “Language B”). LEA programmes are bilingual with English often designated as the compulsory Language A combined with a varying selection of Languages B, ranging from four to twelve depending on the university. Even though GERAS conferences focus on issues related to English, it is difficult to imagine discussing specialisation in terms of English in LEA without taking into account its impact on other languages. Even if ESP were to become fully integrated into LEA, would it make sense to include it as the only specialised language in the programme? It seems not and in any case ESP would certainly benefit from a general increase in linguistic specialisation, which would act as a unifying force to the benefit of all LSPs.
In a sense, the rapid development of LEA challenges traditional monolingual perspectives and suggests that there is an urgent need to open up the debate. The rapid growth and increasing success of trilingual programmes (which often include specialist translation modules), as well as the emergence of quadrilingual and multilingual programmes, offer a clear demonstration of this trend. To ensure the inner consistency of these types of programmes, linguistic specialisation cannot be limited to one or two languages, but rather should apply to all languages. In this respect, GERAS has a wealth of experience in exchanging with the members of other research groups like GERES (Groupe d’étude et de recherche en espagnol de spécialité) and GERALS (Groupe d’étude et de recherche en allemand de spécialité). This could be used to develop greater specialisation of other languages frequently offered in LEA including Italian, Portuguese, Arabe, Russian… Colleagues teaching these languages could help guide the overall thinking on these issues in ways that the organising committee will have to determine. This last set of questions clearly paves the way for contrastive approaches between languages and proposals in contrastive linguistics are likely to advance reflection within the wider community of linguists.
There is every indication that the issues surrounding the specialisation of languages in LEA touch on a considerable number of subjects which are vital to the ESP field of research: culture and civilisation (and therefore diachrony and specialised communities), translation (and therefore lexicology, terminology, discourse and genre analysis, work on corpora), didactics, dialogue with other LSPs and their culture...We welcome papers on any of these topics and on related subjects.
Submission guidelines
Please submit your abstract according to the guidelines below.
Languages: French or English Word limit: 300 Deadline: 10 January 2020
The 47th Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC) of the International Language Testing Association will be held June 2-6, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hilton in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Theme: Global to Local Language Assessment
One increasing area of interest in our field is the extent to which assessment activities are situated in their relevant contexts (DeLuca et al., 2019). Contexts may refer to anything from the micro-context of a language classroom to macro-contexts of the societies where large-scale language tests operate, including pedagogical, linguistic, social, and political elements (Saville, 2012). As Jin (2017) notes, “Context is vitally important in conceptualizing the construct and specifying the content of language learning, teaching, and assessment” (p. 1). For the 47th LTRC, we invite submissions that address this tension between global and local concerns, such as the search for universal scales and models for large scale language tests vs. the drive to explore local context-bound assessment needs and practices. Given this theme, and given that the conference is being held in Quebec, presentations are welcome in English or in bilingual English/French formats.
Proposals due: September 30, 2025
Notifications sent out: December, 2025
Presentation categories
LTRC2026 invites proposals for the presentation types listed below. Except for symposia, each proposal should be no longer than 500 words and must be accompanied by a summary of 250 words. The 500-word proposal will be evaluated by the reviewers, but only the 250-word summary will be available to conference attendees.
Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria and weighting:
1)Relevance to the conference theme (10%): i.e., a consideration of the local context in the contribution, or addressing the tension between global and local concerns
2)Conceptual framework (25%): Appropriateness and detail of the conceptual framework underlying the contribution.
3)Argument and Methodology (30%): Appropriateness and detail of the argument (for conceptual studies) and in the research design and methodology (for empirical studies). For demos, detail of the demonstration plan. Note: for works-in-progress, the argument or methodology is planned, not completed.
4)Clarity (15%): Linguistic and rhetorical elements of the submission. Is it easy to understand and follow without confusion or re-reading?
5)Significance (20%): The potential of this contribution to advance knowledge in our field; potential for an innovative impact
Paper presentations
Paper presentations can be either empirical or theoretical. Preference will be given to proposals related to the conference theme, which include details about the local context of the study being presented. Proposals not accepted as research papers may be considered as posters or works-in-progress.
Demonstrations (Demos)
Demonstrations usually show how technology has been innovatively applied in language assessment. Presenters should be prepared to showcase their work through screen shots, video recordings and/or live demonstrations. The proposal should describe the substantive goals of the presentation and outline how the demo will proceed.
