TPLANG21: Perspectives and Trajectories of the Language Teachers in the 21st Century
Convenors:
Statement concerning the scope of the ReN
This ReN brings together established language educators (i.e. teachers and teacher trainers) and language researchers, who have been working on what it takes to be a language teacher in the digital age. This is a key area in applied linguistics, and one that has grown in importance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The group has been taking stock of existing continuing professional development activities that are available to teachers, collecting and comparing these internationally across several continents (Europe, South America, North America, Asia, Australia/New Zealand). We have also been exploring the beliefs and underlying ideals which inform the training and self-training of language teachers, ascertaining trajectories of professional development, as defined in a wide variety of teaching and learning cultures.
The convenors contributed to the AILA Congress in Brazil (2017) prior to the formal constitution of the ReN in 2018, organized a symposium at the AILA Congress in Groningen (2021) and are committed to filling a ReN symposium slot at the 2024 AILA Congress in Kuala Lumpur. Both previous presentations were based on research that had been carried out by ReN members. Feedback on the Groningen symposium was very positive, with participants emphasizing the highly interactive nature of the symposium and welcoming the diversity of interesting research presented.
ReN convenors also disseminated the activities of the network through other channels, e.g. presentations at the WorldCALL conference in Concepcion, Chile (November 2018), the EuroCALL conference in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (August 2019), and the University of Jyväskylä (September 2021).
In addition, the work carried out by the ReN has also resulted in the following publications:
Karamifar, Banafsheh; Stickler, Ursula; Hampel, Regine; Germain-Rutherford, Aline; Hopkins, Joseph; Heiser, Sarah; Ernest, Pauline; Emke, Martina and Pellerin, Martine (2018). Perspectives and trajectories of the language teacher in the 21st century. In: Proceedings WorldCALL 2018 Concepción, 13-16 November, 2018 CALLing all the CALLers Worldwide (Barr, David; Bañados, Emerita and Gimeno, Ana eds.), Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile, pp. 51–54.
Karamifar, Banafsheh; Germain-Rutherford, Aline; Heiser, Sarah; Emke, Martina; Hopkins, Joseph; Ernest, Pauline; Stickler, Ursula and Hampel, Regine (2019). Language Teachers and Their Trajectories Across Technology-Enhanced Language Teaching: Needs and Beliefs of ESL/EFL Teachers. TESL Canada Journal, 36(3) pp. 55–81.
Stickler, Ursula; Hampel, Regine; Heiser, Sarah; Ernest, Pauline; Hopkins, Joseph; Germain-Rutherford, Aline and Emke, Martina (2020). ReN: Perspectives and Trajectories of the Language Teacher in the 21st Century (TPLang21). International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 30(2) pp. 344–349.
Convenors
Ursula Stickler, Regine Hampel, Sarah Heiser, Pauline Ernest, Joseph Hopkins, Aline Germain-Rutherford, Martina Emke
ReN activities for the upcoming three years
The most recent project explored how language teachers across the world are seeing their role change in the context of the increased use of online technologies. The group has already completed an initial analysis of the data (using two quite different approaches) and presented the findings at the AILA 2021 symposium. A deeper analysis needs to be completed and written up.
The activities of the ReN have become even more crucial in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seriously challenged teachers who, overnight, have had to move from f2f to online teaching. While the pandemic has eased recently, online education seems here to stay.
An online meeting for all existing and new ReN members was organized in early September 2021 to generate new ideas for future research directions. The resulting suggestions are as follows:
extension of the ReN’s current research on ideal teacher perspectives to consider similarities and differences in these perspectives, and to explore language teacher identity online
starting a longitudinal study of language teachers‘ use of technology
an investigation of national policies with regard to professional development frameworks for language teachers
investigating worldwide resource hubs for language teachers
examination of the ways that teachers accommodate student learning outside the classroom (learning in the wild)
starting a comparison of policies and practices related to how language teachers in different countries work with migrants.
an investigation into teachers as task designers
studying teacher confidence in teaching remotely or hybrid-flexible (hyflex, see https://www.niu.edu/keepteaching/resources/hyflex-course-model.shtml; https://www.buffalo.edu/edc/AcademicPreparedness/HyflexModel.html)
an investigation into what extent existing frameworks already reflect the current shifting of skills to support hyflex teaching
A design for a ReN symposium at the 2024 AILA Congress in Kuala Lumpur
Based on the result of a vote amongst all ReN members (19 Oct 2021), the following topic was chosen as the most popular for the next AILA ReN Symposium in Kuala Lumpur 2024:
21st century digital transformation and its impact on language teachers
Over the past decade the new digital and online media have been transforming language learning and teaching (Hampel 2019), with COVID accelerating this change (Stickler & Emke in preparation). So where is language teaching going post-COVID? What attributes does the 21st language teacher have?
This project will exploit the international reach of the ReN to examine how language teachers across the world are dealing with the challenges they are facing today. Particular focus will be placed on understanding how they are adapting to the digital transformation (EDUCAUSE 2021) accelerated by COVID-19. This includes taking advantage of the new affordances (i.e. modalities and flexibilities) offered by the technologies; to enhance the modes of delivery (e.g. hybrid); to promote greater students' engagement; and to foster collaboration and the building of communities of learning in the f2f, online and hybrid classroom. The ReN will also explore how this is impacting on language teacher identity. What attributes does the ideal (online) language teacher have?
Accordingly, the following ReN activities informing this symposium will be given preference over the next three years:
a longitudinal study of language teachers‘ use of technology, exploring their ability to adapt to the digital transformation
researching ideal teacher perspectives and language teacher identity online
a comparison of local and national policies and practices related to language teachers’ use of technology
2021: symposium at the 2021World Congress.
S010: Applied linguistics in the professions: The value of transdisciplinarity in a changing world
2021: Invited keynote Marlies Whitehouse: Shared languages and transdisciplinarity: keys for prosperity in business communication. 81 National Convention of Japanese Business Communication Association (JBCA). Tokyo, October 2–3, 2021.
2019: Webinar on the state of blockchain and cryptocurrency media in 2019: what public relations professionals need to know https://prsa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BHQvbZv6QNig2wUP9W7Azg
2019: Webinar on the state of blockchain and cryptocurrency media in 2019: what public relations professionals need to know https://prsa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BHQvbZv6QNig2wUP9W7Azg
2018: Invited keynote Marlies Whitehouse at the 40th conference of the scientific association GERAS on ethics in financial communication. http://www.geras.fr
2018: Pilot study on best practices in investor relations in collaboration with the UK Investor Relations Society: http://irsociety.org.uk/resources/news/item/informed-99-summer-2018
Main publications
Laskin, A.V. (2022). Investor relations and financial communication: Creating value through trust and understanding. Walden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Whitehouse, M., Rahm, H., & Wozniak, S. (Eds.). (2021). AILA Review, Special Issue. Developing shared languages: the fundamentals of mutual learning and problem solving in transdisciplinary collaboration. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
https://benjamins.com/catalog/aila.34.1
Palmieri, R., Perrin, D., & Whitehouse, M. (Eds.). (2018). The pragmatics of financial communication. Part 1: from sources to the public sphere (Vol. 55/2): Sage.
Whitehouse, M., Palmieri, R., & Perrin, D. (Eds.). (2018). The pragmatics of financial communication. Part 2: from public sphere to investors (Vol. 55/3): Sage.
Whitehouse, M. (2018). The language of numbers: Transdisciplinary action research on financial communication. AILA Review 18, 31(Special Issue: Transdisciplinarity in Applied Linguistics), 81-112.
Laskin, A.V. (Ed.). (2018). Handbook of Financial Communication and Investor Relations. Walden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Ongoing research and opportunities for collaboration
Whitehouse, Marlies, & McKenna, Christopher (eds.). Handbook of Professional Literacy. Handbook of Applied Linguistics HAL Series. De Gruyter Mouton. Proposal submitted, publication planned for 2024, CfP planned for fall 2022.