Posters
Posters will be displayed during the timetabled session in the program, where presenters need to be present, discuss their work, and answer questions. Posters are a good opportunity for those involved in test development projects, new tests, and technological innovations to present their contributions to language assessment.
Works-in-Progress (WIPs)
Researchers currently working on ongoing research projects can submit them as a work-in-progress presentation. This session offers good opportunities for the presentation of research in progress or research that is being planned. Presenters discuss their projects with small groups of participants and receive comments and suggestions on how best to proceed. Proposals should include questions about the project for the attendees to consider.
Symposia (1.5h)
A symposium addresses a topic of scholarly interest and comprises multiple presentations that are clearly linked to each other and to the symposium topic. Each symposium should begin with an introduction to the topic and issues of consideration, followed by individual papers offering multiple perspectives to the topic and a synthesis by a discussant. Ample time should be allowed for an extended discussion of the theme with the audience. Each symposium proposal should include a 500-word overview of the symposium topic and 300-word descriptions of individual presentations. The entire proposal will be included in the conference program book.
*Note: Limited possibility for virtual proposals
One part of the program will be dedicated to a short series of synchronous virtual presentations. In other words, attendees will be present at LTRC in Montreal and the presenter will be projected on a screen in one of the conference rooms, through Zoom or a similar platform.
These limited virtual timeslots will be very competitive and are only available to those presenters for whom it would be impossible to come to LTRC in person. Therefore, if you wish to be considered for a virtual timeslot, you will not be considered for an in-person timeslot. You will be asked to choose the virtual option when you submit your proposal, along with an explanation for why it is impossible for you to travel to Montreal.
Proposal Deadline
September 30, 2025 at 11:59 pm anywhere on Earth, UTC-12 (This means until it is no longer September 30 no matter where you are).
Submissions for ILTA: https://www.conftool.pro/ltrc2026/
Contact
Email inquiries:
Note for student presenters
ILTA welcomes proposals from students in master’s or doctoral programs and if the paper is accepted for a paper session or a symposium, student will be eligible for the Robert Lado Memorial Award for Best Graduate Student Paper, which is awarded at the end of the conference. Note that proposals co-authored with faculty members are not eligible, whereas proposals co-authored by several student presenters are.
University of Eastern Finland, Campus Joensuu, Finland
https://mamp2020.school.blog
International Conference on Multilingual Awareness and Multilingual Practices (MAMP3) is to be held at the University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu Campus from 6 to 7 October 2022.
Confirmed keynote speakers are:
Sari Pöyhönen (University of Jyväskylä, Finland)
Ad Backus (Tilburg University, The Netherlands)
Simone Pfenninger (University of Salzburg)
Abstract submission deadline is July 15, 2022
More details in our cfp: https://mamp2020.school.blog/call-for-proposals/
Vygotskian sociocultural theory: Transforming L2 teaching, learning, assessment, and research
Vygotskian Sociocultural Theory (V-SCT), as a theory of mind, has had a major impact on second language (L2) theory and practice over the last four decades. It has challenged L2 educators' understanding of the genesis of L2 development and effective pedagogy through a set of principles (see Swain, Kinnear & Steinman (2015) for a comprehensive and accessible review) such as the central role of interpsychological mediation, and the focus on conceptbased teaching and curriculum design. However, as L2 educators and researchers, often trained in cognitivist paradigms, redefine their roles and attempt to reconcile previous practices and beliefs with new concepts, many confusions persist (Knouzi, in press). These confusions exist especially with respect to key concepts such as ZPD vs. i+1; mediation vs. scaffolding; role of concept-based language instruction in form-focused instruction; role of affect vs. positive psychology; and Dynamic Assessment vs. proficiency testing.
This special issue seeks to explain key V-SCT concepts and demonstrate their relevance to L2 theory and practice in Canadian contexts, as demonstrated by Canadian scholars through conceptual papers and empirical studies.
We invite submissions that examine and critique L2 development, teaching, and assessment practices, and teacher education from a V-SCT perspective, addressing topics such as, but not limited to, the following:
- Role of mediation in learning and development, focusing on the range, affordances, and constraints of mediational means (including digital and multimodal) in L2 language classrooms.
- Role of language as a cognitive tool (e.g., languaging, collaborative dialogue, instructional interactions)
- Concept-based instruction in L2 classrooms and in teacher education programs - Dialectic relation between affect and cognition
- Assessment
- Activity theory-informed analysis of learner/teacher development
Papers in English and 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:
Interested authors are invited to submit a 400-word abstract (including references) to by February 01, 2026. Please indicate clearly the category to which your abstract belongs. Notice of abstract acceptance will be emailed by March 01, 2026. Full manuscripts are due June 15, 2026, and will be subject to a rigorous blind review process. In line with SCT principles, we will follow a process that fosters collegial mediation and creates opportunities for scholarly development. In a two-phase process, each contributor will be asked to review a paper in the special issue (blind review). Following the first revisions and resubmission, all contributors will have the option to receive additional feedback through discussion at a meeting attended by SCT colleagues before submitting a final version. The special issue will be published in January-March, 2027.
If you have any questions or queries about this special issue, please contact Ibtissem Knouzi at
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya at Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain
July 8–10, 2020
http://aelfetapp.upc.edu
The AELFE-TAPP 2020 Conference brings together the 19th Conference of AELFE (European Association of Languages for Specific Purposes) and the 2nd Conference of the TAPP (Trans-Atlantic and Pacific Project), a virtual exchange network.
Contributions are welcome in the fields of LSP and virtual exchange.
Conference information and submissions: http://aelfetapp.upc.edu
Contact:
The Applied Linguistics ALAA/ALANZ/ALTAANZ Conference 2024
Pre-Conference: 24 Nov 2024
Main Conference: 25-27 Nov 2024
Location: The University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Website: https://alaa2024.com
Ensuring equity, access and opportunity in education is a hallmark of a just society. The Applied Linguistics ALAA/ALANZ/ALTAANZ Conference 2024 provides a forum to explore how the field of applied linguistics is already working towards these and what the future might look like in this regard.
Migration and displacement, climate change, and social inequity present some of the most ‘wicked problems’ of the 21st century. They also present an opportunity to be inspired to think what a just society might look like going into the future. The skills, knowledge, and expertise held by those who work in the fields of applied linguistics and language education have unique and powerful potential to build towards equity, access, and opportunity in language education and to shape a just society.
Equity, access, and opportunity are a matter of social justice and a practical necessity for a prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable future. Recognising the important role applied linguistics plays in building a just society, the 2024 conference theme emphasizes safeguarding identities, fostering accessible learning contexts, and creating opportunities for all to thrive.
We invite you to join us to share work being done to shape a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future and to imagine future directions.
On behalf of the Brazilian Association of Applied Linguistics – ALAB
we are happy to announce the 12th edition of the Brazilian Congress of Applied Linguistics - CBLA with the theme “Transiting and Transponding Applied Linguistics” to be held in Vitoria, Brazil between 9-12 July, 2019.
The conference addresses researchers, teachers, students and academics in general interested in the promotion of language(s) in general and their relations with applied linguistics in particular.
Here is information on the new Linguacuisine web app, which is now ready for use, as well as an invitation to our London event in September. Please forward to anyone you think might be interested and I hope you will be able to add your own favourite recipe to the system!
Free Language Learning and Cooking App Now Available
For anyone interested in languages and food!
The free Linguacuisine web app helps you learn a language while you’re cooking a meal! Choose a foreign language and a delicious recipe from that country. Then your own smartphone or tablet will speak to you in the foreign language and talk you through all of the stages of cooking the recipe in your own kitchen. If you can’t understand, just press a button to get a photo or video explaining what to do. When you’ve finished, eat the food you’ve cooked and learn something about the culture of the country. Linguacuisine has a range of recipes now available for language learning from around the world at https://linguacuisine.com/app/
We now have recipes available in: English, Greek, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Quechua, Chinese and Korean.
You can also use the free recipe builder app so that you can upload your own favourite recipe in your own language. That means that anyone anywhere in the world will be able to watch videos and listen to audios of you guiding them through cooking your recipe and learning your language! Use your own smartphone or tablet to make recordings of yourself and upload them using our user-friendly software to create your own recipe.
You can also join our worldwide online community so you can rate and discuss other people’s recipes and post information, stories and photos. They can do the same for your recipe, so it’s a good way to make friends in other countries.
So Linguacuisine is a really fun way to learn about foreign languages, cultures and cuisines and you get to eat what you produce. You can also tell other people around the world about your own cooking, language and way of life. You learn foreign words better when you are physically touching food and cooking utensils and using them to prepare food. When you are cooking, you involve all of your senses in the learning experience – touch, smell and taste as well as hearing and seeing. So this is multi-modal and multi-sensory language learning. This is task-based language learning with a real product at the end of it and is intended to improve international understanding and communication.