Symposium in all conferences of the AILA conference lab: 2023 Lyon, symposium
Social cohesion at work: shared languages as mortar in professional settings
2024 Malaysia…
2025…
Laskin et al (eds). Collection of cases in investor relations and financial communication. CfP planned for winter 2022/2023.
The call for AILA Research Networks (ReN) for the period 2024-27 is now open. You will find below a reminder of the by-laws and statutes of AILA as well as the procedure for this year. Feel free to share the call with the members of your national AILA affiliate.
ReN scope:
Research Networks (ReNs) within AILA are formed for promoting research and disseminating their research findings inside and outside AILA. Each ReN focuses on a special topic area of Applied Linguistics that has the potential for new cross-disciplinary research.
ReNs exist for three years and can be renewed. Generally, the life of a ReN is not expected to be longer than six years (https://aila.info/about/statutes_and_bylaws/bylaws/) while not being a blocking factor for more than one renewal.
The criteria for ReNs include:
a research area pertaining to applied linguistics;
participants who are active in the research area of the ReN;
at least five members, some of whom should be new scholars;
multinational composition with universities from at least three countries;
a commitment to fill a ReN symposium slot at the 2027 AILA Congress (Vancouver, Canada);
a report of the activities of the last three years if your ReN is seeking renewal;
How to submit a ReN application:
For more information:
in featured stories / Research / Research Sharepoint
The International Journal of Applied Linguistics (InJAL) publishes articles that explore the relationship between expertise in linguistics, broadly defined, and the everyday experience of language. Its scope is international in that it welcomes articles which show explicitly how local issues of language use or learning exemplify more global concerns.
BILCE is pleased to share the Call of Papers for the 11th Biennial International Conference on the Linguistics of Contemporary English (BICLCE), to be held from 3rd to 5th July 2026 in Austria, at the University of Klagenfurt.
For over two decades, the BICLCE conference series has been a forum for researchers who are interested in the linguistics of contemporary English. It is open to different theoretical and methodological perspectives. Previous conferences were held in Edinburgh (2005), Toulouse (2007), London (2009), Osnabrück (2011), Austin TX (2013), Madison WI (2015), Vigo (2017), Bamberg (2019), Ljubljana (2022) and Alicante (2024). BICLCE 2026 wishes to continue this long-standing tradition of exploring contemporary English.
We are pleased to announce the following keynote speakers: Daniel Davis, Maria Kuteeva, Marc Xu, Barbara Seidlhofer, and José Fajardo.
This time, BICLCE11 comes with an additional thematic focus on “English in a geopolitically changing world”, motivated by the major changes the world has experienced in the last several years which may potentially influence how English is used and perceived internationally. Therefore, we are happy to invite researchers to submit proposals addressing this topic in particular. Beyond this special theme, contributions related to English are also welcome in any of the following fields/areas: syntax, morphology, sociolinguistics, semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, cognitive linguistics, phonetics/phonology, applied linguistics, and more.
We invite proposals for contributions to the conference, either for the General Sessionsor for one of seven Thematic Sessions:
For all sessions, we invite proposals for individual papers consisting of a 20-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of discussion.
Abstracts should clearly indicate the theoretical framework, the research question(s), elaborate data and methodology and discuss (expected) findings. The abstract should not exceed 300 words (excluding references). The abstract should be adapted to the Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition), and be anonymized before its submission as they will undergo anonymous peer-review.
The abstracts should be submitted electronically and as either docx or pdf files, using the following template: https://conference3.aau.at/event/156/attachments/116/305/Template_BICLCE11.docx.
The author(s) should submit their abstract via https://conference3.aau.at/event/156/abstracts/.
The deadline is January 15th, 2026. Notifications will be sent out by 15th March.
Please forward this information (and the CfP attached) to your colleagues, students and interested parties.
Attendance is free, but registration is essential
https://linguacuisine.eventbrite.co.uk
Invitation to London Event
Please come to our free London dissemination event in Europe House on 11 September. Free food and drink is provided. An invitation is attached and you can book a place on https://linguacuisine.eventbrite.co.uk
Free Language Learning and Cooking App Now Available
For anyone interested in languages, food and technology!
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. The app is now also available via Google Play and will be on Apple app store shortly.
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 is also 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.
Try out the app, cook a recipe and learn a new language!
Conference Theme: Insight and Foresight: English Language Teaching for a Community of Shared Future for Humankind
Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
http://elt2020.aconf.org
The 9th International Conference on ELT in China(ELT2020) will be held in Beijing on Oct. 16-18, 2020 by China English Language Education Association. The 1st International Conference on ELT in China was held in Guangzhou in 1985. The conference has promoted the development of English language teaching and research in China and enhanced the communication between ELT teachers, researchers in China and their international counterparts. The theme for ELT2020 is “Insight and Foresight: English Language Teaching for a Community of Shared Future for Humankind”. We invite proposals for symposia, individual papers and posters.
Conference theme
Theme: Insight and Foresight: English Language Teaching for a Community of Shared Future for Humankind
Strands: Second Language Acquisition, Foreign Language Teacher Development, Task-based Language Teaching, Content-based Language Teaching, Production-oriented Approach, X Theory, Critical Thinking English Teaching, Cross-cultural English Teaching, Learning Strategies and Learner Autonomy, Language and Education in Multilingual Settings, Informatization 2.0 and English Language Teaching, Key Competencies in ELT, Assessment and Testing, English for Specific Purposes, Business English, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Lexicography and Lexicology, Language Policy, Multilingualism and Multiculturalism, Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics, Functional Linguistics, Cognitive Linguistics, Contrastive Linguistics, Rhetoric and Stylistics, Multimodal Discourse Analysis, Genre Analysis, Teaching of Translation and Interpreting, Teaching of Literature, Teaching of Linguistics, Teaching of Culture, Teaching of Country and Regional Studies, English Medium Instruction (EMI), “National Standards” and English Language Teaching Reform, “Teaching Guidance” and College English Teaching Reform, English Language Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools, English Language Teaching in Vocational Schools and Colleges
Conference information
Time: October 16-18, 2020 Venue: Beijing Normal University, Beijing Organized by: China English Language Education Association Hosted by: Beijing Normal University
Co-hosted by: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
Working Languages: English and Chinese, preferably English
Keynote speakers
Linda Elder（The Foundation for Critical Thinking）
Daniel Perrin (Zurich University of Applied Sciences)
Jack C. Richards (University of Auckland)
Karen Risager（Roskilde University）
Jan Vermunt(Eindhoven University of Technology)
Cheng Xiaotang (Beijing Normal University)
Luo Xuanmin(Guangxi University)
Sun Youzhong (Beijing Foreign Studies University)
Forms of Presentation
We invite proposals for symposia, individual papers, and posters. An abstract can only be submitted to one form of presentation.
Symposia A symposium will be allocated a 2-hour block. Organizers may invite 4 to 6 panel members. Each symposium consists of an introduction, presentations, discussion (optional), Q&A, and conclusion. The symposium organizer need to provide the title, symposium introduction and all the abstracts.
Individual Paper Presentations A block of 25 minutes will be designated for an individual paper presentation, in which 20 minutes are for the presentation and 5 minutes for discussion. Titles and abstracts of individual paper presentations, either in English or Chinese, need to be submitted. If the abstract is in Chinese, English title and abstract should also be provided, while indicating the presentation will be in Chinese.
Poster Presentations Please submit titles and abstracts, either in English or Chinese.
Proposals
Proposals for all presentations and posters should include a title (no more than 20 words), an abstract (no more than 250 words), and a shorter abstract (no more than 50 words) to be included in the conference program. Information about authors need include: name, title, education, affiliation, email and mobile number.
Symposium proposals need include the symposium title (no more than 20 words), a 350-word description, the titles(no more than 20 words) and abstracts (no more than 250 words) of all the speeches, as well as a brief 75-word description of the symposium and 50-word abstracts of all the speeches to be included in the conference program.