Linguacuisine is available now for all devices, smartphones, tablets and computers from our website, where the online community will also be located https://linguacuisine.com/
The Linguacuisine app is the end result of a 10-year collaboration between computing scientists and linguists at Newcastle University. The Linguacuisine project is a collaboration between Newcastle University, Action Foundation (UK), Hellenic Open University (Greece), Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia (Italy) and the Workers’ Educational Association (UK). It is funded by an Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnership grant of €324K.
For Teachers
The Linguacuisine app can be used for foreign language lessons, but also for cookery lessons and cross-curriculum projects. Students can use the app to cook and learn in the kitchen at home as well as at school.
The app is a good way of preparing students for a foreign trip as it helps engage them with the cuisine, culture and language in advance. Students can also write their own recipes in their own language, informing people abroad about their culture and cuisine.
It is also an excellent way of getting learners to communicate with learners in other countries. Video links have been available for some time, but Linguacuisine means that learners in different countries can do enjoyable shared activities together, cooking recipes from the other countries whilst learning about the other language and culture.
Digital skills can also be developed by using the ‘recipe builder’ authoring software. This was co-authored with learners and designed to develop a wide range of digital skills using the DIGCOMP 2.1 framework; it has been shown to be successful in improving learner competence.
For Professionals working with Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers
The Linguacuisine app was co-designed with a group of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from Action Foundation, Newcastle, UK and seeks to help them in two ways. Firstly, immigrants to a country can cook the recipes to learn about the language, cuisine and culture of their host country and help their integration. Secondly, immigrants can produce their own recipes in their own language using the recipe builder software, so they are able to have a voice and so people in their host country are able to learn something about their life prior to arrival here. A number of recipes currently on Linguacuisine have been produced by migrants in the UK.
For Catering Professionals
Chefs and other catering staff who are travelling to work abroad can introduce themselves to the language, culture and cuisine of their destination country by using the Linguacuisine app. They can also increase their repertoire and employability by trying recipes from around the world and improving relevant language skills.
Chefs can also produce their own recipes in their own language or English using the recipe builder software. Their recipes can then be tried out by users anywhere in the world. Users can post feedback about the recipes and rate the recipes, so chefs can gain an international reputation and increase their own job opportunities.
Invitation to London Event
Please come to our free London dissemination event in Europe House on 11 September. An invitation is attached and you can book a place on https://linguacuisine.eventbrite.co.uk
Try out the app, cook a recipe and learn a new language!
We invite researchers, policy makers and stakeholders to discuss current projects and practices of linguistic enablement for society and the workplace.
Furthermore, the conference provides an opportunity to establish a European network with a focus on social inclusion through language.
Abstracts may address the following topics: Language ideologies in discourses, Concepts of language promotion between inclusion and exclusion, Intercultural competence in linguistic practices, Understandable communication between experts and laypersons. All abstracts must be submitted by 17 January 2021.
The 47th Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC) of the International Language Testing Association will be held June 2-6, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hilton in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Theme: Global to Local Language Assessment
One increasing area of interest in our field is the extent to which assessment activities are situated in their relevant contexts (DeLuca et al., 2019). Contexts may refer to anything from the micro-context of a language classroom to macro-contexts of the societies where large-scale language tests operate, including pedagogical, linguistic, social, and political elements (Saville, 2012). As Jin (2017) notes, “Context is vitally important in conceptualizing the construct and specifying the content of language learning, teaching, and assessment” (p. 1). For the 47th LTRC, we invite submissions that address this tension between global and local concerns, such as the search for universal scales and models for large scale language tests vs. the drive to explore local context-bound assessment needs and practices. Given this theme, and given that the conference is being held in Quebec, presentations are welcome in English or in bilingual English/French formats.
Proposals due: September 30, 2025
Notifications sent out: December, 2025
Presentation categories
LTRC2026 invites proposals for the presentation types listed below. Except for symposia, each proposal should be no longer than 500 words and must be accompanied by a summary of 250 words. The 500-word proposal will be evaluated by the reviewers, but only the 250-word summary will be available to conference attendees.
Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria and weighting:
1)Relevance to the conference theme (10%): i.e., a consideration of the local context in the contribution, or addressing the tension between global and local concerns
2)Conceptual framework (25%): Appropriateness and detail of the conceptual framework underlying the contribution.
3)Argument and Methodology (30%): Appropriateness and detail of the argument (for conceptual studies) and in the research design and methodology (for empirical studies). For demos, detail of the demonstration plan. Note: for works-in-progress, the argument or methodology is planned, not completed.
4)Clarity (15%): Linguistic and rhetorical elements of the submission. Is it easy to understand and follow without confusion or re-reading?
5)Significance (20%): The potential of this contribution to advance knowledge in our field; potential for an innovative impact
Paper presentations
Paper presentations can be either empirical or theoretical. Preference will be given to proposals related to the conference theme, which include details about the local context of the study being presented. Proposals not accepted as research papers may be considered as posters or works-in-progress.
Demonstrations (Demos)
Demonstrations usually show how technology has been innovatively applied in language assessment. Presenters should be prepared to showcase their work through screen shots, video recordings and/or live demonstrations. The proposal should describe the substantive goals of the presentation and outline how the demo will proceed.
Posters
Posters will be displayed during the timetabled session in the program, where presenters need to be present, discuss their work, and answer questions. Posters are a good opportunity for those involved in test development projects, new tests, and technological innovations to present their contributions to language assessment.
Works-in-Progress (WIPs)
Researchers currently working on ongoing research projects can submit them as a work-in-progress presentation. This session offers good opportunities for the presentation of research in progress or research that is being planned. Presenters discuss their projects with small groups of participants and receive comments and suggestions on how best to proceed. Proposals should include questions about the project for the attendees to consider.
Symposia (1.5h)
A symposium addresses a topic of scholarly interest and comprises multiple presentations that are clearly linked to each other and to the symposium topic. Each symposium should begin with an introduction to the topic and issues of consideration, followed by individual papers offering multiple perspectives to the topic and a synthesis by a discussant. Ample time should be allowed for an extended discussion of the theme with the audience. Each symposium proposal should include a 500-word overview of the symposium topic and 300-word descriptions of individual presentations. The entire proposal will be included in the conference program book.
*Note: Limited possibility for virtual proposals
One part of the program will be dedicated to a short series of synchronous virtual presentations. In other words, attendees will be present at LTRC in Montreal and the presenter will be projected on a screen in one of the conference rooms, through Zoom or a similar platform.
These limited virtual timeslots will be very competitive and are only available to those presenters for whom it would be impossible to come to LTRC in person. Therefore, if you wish to be considered for a virtual timeslot, you will not be considered for an in-person timeslot. You will be asked to choose the virtual option when you submit your proposal, along with an explanation for why it is impossible for you to travel to Montreal.
The scope of this ReN covers research involving participatory approaches to linguistics. Participation, defined here broadly as the involvement and engagement of all interested parties, has recently gained momentum in several societal domains, including not only political decision making, cultural and mass media spaces, whether online or offline, but also academic research (Bodó et al. 2022). In applied linguistics, there is a well-established tradition of involving the ’researched’ into the research process itself. Key aspects of participatory research, as elaborated in the social sciences, however, have rarely been discussed in the study of language. As its starting point, the ReN draws on recent developments in the involvement and engagement of non-academic language experts into linguistic research, such as citizen sociolinguistics (Rymes 2020, Svendsen 2018), collaborative sociocultural linguistics (Bucholtz et al. 2016), Linguistic Citizenship (Stroud 2015), community-based language research (Bischoff and Jany 2018, Olko 2018) and activist applied linguistics (Cowal and Leung 2021).
The ReN aims to bring together applied linguists who implement participatory research methodologies and principles to their research. The ReN includes established and emerging researchers from five countries. It also aims to engage with a growing number of students working on participatory approaches and course in their university qualifications. The network provides a platform for information, support and scholarship for both scholars and students with an interest in the application of participatory approaches to linguistics.
The scope of this AILA Research Network RECAL - Research & Educational Cultures in Applied Linguistics, is to examine the cultural, political, epistemological and methodological diversity of applied linguistics research in various countries; as well as the diversity of institutional conditions in which the research is conducted.
Adopting an interdisciplinary approach (applied linguistics, educational sciences, sociology), research in this ReN focuses on:
Scientific culture. In order to know, how theories from Global North and Global South countries have been received, interpreted and put into practice in different countries with different intellectual, scientific and educational traditions.
Educational culture. Education systems, history and heritage. Coloniality and decolonial perspectives.
Editorial culture. To determine the opportunities and constraints of publishing in English. In particular, how to publish in English without losing the conceptual, epistemological and pedagogical specificity of a research often conceived in a language different from English.