All proposals should be submitted online at the ELT 2020 official site: http://elt2020.aconf.org SubmissionDeadline:Extended to February 29th, 2020
Anonymous review will be conducted by the conference committee and the acceptance letter will be sent out by March 31st, 2020.
If you would like your paper to be considered to publish at the CELEA journal Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, please submit your full-length paper 2 months after the conference at http://submit.celea.org.cn/cjal.
Registration
Registration Fee: Overseas delegates: USD$230 Domestic delegates: RMB￥1600 Early Bird: RMB￥1400 (prior to May 30th, 2020) CELEA members/delegates from the host organization: RMB￥1400 (with valid document)
The Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA) and the Organizing Committee of this edition are pleased to invite you to the 43rd International Conference of the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics, organized by the Department of Spanish Language at the University of Granada. The conference will be held in Granada from April 15 to 17, 2026, at the School of Civil, Canal, and Port Engineering.
With the topic: ‘Language, variation and identity: linguistic dynamics for representing identity’, we want the conference to become a space for dialogue where we can reflect on how language reflects and shapes social reality and how speakers use linguistic resources to represent their identity.
The AESLA 2026 Organising Committee encourages you to participate in the conference by submitting a proposal for an oral presentation or a poster.
We remind you that each participant may submit up to two proposals, in Spanish and English, from 15 October 2025 to 20 December 2025. Proposals should be submitted via the web platform: https://matrix.aesla.org.es/aesla2026, and will be assigned to the thematic panel chosen for review (each proposal may only be submitted to one panel).
For more detailed information about the AESLA 2026 conference, please visit our website: https://wpd.ugr.es/~aesla26/
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us at the following email address:
We look forward to seeing you in Granada!
Elena Fernández de Molina Ortés, Rocío Cruz Ortiz and Edyta Waluch de la Torre
Coordinators of the Organising Committee for the AESLA 2026 Conference
The HundrED Innovation Summit 2020 is a worldwide online event “about the best education innovations around the world”, running 4-6 November https://hundred.org/en/summit
Paul Seedhouse and Alison Whelan are running an online workshop open to all, using the Linguacuisine app: Learning Languages, Cultures and Cuisines while Cooking: Linguacuisine Workshop 10-11am GMT on Wednesday 4 November, using English and French. All academics and postgraduate students are invited, and the workshop is also suitable for language classes in schools.
Participation is free, but zoom registration in advance is necessary at https://newcastleuniversity.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkceCrqz0rHN1BPCHbbmnrYFF_l019sxMD
Abstract
Learning Languages, Cultures and Cuisines while Cooking: Linguacuisine Workshop
Professor Paul Seedhouse explains how the latest digital technology can support learning aspects of languages and their associated cultures and cuisines whilst cooking a meal, which can then be eaten. We discuss the rationale for the free Linguacuisine app https://linguacuisine.com/ , and how using cooking as a task offers opportunities to all viewers who are interested in languages and food. We consider the app’s design principles and how learning is enhanced by having all five senses engaged in a meaningful task with an edible end product. Then we demonstrate how it works in practice in Newcastle University’s digital kitchen! If you like, use the app yourself to cook along with us in your own kitchen at home during the session, or just watch. We’ll be making crêpes/pancakes with a bilingual French/English recipe. Your smartphone speaks to you in the foreign language and talks you through the stages of cooking the recipe. It gives you photos, audios and text of the ingredients and equipment you need to collect, then plays you video clips explaining the cooking procedure. Finally we evaluate the learning process, taste the crêpes/pancakes and consider how the app has been used during lockdown, together with future possibilities.
It’s best to check out the Linguacuisine website on https://linguacuisine.com/ in advance. The recipe featured can be found by going to ‘try it online now’ - recipe language French , recipe les crêpes/Pancakes Teencook or downloading at https://linguacuisine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Linguacuisine-flyerHH.pdf
What does social justice have to do with language education? Why do we need to talk about social justice as language teachers, teacher educators, and researchers?
Nordic countries are often associated with social welfare and strive for egalitarianism. However, linguistic injustice prevail also there, and not all languages and linguistic practices are equal and associated with the same opportunities and privileges in and beyond educational contexts. In addition, linguistic injustices are never just about language. Factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, social class, ability, and sexual orientation are intrinsically linked to language and shape local, national, and international language attitudes, ideologies, and policies. What can researchers and educators do in order to take steps towards a more just field of language education? If the goal of education is to diminish social inequalities and support students in becoming socially conscious, critical, and engaged members of society, what kind of resources, skills, and teacher support is needed to achieve this?
Social justice is not something that can be brought about by an individual, it needs a community, a movement, institutions, and gatherings like this conference. This year, we particularly invite teachers, teacher educators, and researchers interested in language and education to join us in thinking about how to improve language education for all. We hope that as part of this conference, we will discuss questions including but not limited to:
How can language education be a space where students and teachers learn together to see and challenge existing patterns of privilege and injustice?
What is needed to support teachers in promoting linguistic and cultural equity and equip them to support each other in developing/implementing respective pedagogies?
How can research look at and beyond language in education with the goal of being a catalyst for critical thinking, democracy, equity, and peace?
How can language education and research support, respect, and better understand each other with the goal of making language education more equal and accessible for all learners?
How can both education and research turn a critical eye on themselves to recognize their complicity in perpetuating injustices and learn to do better?
Keynote speakers
Sonia Nieto, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Lou Harvey, University of Leeds
Birgul Yilmaz, University of Westminster
Venla Bernelius, University of Helsinki
Invited workshops
In addition to keynotes, we are organising invited workshops with keynotes and other invited researchers and practitioners. Two of them will be offered by Jenni Alisaari (University of Turku) and Jessica Bradley (University of Sheffield).
Submissions
We warmly invite teachers, researchers, teacher educators, students, and everyone interested in language education for social justice to submit their proposals. We particularly encourage teachers to submit their contributions of classroom-, school-based, academic and otherwise teaching/learning-related work. Topics can address the conference topic in a multiplicity of ways, for instance as introduction of an urgent issue/question, as project idea or report, as story about school life and experiences, personal review of teaching and learning materials, or observations and opinions about recent developments in schools and education.
We hope for submissions in a variety of formats, and welcome multimodal and/or multilingual submissions:
Workshops and colloquia (2h) for practitioners and/or researchers
Multimodal formats such as performances and visual representations (e.g., vimeos ...) (30 min)
Small group discussions (e.g., fish bowl, debates, dialogues …) (1h)
Short speeches and rants (e.g. speaker’s corner, TED-like talks …) (5 min)
Papers (30 min)
Your own genre (30 min)
Please submit a 300-word description of your planned contribution, including the following information:
What is your topic and how does it relate to the conference theme?
What is the aim of your contribution?
Who do you hope to be your audience (e.g., teachers, researchers …)?
The 14th RaAM conference addresses figurative communication in reference to space, interpreted in many different ways: from spatial linguistic expressions in one or several languages to space as a frequent source domain for numerous metaphors to the space of text and discourse, of visual, auditory and other modalities.
The final submission deadline for abstracts has been extended to 18 November 2020!
Abstracts may address all aspects of metaphor (and related) research from any perspective, including but not restricted to the following: Metaphor in cross-cultural communication, Metaphor and Mental Space Theory, Metaphor in discourse, Multimodal metaphor, Metaphor in gesture,Metaphor and translation, Metaphor in learner language and education
You may submit abstracts for one of two different presentation formats: (1) oral presentation and (2) poster. Submit your abstracts via: https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=raam14
RaAM 14 will be held on campus and online supporting greater access, equity, and sustainability in the #NewNormal. You will be able to choose between the two after your abstract is accepted.