Didactic and pedagogical cultures. To find out, what are the socio-political bases, realities and constraints in language teaching and learning (bilingualism / multilingualism / plurilingualism) in different education systems.
Pre-service and In-service teacher’s development. To understand the difficulties researchers and teachers have to face in order to adapt diversity policies into inclusive practices, but also to what extent they have been trained to reflect on identifying problems of diversity and inclusion.
This REN wants to feature both research and educational projects showing the challenges to overcome in:
analyzing, understanding and questioning the colonial heritage, the systemic coloniality and the decolonial needs.
adopting transnational (such UNESCO) and national (specific to a country) policies and guidelines to implement diversity and inclusion.
promoting language value (equality and equity), maintenance or revitalization.
implementing appropriate working conditions for researchers and teachers in order to meet the learners’ needs.
This REN welcomes projects describing the challenges mentioned above, but also the designing of educational solutions representative of social challenges, connecting classrooms with life experiences and recognizing the experiences and abilities of every student, in particular, those historically marginalized.
Keywords
Epistemological, research and educational cultures | Diversity & Inclusion | Teacher’s development, practices and social impact | Critical intercultural dimensions | Decolonial perspectives | Education policies.
If your research and teaching interests meet those of our network, do not hesitate to contact us in order to join us.
Highlight of 3 scientific ReN works during the previous period:
2021: INVITED SYMPOSIUM - AILA INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS 2022
Groningen. Netherlands, August, 2021. The dynamics of language, communication and culture in applied linguistic research in Latin America. Participants: English researchers and teachers in various Latin American countries. Objectif: To respond to changes due to globalization: inequalities and social justice; epistemological and ideological sequels of colonialism; deconstruction and postmodern theories concerning the language-identity-culture relationship; and the didactic foundations of language teaching. Coordinators: Claire KRAMSCH, Harold CASTAÑEDA PENA & Paola GAMBOA.
REN RECAL EDITED VOLUME
As organizers of the 2021 ReCAL symposium Claire KRAMSCH (Emerita Professor at Berkeley University), Harold CASTEÑEDA (PhD Professor at Universidad Distritital Francisco José de Caldas) and Paola GAMBOA (PhD Lecturer at Sorbonne Nouvelle University) have decided to coordinate a volume on the decolonization of research in applied linguistics in Latin America. In this volume, researchers from Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and the United States of America, were invited to report on their work, adopting as much as possible a reflexive stance, but also to offer a critical analysis of their efforts to decolonize their research projects. In particular, they would analyze, using Spanish or Portuguese and English, their own locus of enunciation / lugar de enunciación / lugar de fala.
Castañeda-Peña, H., Gamboa, P., & Kramsch, C. (Eds.). (2023). Decolonizing Applied Linguistics Research in Latin America: Moving to a Multilingual Mindset (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003326748
2024: CONPLA MULTILINGUAL SYMPOSIUM MARCH 2024
In the frame of the 5th Congreso Paraguayo de Lingüística Aplicada (CONPLA) preparation, Claire KRAMSCH, Kyria FINARDI and Paola GAMBOA were invited to held a conference on the edited volume Decolonizing Applied Linguistics Research in Latin America: Moving to a Multilingual Mindset. The invitation was made by Professor Valentina CANESE. Directora del Instituto Superior de Lenguas. Universidad Nacional de Asunción.
AILA INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AUGUST 2024
Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia, August, 2024. Hybrid symposium. Diversity and inclusion: from transnational and national policies to classroom realities, constraints and implementations. Objectif: To understand what is meant by diversity and inclusion (clearly identified typologies and the adoption of anticipatory and accurate responses). Coordinators: Claire KRAMSCH & Paola GAMBOA.