The confirmed keynote speakers at the RaAM 14 conference are:
Jonathan Charteris-Black, University of the West of England, UK
Alan Cienki, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Michele Feist, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA
Charles Forceville, Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Conference registration will open in February 2021. More information can be found on the conference website: www.raam14.flf.vu.lt and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @raamconf.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the organizing committee at:
Proposals Submission Deadline: October 2, 2019 Full Chapters Due: November 15, 2019
Submission Date: February 23, 2020
Introduction
Nowadays, in the era of communication, technology and globalisation, English, rather than a complementary subject has become in the last decades a key determinant towards success present in all curricula, studied by learners and people of all ages all around the world. With the passage of time, teachers’ position as simple and arbitrary dispensers of knowledge of a second language – in this case English – has changed, and with this, also the methodologies applied to transmit suitable and valuable pieces of information in the classroom. Innovation has replaced stereotypical and old methods as an attempt to make English language teaching and learning appealing, effective and simple.
O’Sullivan claims that “the teaching of literature has recently been resurrected as a vital component of English language teaching” (2017: 1). Teaching a second language through literature might be a paramount tool to consolidate not only students’ lexical and grammatical competences, but also for the development of their cultural awareness and broadening of their knowledge through interaction and collaboration that foster collective learning. Besides, reading ignites students’ imagination and their critical thinking due to the interpretation, discussion and expression of their opinions on universal themes which might relate to their personal ones.
But precisely these strengths, according to the experts on the field, are transformed into serious difficulties that make the method totter. Language pedagogy using authentic literary texts is definitely not an innovative instrument as it counts with years of tradition; Spack (1985) talked about “bridging the gaps” between the use of literature and the teaching of reading and writing. Already in the 1970s, the methodology of teaching English through literature was displaced and substituted by the so called task-based and content-based approaches. Among the reasons alleged for this exclusion is, on the one hand, the long-standing disassociation of the fields of language teaching and learning to literature and, on the other, the possible frustration caused by literary corpus. The text might present a complex range of vocabulary that might be unknown to the learner, with parts scattered with metaphors and charged with symbolism and motifs which might hinder and obscure the comprehension of the text.
Nonetheless, all seems a problem of focus on the method and on the teaching/schema. According to Sanju Choudhary “literature plays a vital role in teaching the four basic skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking” (2016), and oral and written abilities must be taught and learnt as being complementary to each other and not isolated units whichever might be the education level or the stage in the learning process. The progression in the acquisition of a foreign language must be perceived as an ensemble, rather than a four-part separate project, but also the adaptation of authentic texts to learners’ educational level. Several have been the studies which tackle the link between teaching methodology and literature, employing not only fiction (Sage, 1987; Collie and Slater, 1990; Stern, 1991; Custodio and Sutton, 1998), but also drama (Lenore, 1993) and poetry (Hiller, 1983; Çubukçu, 2001). In spite of the extensive scholarship on the literary approach to teach English as a second language, the influx of innovative methodologies strongly favour ground-breaking orientations regarding new technologies, gamification, flipped classroom, design thinking, to name a few.
Objective
The overall goal of this book is to give a comprehensive picture of the current landscape of learning English across different educational settings, from kindergarten to higher education, placing special emphasis on the latter . In view of the above, then, the main purpose of this book is to expose the current state of this methodological approach nowadays, and to observe its reverberations, usefulness, strengths and weaknesses when used in a classroom where English is taught as a second language. In this way, this book will provide updated tools to explore another way of teaching and learning through the most creative and enriching manifestations of one language, literature. This is how literature’s position in relation to language teaching is revindicated and revalued.
Target Audience
Books such as this one are especially important for compiling high-quality, up-to-date, scholarly cases that can support and enhance the effective design of online courses incorporating current and emerging digital tools to meet the evolving needs of diverse learners in a variety of sectors. The cases will be valuable for teachers, higher education faculty and teacher educators as well as educational designers in educational settings.
Thus, this book is intended for: ● ESL teachers, instructors, university professors ● Educational designers and developers ● Instructional technology faculty
● Distance learning instructional designers and faculty
Recommended Topics
Recommended Topics include but are not limited to the following:
Theoretical review of the use of literature for ESL. The state of the art.
New technologies and literature in ESL.
Distance learning / Online learning and literature in ESL.
Flipped classroom and literature in ESL.
What is thematically acceptable? Adapted materials, how to know that a material is suitable to the class’s level? The selection of texts. Should these texts be culturally universal?
Creative thinking in ESL classroom.
Are all the literary genres (poetry, science fiction, drama, and novel) suitable for teaching English? The benefits of using each genre, pursuing different objectives according to the age of the learner.
Possible problems and/or challenges of this approach, among them the preparation of the teacher or professor in the area of literature – do teachers need a solid background in literature in order to use the method? – , the importance of tested-designed materials, the need to establish clear-cut objectives etc.
When, why or how literature should be incorporated during the learning process? The importance of pre-reading. The steps to be followed when this method is used.
Submission Procedure
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before October, 2, 2019, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by October 7, 2019 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by November 15, 2019, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at http://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.
Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Trust in Knowledge Management and Systems in Organizations. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-blind peer review editorial process.
All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery®TM online submission manager.
Publisher
This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the "Information Science Reference" (formerly Idea Group Reference), "Medical Information Science Reference," "Business Science Reference," and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2020.
Important Dates
September 2, 2019: 1st Proposal Submission Deadline September 6, 2019: Notification of Acceptance October 2, 2019: 2nd Proposal Submission Deadline October 7, 2019: Notification of Acceptance November 15, 2019: Full Chapter Submission December 29, 2019: Review Results Returned February 9, 2020: Final Acceptance Notification
AILA2021--the 19th World Congress of Applied Linguistics--took place virtually from August 15 to August 20, 2021. It was organized under the auspices of ANéLA, the Dutch applied linguistics affiliation, by a team of Groningen applied linguists, each with their respecitve roles: Prof. Em. Marjolijn Verspoor (Chair); Prof. Dr. Marije Michel (co-chair); Prof. Dr. Wander Lowie (Scientific Chair), Prof. Em. Kees de Bot (Plenary programming); Prof. Dr. Merel de Keijzer (Volunteers); Dr. Sake Jager assisted by May Wu (ICT); Dr. Rasmus Steinkrauss (Finances) and Dr. Audrey Rousse-Malpat (Social Program).
Originally the conference was to be held in 2020 as a live event, but because of the pandemic it was postponed to 2021. Early in 2021 it became apparent that a live or even a hybrid event was not feasible, and the decision was made to go all virtual, with only the Groningen team and volunteers present on site. However, several videos were made to welcome the delegates to virtual Groningen and the conference. Several of these can be seen on the AILA 2021 website www.aila2021.nl (e.g., under the tab ‘Groningen’).
Despite (or because of) the fact that the conference was virtual, the number of attendees exceeded our expectation. There were 2180 registered attendees, signed up from 80 different countries and all continents: Europe 1180, Asia 396, North America 320, Oceania 64, and Africa 19. Most attendees indicated that their interests lay in investigating the learning and teaching of second, foreign or multiple languages. In addition, attendees were interested in psycholinguistics and social issues in languages, including the role of English in the world.
The AILA World Congress had traditionally consisted of mostly separate presentations, but to create more coherence, the Groningen team proposed to organize the congress in symposia in which ca. 250 organizers were responsible for their Call for Papers, vetting, programming and chairing. As the evaluations showed, the new symposia format was appreciated very much.
The change of the conference to a virtual environment was a great deal of work. All data had to be transferred to the Dryfta system, which needed to be adapted based on our needs and wishes. With 25 parallel symposia in the morning and afternoon for five days, it was difficult to keep it simple and make sure there were no time conflicts. The social program including yoga, a pubquiz and a virtual citywalk was, with support by Groningen University, hosted in Gathertown.
In organizing this large event, professional help was essential. Because of the pandemic, Groninger Congress Bureau experienced difficult times financially and almost went bankrupt. Fortunately, GCB was taken over by a similar organization, Conference by Design, and until the end we had wonderful support.