Some members:
Maure AGUIRRE ORTEGA. Universidad de Antioquia. Colombia
Paula Tatianne CARRERA SZUNDY. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Brazil
Harold CASTAÑEDA PEÑA. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas Colombia
Erica COACHMAN. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Brazil
Fotini DIAMANTIDAKI. University College London. United Kingdom
Haley DE KORNE. University of Oslo. Norway
Carina FERNANDEZ. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Argentina
Jorge FROZZINI. Université de Québec à Chicoutimi. Canada
Carmen Helena GUERRERO NIETO. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. Colombia
Irene HEIDT. Universität Potsdam. Germany
Lane IGOUDIN. Los Angeles City College. United States of America
Tiechneg LI. Chinese University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong
Mario LÓPEZ GOPAR. Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca. Mexico
Yecid ORTEGA. Queen's University Belfast. United Kingdom
Janeth ORTIZ. Universidad de Antioquia. Colombia
Beatriz PEÑA DIX. Universidad de los Andes. Colombia
Nara TAKAKI. Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul. Brazil
Gabriela TAVELA. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Argentina
Rogerio TILIO. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Brazil
Diego UBAQUE CASALLAS. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. Colombia
Mª Elena GOMEZ PARRA, University of Córdoba, Spain
Michele DALOISO, University of Parma, Italy
Malgorzata BARAN-LUCARZ, University of Wroclaw, Poland
Scope:
The aim of this AILA Research Network is to bring together researchers, practitioners, teacher educators, policy makers and language learners active in various geographical, cultural, and institutional settings who would like to share their experience with and local insights into inclusive foreign language education. Our starting point is Halliday’s (1999, p.269) assertion that since all educational learning is mediated through language, either as “a medium of learning” or as “the substance of what is being learned”, language is a key-competence in all education. Therefore, learners with language learning difficulties are at risk of exclusion from education. However, educational research into inclusion tends to underestimate the pivotal role that linguistic competence plays in education. As a network, we thus wish to focus on the question how to create inclusive language learning environments, i.e., how to reduce “barriers to learning and participation” (Booth & Ainscow, 2002, p.3), seek equity, and make engagement in foreign language education accessible to all students. We adopt the broad view of inclusion, which focuses on all students, including marginalized groups, and is thus not limited to those with disabilities (Thomas, 2013). We assume that learner diversity should be viewed as an asset in the foreign language classroom and perceive it as an umbrella term that encompasses a range of differences observed at school, e.g., neurodiversity, cultural and linguistic variation, multilingualism, specific learning differences.
Highlight of 3 scientific ReN works during the previous period:
Symposium of the ReN entitled “Inclusive Foreign Language Education: Cross-cultural and Interdisciplinary Perspectives” at the AILA Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, August 2024.
Symposium of the ReN entitled “Inclusive Intersections” in Bremen, Germany in July2023
Pfingsthorn, J. & Weltgen, J. (2022). "Inclusive and fair assessment in foreign language education: The role of fundamental attribution error in the evaluation of students’ performance". International Journal of Educational Research Open, 2022, 3, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2022.100160
Some members:
Joanna PFINGSTHORN, University of Bremen (Germany)
Maria Elena GOMEZ PARRA, University of Cordoba (Spain)
Michele DALOISO, University of
Malgorzata BARAN-LUCARZ, University of Wroclaw (Poland)
Julia WELTGEN, University of Bremen (Germany)
Tim GIESLER, University of Bremen (Germany)
Lea FISCHER, University of Bremen (Germany)
Bianca HÖPPNER, University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Gernany)
Joanna NIJAKOWSKA, University of Warsaw (Poland)
Magdalena SZYSZKA, University of Opole (Poland)
Dina TSAGARI, Oslo Metropolitan University (Norway)
Elżbieta SZYMANSKA-CZAPLAK, University of Opole (Poland)
Maria Jose SALINAS RANEZO, University of Cordoba (Spain)
Heiner BÖTTGER, University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Germany)
Barbara MUSZYNSKA, University of Lower Silesia (Poland)
Teresa TING, University of Calabria (Italy)
Cigdem FIDAN, Middle East Technical University (Turkiye)
Ana ROVAI, University of Bremen (Germany)
Marzanna POGORZELSKA, University of Opole (Poland)
What have AILA’s most relevant benefits been for its national affiliates in the last year, and what are the affiliates’ most urgent wishes for 2019/20? At the 2019 annual meeting of the Executive Board and the International Committee on June 24 in Lyon, delegates from 16 AILA national affiliates shared their experiences and expectations regarding AILA development.