The conference was evaluated thoroughly with a high response rate (570). On the whole the conference was evaluated very positively, including the choice of plenary speakers (watch the recordings of their talks here), the symposium format, the virtual environment, and the ability to interact through this medium. However, when asked what the preference would be for future AILA conferences, the overwhelming majority wants to attend live in a fully intertwined hybrid event. Moreover, the vast majority said they would actually attend the AILA 2023 conference in Lyon.
The AILA2021 team wants to thank its sponsors (including the CLCG), our amazing volunteers (most of which students and phd candidates at our faculty) and especially the Faculty of Arts, who supported the Groningen team as much as they could.
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
in Events / featured stories / timeline / Upcoming Other Events
The founders of the research network EMEVEDI https://aila.info/research/list-of-rens/english-as-a-medium-of-education-multilingualism-and-the-sdgs-equity-diversity-and-inclusion/ organized a themed issue to explore approaches to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in applied linguistics focusing in particular on unequal relations of power manifested in language ideologies and practices in diverse educational and social contexts. The papers in the 38(2) special issue discuss the hegemony of English and Eurocentric norms from a decolonial perspective, providing examples of inclusive language education. The role of researchers, applied linguists and language educators in promoting a more critically informed, plural, and culturally rich environment for knowledge production and language teaching, learning and use is also discussed. In this issue the authors explore how applied linguistics can foster the development of EDI in multilingual approaches and contexts identifying, interrogating and/or interrupting the legacy of coloniality in language practices and views. The special issue titled Decolonial approaches to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Applied Linguistics – addressing local and global EDI challenges is guest edited by professors Kyria Finardi, Marina Orsini-Jones and Azirah Hashim.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Academic Production and Dissemination in Languages other than English: Possibility or Wishful Thinking?
Cláudio França & Kyria Finardi
Individual differences in English-Medium Education: Comparing multilingual identity, beliefs, motivations and perspectives in EME in Spanish and Chinese undergraduates
Jennifer Ament & Mengjia Zhang
Redefining English Language Teaching in Punjab: Embracing Translanguaging and Plurilingual Competence for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Preeti Suri & Marina Orsini-Jones
Language Teacher Education in Brazil and the place of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Heritage speakers in Switzerland: Plurilingualism and social justice in a multilingual country.
Andrea Wehrli
Internationalisation at Home through Critical Virtual Exchange
Mirjam Hauck, Ana Cristina Biondo Salomão, Müge Satar & Gustavo Primo
Longitudinal civic engagement: Undergraduate students’ reflections on an intergenerational virtual exchange
Carolin Fuchs & Hannah Ferguson
Virtual Exchange for English Language Teaching (VEELT): Engagement and Inclusion Challenges
Yu-Hua Chen, Sofia Di Sarno-García, Marina Orsini-Jones & Karina Guadalupe Díaz Pedroza
in Action / Uncategorized / Visibility
BILCE is pleased to share the Call of Papers for the 11th Biennial International Conference on the Linguistics of Contemporary English (BICLCE), to be held from 3rd to 5th July 2026 in Austria, at the University of Klagenfurt.
For over two decades, the BICLCE conference series has been a forum for researchers who are interested in the linguistics of contemporary English. It is open to different theoretical and methodological perspectives. Previous conferences were held in Edinburgh (2005), Toulouse (2007), London (2009), Osnabrück (2011), Austin TX (2013), Madison WI (2015), Vigo (2017), Bamberg (2019), Ljubljana (2022) and Alicante (2024). BICLCE 2026 wishes to continue this long-standing tradition of exploring contemporary English.
We are pleased to announce the following keynote speakers: Daniel Davis, Maria Kuteeva, Marc Xu, Barbara Seidlhofer, and José Fajardo.
This time, BICLCE11 comes with an additional thematic focus on “English in a geopolitically changing world”, motivated by the major changes the world has experienced in the last several years which may potentially influence how English is used and perceived internationally. Therefore, we are happy to invite researchers to submit proposals addressing this topic in particular. Beyond this special theme, contributions related to English are also welcome in any of the following fields/areas: syntax, morphology, sociolinguistics, semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, cognitive linguistics, phonetics/phonology, applied linguistics, and more.
We invite proposals for contributions to the conference, either for the General Sessionsor for one of seven Thematic Sessions:
For all sessions, we invite proposals for individual papers consisting of a 20-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of discussion.
Abstracts should clearly indicate the theoretical framework, the research question(s), elaborate data and methodology and discuss (expected) findings. The abstract should not exceed 300 words (excluding references). The abstract should be adapted to the Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition), and be anonymized before its submission as they will undergo anonymous peer-review.
The abstracts should be submitted electronically and as either docx or pdf files, using the following template: https://conference3.aau.at/event/156/attachments/116/305/Template_BICLCE11.docx.
The author(s) should submit their abstract via https://conference3.aau.at/event/156/abstracts/.
The deadline is January 15th, 2026. Notifications will be sent out by 15th March.
Please forward this information (and the CfP attached) to your colleagues, students and interested parties.
We look forward to welcoming you in Klagenfurt!
All the very best,
Nikola, for the BICLCE11 organization team
in Action / Uncategorized / Visibility
AESLA is pleased to present the 43rd International Congress of the Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA), which will be held from 15 to 17 April 2026 in Granada.
The theme of the conference will be: ‘Language, variation and identity: linguistic dynamics to represent society’. This title suggests a reflection on how linguistic changes influence the configuration of societies given that, in an increasingly diverse, global and interconnected world, language is an essential tool for representing social complexity. In this case, applied linguistics can provide new interpretations of patterns of linguistic change and variation, as well as explain the role that language plays in the articulation of social identities and in the creation and/or modification of linguistic communities. This conference aims to be a space for dialogue to reflect on how language reflects and shapes social diversity.
For more information visit https://wpd.ugr.es/~aesla26/important-dates/
Submission of proposals: October 15 to December 20, 2025
Notification of acceptance: no later than February 8, 2026
Registration of speakers: December 2, 2025 to March 15, 2026
Attendee registration: December 2, 2025 to April 1, 2026
Conference dates: April 15 to 17, 2026
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The 24th AsiaTEFL International Conference & The 11th International Conference on ELT in China(AsiaTEFL 2026) will be held at Xi’an Jiaotong University of China from May 28 to 31, 2026. AsiaTEFL 2026 invites proposals for presentations from practitioners, researchers, and policymakers as well as graduate students from across Asia and beyond to share insights, foster collaboration, and explore the emerging theories and methods in the evolving field of ELT. Proposals may be for individual papers, posters, symposia, colloquia or workshops sessions.
Time: May 28 to 31, 2026
Venue: Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Organized by:
AsiaTEFL
Hosted by:
China English Language Education Association
School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University
Sponsored by:
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
Center for Teaching and Learning Development, Xi'an Jiaotong University
National Research Institute for Foreign Language Teaching Materials, Beijing Foreign Studies University
The AsiaTEFL International Conference is a large-scale international academic event that has consistently advanced foreign language education and research across Asia while strengthening academic exchange among teachers and scholars in linguistics and applied linguistics throughout the region. Besides engaging parallel sessions, the program will feature inspiring keynote, plenary, and featured presentations, outstanding book exhibits, and ample opportunities for professional networking and collaboration.
The conference theme of AsiaTEFL 2026, “ELT in a Changing World: Global Challenges and New Opportunities”,examines how English Language Teaching is adapting to address urgent global needs by leveraging AI, innovation, and sustainable practices to generate significant social impact.
Conference Theme
ELT in a Changing World: Global Challenges and New Opportunities
Strands
Language Policy, Planning, and Sociolinguistics
Language Planning and Policy
Plurilingualism and Translanguaging
World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca
Multilingual and Multicultural Education
The Relationship Between Native Culture and Foreign Culture in ELT
Teaching Methodologies and Curriculum Design
Methodologies and Teaching Approaches
Curriculum and Syllabus Design
EFL Materials Design
English for Academic and Specific Purposes
Teaching Younger Learners
Language Assessment and Evaluation
Language Learning and Development
Second Language Acquisition and Literacy Development
Intercultural Communication and Global Competencies
Creativity and Critical Literacies
Intercultural Critical Thinking Competence
Inclusivity and Well-Being in Education
Working with Special Needs Students
Inclusivity in the Classroom
Teacher and Student Well-Being and Mental Health
Social and Emotional Learning
Teacher Education and Professional Development
Teacher Education and Professional Development
Language Teacher Beliefs and Teaching Practices
Sustainable Professional Practices
Technology and Digital Innovations in Language Education
Digital Literacies and Language Learning Technology
AI in Language Teaching and Learning
Ethics of AI application in Language Education
Equity and Access in Digital Language Learning
Keynote and Plenary Speakers
Markus Bieswanger (University of Bayreuth, Germany)
Shawn Loewen (Michigan State University, USA)
Hossein Nassaji (University of Victoria, Canada)
Glenn Stockwell (Waseda University, Japan)
Wang Chuming (Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China)
Xu Jinfen (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China)
Isaiah WonHo Yoo (Sogang University, Republic of Korea)
Forms of Presentation
Detailed presentations sharing research findings.
Includes time for Q&A.
Interactive sessions with hands-on activities.
Designed for skill-building and practical learning.
Includes time for Q&A.
Colloquia/Symposia (90 minutes):
Extended sessions with multiple talks on a common theme.
Followed by a discussion period.
Includes time for Q&A.
Multimodal Posters (90 minutes):
Visual presentations combining text, images, and other media.
Presenters discuss their work with attendees.
Includes time for Q&A.
Proposal Submission
Abstracts should be no more than 250 words. All proposals should be submitted online via the submission system at the AsiaTEFL 2026 official website: http://www.asiatefl2026.org
Please submit your proposals as soon as possible. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This will allow colleagues more time to secure local funding and obtain the necessary international travel documents.
Proposal submission deadline: December 31, 2025
Proposal acceptance notification: No later than January 31, 2026
Working Language: English
Registration & Payment Dates
Early-Bird/Presenter Registration: February 1-March 31, 2026
Regular Registration: April 1-May 15, 2026
On-site Registration (CNY only): May 28, 2026
Conference Website
http://www.asiatefl2026.org
Organizing Committee
The 24th AsiaTEFL International Conference
in Action / Uncategorized / Visibility
Brazil Unifies Its Confucius Institutes Under New National Network;
UFG Represents Country in Global AI Forums
On September 12th, 2025, the Network of Confucius Institutes in Brazil was officially established, marking an important milestone in strengthening academic and cultural cooperation between Brazil and China. The proposal for its creation originated from the Confucius Institute at UNESP, which also hosted the inaugural meeting. On that occasion, it was decided that Professor Luís Antônio Paulino, from UNESP, would assume the presidency of the Network.
The event was marked by broad institutional and diplomatic representation, bringing together Brazilian and Chinese directors of the Confucius Institutes operating in the country, as well as various authorities from both China and Brazil. Among those in attendance were the Minister of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, the Acting Consul General of the Consulate General of China in São Paulo, the Director-General of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) in Beijing, along with the Rector of UNESP, the Rector of UnB, the Vice-Rectors of UEPA, UEMA, UFBA, UFC, and UFT.
Currently, Brazil has 14 Confucius Institutes – located at UNESP, UFG, PUC-RIO, UEPA, UFBA, UFC, UFF, UFMG, UFRGS, UFRJ, UnB, Unicamp, UPE, and FAAP – and one Chinese Center at UFMT. Together, they form a national network dedicated to ‘promoting the Chinese language and culture, as well as fostering academic and scientific exchange between the two countries.
Subsequently, on October 10th, 2025, the first online meeting of the Council of the Network of Confucius Institutes in Brazil was held. The main objectives of the meeting were to approve the 2026 Work Plan and to elect the two vice-presidents of the Network, as established in its Statute. Following deliberations, Professor Francisco José Quaresma de Figueiredo, Director of the Confucius Institute for Chinese Medicine at UFG, and Professor Antônio Braga, Director of the Confucius Institute at UEPA, were elected to join the Network’s leadership alongside the president.
The strengthening of this organizational structure represents a significant step toward consolidating the presence of the Confucius Institutes in Brazil, expanding opportunities for interinstitutional cooperation and broadening the reach of initiatives aimed at Chinese language teaching and the promotion of intercultural dialogue.
The Confucius Institutes have as their main objective the dissemination of the Chinese language and culture, and some of them, such as the Confucius Institute of Chinese Medicine at the Federal University of Goiás, in addition to offering courses on the Chinese language and culture, also provide courses in the area of Chinese Medicine. Every year, a major global event is held in which new methods and approaches for teaching Mandarin are discussed – the World Chinese Language Conference, which took place in Beijing from November 14th to 16th 2025. The event is attended by directors of Confucius Institutes around the world, as well as the President or Vice-President of the institutions responsible for each Confucius Institute. This year’s theme was “Innovation Leads, AI Empowers: Learning Chinese Without Borders.”
The use of Artificial Intelligence in Mandarin teaching was also discussed at another event held in Hong Kong from November 16th to 17th – the Global Confucius Institutes Hong Kong Forum, organized by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, with the theme “Exploring New Opportunities for Cooperation among Confucius Institutes in the Era of AI.” The event was attended by 150 invited participants from various Confucius Institutes in 69 countries. The Confucius Institute of Chinese Medicine at UFG represented Brazil at this event.
Prof. Francisco José Quaresma de Figueiredo
Brazilian Dean of the Confucius Institute for Chinese Medicine at UFG
Vice-President of the Network of Confucius Institutes in Brazil
Presidents' Forum of the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities held in Hangzhou
Themed "Future Solutions, AI Empowerment, Integrated Development", the Fifth Presidents' Forum of the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities (GAFSU), hosted by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and organized by Zhejiang International Studies University, was held in Hangzhou on Oct 24.
The forum was attended by leaders from 24 member institutions of the alliance, and over 170 global experts and scholars from more than 60 universities and institutions.
The Fifth Presidents' Forum of the GAFSU is held in Hangzhou. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]
During the forum, Liu Limin, president of the China Education Association for International Exchange, vice president of the Western Returned Scholars Association, and China's former vice minister of education, highlighted the importance of strengthening the collaboration between foreign language universities and research institutions. Liu emphasized leveraging the "intelligence" and "inclusive" advantages of digital technology to promote the deep integration of cutting-edge technology and foreign language education.
Liu Limin delivers a speech during the forum. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]
In his address, Jia Wenjian, chairman of the GAFSU, BFSU's president and deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU Committee, offered future-oriented suggestions: deepen the integration of digital intelligence in language education; enhance the interdisciplinary integration of academic disciplines and specialties; and strengthen the resource integration in the development of the alliance.
Jia Wenjian offers future-oriented suggestions for the development of the GAFSU. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]
Zhang Huanzhou, board member of the GAFSU and president of Zhejiang International Studies University, noted that the forum has created a platform for an exchange matrix within the intercultural education community for members of the alliance.
Zhang Huanzhou highlights the importance of the forum. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]
The forum released the "Initiative for Collaborative Advancement of Innovation in Language Education and Research in the Digital Intelligence Era," calling on member universities to jointly plan new approaches for digitally empowered education and teaching, explore new global pathways for language education, create new global hubs for knowledge innovation, and build a new ecosystem with diverse stakeholder participation.