The most relevant benefits from AILA 2018/2019 include:
being part of the AILA family and its global network
benefitting from AILA’s international connections
being able to offer our members access to a global network
learning from other regional networks for one’s own region
mutual learning from other affiliates in the region
being inspired at the AILA International Committee meetings
using AILA as a catalyst for structuring one’s own organization
meeting interested AILA board members in person at national conferences
feeling trusted by AILA when designing the world congress
reporting back to the national organization after the AILA meeting
being supported by AILA in thinking out of the box
communicating effectively through the AILA newsletter and website
The most urgent requests to AILA for 2019/2020 are to:
strengthen the global network
support the development of regional networks such as AILA ASEAN
make suggestions for and foster tandem collaboration
support our international openness and networking
catalyze members’ interest in activities of other national affiliates
intensify AILA Executive Board members’ visits to AILA national affiliates
strengthen interactive communication and tools
make the AILA Review a high-standard journal in the field
support multilingual publications
promote other languages besides English at AILA meetings
advertise national affiliates’ events
develop an AILA promo video that can be shown at national conferences
write success stories of good collaboration practice
launch an AILA Facebook site
develop an online world map showing national affiliates’ major events
engage in discussions about what applied linguistics is and does
help bridge the gap between academia and society-at-large
In line with this feedback, AILA commits itself to further strengthen members’ benefits, together with the national affiliates and our members. Progress will be reported throughout the year in the AILA newsletter and evaluated at the 2020 AILA World Congress in Groningen, August 9–14.
The AILA Applied Linguistics Series (AALS) provides a forum for established scholars in any area of Applied Linguistics. The series aims at representing the field in its diversity. It covers different topics in applied linguistics from a multidisciplinary approach and it aims at including different theoretical and methodological perspectives. As an official publication of AILA the series will include contributors from different geographical and linguistic backgrounds. The volumes in the series should be of high quality, break new ground and stimulate further research in Applied Linguistics.
More information about AALS can be found at https://benjamins.com/catalog/aals.
Book proposals for AALS can be submitted following the instructions at https://benjamins.com/content/authors/bookproposals.
Guidelines for providing accessible images can be found at https://benjamins.com/content/authors/guidancealttext
Coordinator:
Susanna NOCCHI, Technological University Dublin, IRAAL
Board: Ee Ling Low, NIE, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, SAAL Elke Stracke, University of Canberra, ALAA Anne Pitkänen-Huhta, University of Jyväskylä, Finland Fabiola Ehlers-Zavala, Colorado State University, USA
Antje Wilton, Free University of Berlin, Germany
Previous Volumes
21
20
19
English Pronunciation Instruction: Research-based insights
Edited by Anastazija Kirkova-Naskova, Alice Henderson and Jonás Fouz-González
2021. xix, 388 pp.
18
Intercultural Perspectives on Research Writing
Edited by Pilar Mur-Dueñas and Jolanta Šinkūnienė
2018. x, 310 pp.
17
Speaking in a Second Language
Edited by Rosa Alonso Alonso
2018. xii, 243 pp.
16
Edited by Laura Gurzynski-Weiss
2017. xii, 327 pp.
15
Edited by Atta Gebril
2017. ix, 390 pp.
14
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Im/politeness
Edited by Marina Terkourafi
2015. xi, 279 pp.
13
Language Acquisition in Study Abroad and Formal Instruction Contexts
Edited by Carmen Pérez-Vidal
2014. vi, 329 pp.
12
Learning Chinese in Diasporic Communities: Many pathways to being Chinese
Edited by Xiao Lan Curdt-Christiansen and Andy Hancock
2014. xv, 243 pp.
11
The Linguistics of Newswriting
Daniel Perrin
2013. xiii, 302 pp.
10
The Second Language Acquisition of French Tense, Aspect, Mood and Modality
Dalila Ayoun
2013. xiii, 252 pp.
9
Contemporary Approaches to Second Language Acquisition
Edited by María del Pilar García Mayo, María Juncal Gutiérrez Mangado and María Martínez-Adrián
2013. xiii, 265 pp.
8
English in Europe Today: Sociocultural and educational perspectives
Edited by Annick De Houwer and Antje Wilton
2011. xi, 170 pp.
7
Language Use and Language Learning in CLIL Classrooms
Edited by Christiane Dalton-Puffer, Tarja Nikula and Ute Smit
2010. x, 295 pp.
6
Edited by Larissa Aronin and Britta Hufeisen
2009. vii, 167 pp.
5
Dimensions of Forensic Linguistics
Edited by John Gibbons and M. Teresa Turell
2008. vi, 316 pp.
4
ESP in European Higher Education: Integrating language and content
Edited by Inmaculada Fortanet-Gómez and Christine A. Räisänen
2008. vi, 285 pp.
3
Mediating Discourse Online
Edited by Sally Magnan Pierce
2008. vii, 364 pp.
2
Literacies, Global and Local
Edited by Mastin Prinsloo and Mike Baynham
2008. vii, 218 pp.
1
Learner and Teacher Autonomy: Concepts, realities, and response