The GAFSU was initiated in 2015 by BFSU and is currently composed of 39 universities from 20 countries, all distinguished in foreign language teaching and area studies.
in AILA International Events / Events / Past Events
Beijing Foreign Studies University held a Series of Talent Exchange Activities for the 23rd Conference on International Exchange of Professionals
The 23rd Conference on International Exchange of Professionals was held at the Shanghai World Expo Center from October 21st to 22nd. During the conference, Beijing Foreign Studies University held two talent exchange activities with the themes of " Interdisciplinarity and Innovation in Country and Area Studies " and "Artificial Intelligence and International Education". Jia Wenjian, president of Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Zhao Gang, vice president, attended the event.
Interdisciplinarity and Innovation in Country and Area Studies attracts Global Scholars to discuss the Development Path of the Discipline
The talent exchange event on " Interdisciplinarity and Innovation in Country and Area Studies" is hosted by the Country and Area Studies Academy. The event brought together over 50 experts and scholars from UNESCO, the Australian Academy of Humanities, and dozens of top universities and research institutions around the world. The opening ceremony was presided over by Zhao Gang.
The Unveiling of International Collaborative Platform for Cross-Disciplinary and Innovative Country and Area Studies was held at the event. Jia Wenjian, Irina Bokova, the former Director-General of UNESCO, Marakkale Manage Pathmalal, the president of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and Barnabas Nawangwe, the president of Makerere University in Uganda, delivered speeches and jointly unveiled the plaque for the "International Collaborative Platform for Cross-Disciplinary and Innovative Country and Area Studies" of Beijing Foreign Studies University. They stated that against the backdrop of profound changes in the current world order, deepening interdisciplinary and cross-cultural regional and country studies holds irreplaceable strategic value for promoting global governance and enhancing mutual learning among civilizations.
The event focused on in-depth discussions on the theoretical frontiers and practical exploration of regional and country studies. David Carter, an academician of the Australian Academy of Humanities, expounded on the significant role of regional studies as a cross-disciplinary platform. Chih-Ping Chou, a retired professor from Princeton University, analyzed the development trends of global Chinese education. Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim from the University of Abuja explored the academic connotations of China-Africa cooperation from a cross-disciplinary perspective. Professor Ren Xiao from the Institute of Regional and Global Governance, BFSU summarized the latest progress in China's regional and country studies. Scholars from countries such as Algeria, Germany, France, Argentina, and Ethiopia respectively shared their research findings on topics such as China-Africa relations, African language standardization, multilingual learning, and global public health, fully demonstrating the diverse and cross-disciplinary characteristics of regional and country studies. In the "At the Crossroads of Regional Studies" roundtable discussion, dozens of guests conducted a heated discussion on how to transcend traditional research paradigms and build a more equal and inclusive global knowledge system, providing insightful ideas for future disciplinary development.
Artificial Intelligence and International Education Jointly Explore a New Chapter in the Future of Education
The "Artificial Intelligence and International Education" talent exchange event was organized by the School of Education, the BFSU Artificial Intelligence and Human Language Lab, and the Institute of Online Education of Beijing Foreign Studies University. The event brought together over 50 high-level experts and scholars from nearly 30 countries and regions, as well as more than 10 heads of overseas universities and research institutions. The opening ceremony of the event was presided over by Zhao Gang.
Meanwhile, a roadshow and exhibition of "Artificial Intelligence + Foreign Language Education Products and Periodicals" was held on the event. Li Zuowen, director of the BFSU Artificial Intelligence and Human Language Lab, and Tang Jinlan, dean of the Institute of Online Education, respectively introduced two academic journals, "Language and Intelligence" and "Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning". Dr. Li Lingxiao from the Artificial Intelligence and Human Language Lab demonstrated the innovative applications of artificial intelligence in areas such as language learning, teaching evaluation, and course resource development, presenting the latest achievements and research progress in this field.
During the event, experts and scholars from all over the world delivered 18 specialized academic reports on the theme of "Artificial Intelligence and International Education". The research areas covered educational technology, artificial intelligence and language learning, language teaching, and other fields, fully demonstrating an international perspective of interdisciplinary cooperation. The keynote speeches on the first day were hosted by Li Zuowen, with key topics including LingTutor and inquiry-based learning, key issues of AI as high-quality educational resources, the definition of AI literacy and the application of AI in English teaching, and the challenges of generative AI and higher education. The keynote speeches on the second day were hosted by Tang Jinlan, mainly focusing on ethical guidelines for the application of AI in education, the future transformation of language education with AI, the challenges of AI in the cultivation of translation talents, the digital transformation of global education with AI, and the challenges of cooperation and collusion with generative AI.
The event featured two roundtable discussions, themed "Opportunities and Challenges in the Digital Transformation of International Education " and "Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Multilingual Teaching". These discussions were hosted by Professor Kong Lei from the Artificial Intelligence and Human Language Lab and Dr. Tu Xiliang from the Institute of Online Education. Experts and scholars from universities such as Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Makerere University, Sofia University, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Universidad Bolivariana del Ecuador, University of Nairobi and Australian National University participated in the discussions. They engaged in lively exchanges on topics such as the path of digital education transformation and the practical application of AI technology in cross-cultural language teaching, providing valuable and diverse perspectives for the development of international education.
This event effectively promoted academic dialogue and knowledge sharing in the field of artificial intelligence and international education research through keynote speeches, roundtable discussions, and achievement displays. It provided an important platform for promoting the digital transformation of international education and facilitating interdisciplinary innovation research. This event not only showcased the latest research achievements in this field but also offered a valuable opportunity for global educators to learn from each other and develop together. The experts attending the event unanimously agreed that artificial intelligence technology is profoundly changing the global education ecosystem, and international cooperation and cross-cultural exchanges are crucial in this process.
The Conference on International Exchange of Professionals is the largest and most prestigious international talent platform in China. Based on this platform, Beijing Foreign Studies University has gathered top experts and scholars from around the world to hold a series of activities such as academic discussions, project signing, cooperation negotiations, and roadshow exhibitions, aiming to deepen international understanding, promote global dialogue, actively build a new pattern of international academic cooperation and talent exchange, and actively contribute the wisdom of Beijing Foreign Studies University to strengthening international cooperation and mutual learning among civilizations, as well as promoting the common development of global talents.
in AILA International Events / Events / Past Events
The 2025 Annual Conference of China English Language Education Association was held in Chongqing on October 17-19, 2025. It was hosted by Southwest University. The theme of the conference is English Teaching in the New Era: New Approaches for Intercultural Communication and Mutual Learning. Prof. Prof. Peter I. De Costa from Michigan State University, Prof. Cheng Xiaotang from Beijing Normal University, Prof. Yin Yungong from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Prof. Dong Hongchuan from Sichuan International Studies University and Prof. Wen Xu from Southwest University gave plenary speeches at the conference. During the conference, 17 symposia, 1 editor-in-chief forum were held and 15 groups of individual papers were presented. About 300 EFL scholars and teachers attended the conference on site and 32,000 people watched the plenary sessions on-line.
The next Conference of CELEA, the 11th International Conference on ELT in China will be held jointly with the 24th AsiaTEFL International Conference (AsiaTEFL 2026) in Xi’an city on May 28-31, 2026.
Prof. Sun Youzhong, the CELEA president and Prof. Gao Yang from Xi’an Jiaotong University attended the 23nd AsiaTEFL International Conference held in Hong Kong, China on July 10-13, 2025. Prof. Gao Yang spoke as the representative of the host organization of the next AsiaTEFL Conference.
Prof. Kyria Finardi had a meeting with the representatives of CELEA, Prof. Sun Youzhong, Prof. Jin Limin, Prof. Zhang Hong, Ms Duan Changcheng and Ms Hou Hui on October 28, 2025 to discuss possibilities of academic exchanges and a global talents nurturing program.
During her visit to Beijing, professor Kyria Finardi also met Prof. Xu Jiajin https://corpus.bfsu.edu.cn/info/1067/1988.htm from the National Research Centre for Foreign Language Education, BFSU. Professor Xu is also involved in a recently approved project focused on the role of AI in the geopolitics of knowledge production coordinated by Professor Kyria Finardi in Brazil. The project involves various AILA members from 12 other countries besides China and has recently received approval and support from the Brazilian Research Foundation FAPES.
in AILA International Events / Events / Past Events
Malang, Indonesia – On 8–10 October 2025, The Asosiasi Linguistik Terapan Indonesia (ALTI) – Indonesian Association of Applied Linguistics (IAAL), conducted the 2nd International Seminar of Applied Linguistics (ISIALing) in collaboration with the 71st TEFLIN International Conference, hosted by Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Universitas Brawijaya. The conference, also in conjunction with The 5th ICE and The 5th ICOLLEC, brought together more than 650 scholars, practitioners, and linguistics professionals from Indonesia and 13 other countries. The conference invited very special keynote speaker, Prof. Kyria Rebeca Finardi, President of AILA, among other keynote speakers, namely keynote speech dari Prof. Gary Barkhuizen (University of Auckland, New Zealand) dan Prof. Ju Seong Lee (University of Hong Kong), Assoc. Prof. Dennis Alonzo (University of New South Wales) and Assoc. Prof. Hamamah, who is the coordinator of Cooperation Department of ALTI.
President of ALTI, Dr. Meinarni Susilowati expressed her deep gratitude for continuous support from AILA for ISIALing, which always had the President AILA as the keynote speaker. The former President of AILA, Prof. Dr. Azirah Hashim delivered the keynote speech on the first ISIALing in online platform. The presence of AILA President on the 2nd ISIALing showed greater support for ALTI to be more widely recognized.
ALTI Executive Board Meeting
Within this international forum, ALTI also conducted Executive ALTI Board Meeting, together with the delegates from different parts of Indonesia. The meeting was very important to equalize perspectives so that each delegate can disseminate the results of the meeting into programs and activities that can provide benefits for their community. President of AILA also attended the meeting and discussed how ALTI might participate on AILA programs both for organizational development and personal growth. This year Executive ALTI Board Meeting signified potential collaborations among applied linguistics association across countries and institutional alignment with AILA’s sustainability-driven global agenda.
In the collaborative conference, ALTI also carried out a workshop under the theme “Translation and Interpretation Teaching in Indonesia,” which explored the status quo of teaching translation and interpretation in Indonesia. This workshop was done with the collaboration of ALTI and Persatuan Penterjemah Malaysia (Malaysia Translator Association). The theme was purposively selected by considering the fact that translation teachers faced conflicting situation due to vast development translation technology. ALTI invited Dr. Sugeng Hariyanto (Himpunan Penerjemah Indonesia/Indonesia Translator Association) and Dr. Noor Ida Ramli (Malaysia Translator Association) as the resource persons. The activities were conducted through interactive presentations, group discussions on translation. As the outcome of this workshop is a book chapter on teaching translation in Indonesia.
Institutional Significance and Sustainability Orientation
As an affiliate of AILA, ALTI occupies a strategic position in Indonesia’s applied linguistics landscape. AILA describes itself as “a federation of national and regional associations of Applied Linguistics” which aims to promote research and practice in applied linguistics globally. Among AILA’s key policy priorities is linguistic diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, particularly recognising language’s role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
By hosting this workshop and board meeting within an international conference framework, ALTI signals its intention to:
Strengthen its internal governance and member services so that it can provide robust platforms for research, publication, professional development, and networking in applied linguistics and translation in Indonesia.
Enhance its visibility and connection to international networks via AILA, thereby opening opportunities for collaborative research, global dissemination, and cross‐national partnerships.
Embed sustainability thinking into its translation and applied linguistics agenda e.g., how translation practices can support multilingualism, language rights, inclusive education, indigenous/minority languages, and sustainable language communities, in line with AILA’s orientation.
Foster translation scholarship not only as an academic endeavour but as a means of sustaining knowledge exchange, linguistic equity, and professional practice, thereby linking the micro (individual translators/researchers) with the macro (institutional and societal sustainability) levels.
Outcomes & Next Steps
The workshop and general board meeting at the TEFLIN International Conference 2025 in conjunction with the 2nd ISIALing in Malang, mark a significant milestone for ALTI in its journey from a national organisation to a globally‐connected affiliate of AILA with a sustainability‐informed institutional strategy. As Professor Kyria underscores, “This is an excellent opportunity for members to participate in research, exchange their best practices, and participate in the national events held by other affiliates in Asia, Europe, Africa, and America.” By aligning translation studies and applied linguistics practice with the broader themes of linguistic diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, ALTI reinforces its institutional capacity and relevance in a changing global research ecosystem. As applied linguistics continues to engage with pressing societal issues, such as multilingualism to environmental communication, and inclusive education ALTI promises to contribute meaningfully to Indonesia’s scholarship and practice in the field.
ALTI JAYA, INDONESIA MAJU
in AILA International Events / Events / Past Events
The UNICollaboration organisation is organising an international research conference on the theme of “Virtual Exchange in a Changing World: Innovation and Inclusion”. Our 2026 theme acknowledges the transformative power of digital connectivity and collaborative learning in times of global complexity.
The conference will take place on June 4-5, 2026 at the Cyprus University of Technology in Limassol, Cyprus and welcomes presentations, workshops, panel discussions and posters that include both research studies and practical reports.
The deadline for submission is 15 November 2025. Details can be found in the Call for Papers HERE and the link to submit abstracts can be found on the conference website HERE.
If you have specific questions about conference logistics or travel issues, you can contact the organizers at their email address: ; or directly to ;
in Events / featured stories / timeline / Upcoming Other Events
The Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA) and the Organizing Committee of this edition are pleased to invite you to the 43rd International Conference of the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics, organized by the Department of Spanish Language at the University of Granada. The conference will be held in Granada from April 15 to 17, 2026, at the School of Civil, Canal, and Port Engineering.
With the topic: ‘Language, variation and identity: linguistic dynamics for representing identity’, we want the conference to become a space for dialogue where we can reflect on how language reflects and shapes social reality and how speakers use linguistic resources to represent their identity.
The AESLA 2026 Organising Committee encourages you to participate in the conference by submitting a proposal for an oral presentation or a poster.
We remind you that each participant may submit up to two proposals, in Spanish and English, from 15 October 2025 to 20 December 2025. Proposals should be submitted via the web platform: https://matrix.aesla.org.es/aesla2026, and will be assigned to the thematic panel chosen for review (each proposal may only be submitted to one panel).
For more detailed information about the AESLA 2026 conference, please visit our website: https://wpd.ugr.es/~aesla26/
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us at the following email address:
We look forward to seeing you in Granada!
Elena Fernández de Molina Ortés, Rocío Cruz Ortiz and Edyta Waluch de la Torre
Coordinators of the Organising Committee for the AESLA 2026 Conference
in EUROPE / Events / featured stories / timeline
In Conversation:
Multilingual and Intercultural Perspectives in Language Learning: Essays in Honour of Claire Kramsch
The special issue of L2 Journal, Multilingual and Intercultural Perspectives in Language Learning: Essays in Honour of Claire Kramsch, guest edited by Drs. Simon Coffey and Zhu Hua, is now available. Join the guest editors, contributors to the special issue, and Dr. Claire Kramsch as they discuss the special issue and the substantial impact of Dr. Kramsch’s work on applied linguistics and world language education scholarship and practice.
Tuesday Oct. 7, 2025
9:00am PST/5:00pm GMT+1
Zoom
Register here
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.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Academic Production and Dissemination in Languages other than English: Possibility or Wishful Thinking?
Cláudio França & Kyria Finardi
Individual differences in English-Medium Education: Comparing multilingual identity, beliefs, motivations and perspectives in EME in Spanish and Chinese undergraduates
Jennifer Ament & Mengjia Zhang
Redefining English Language Teaching in Punjab: Embracing Translanguaging and Plurilingual Competence for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Preeti Suri & Marina Orsini-Jones
Language Teacher Education in Brazil and the place of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Heritage speakers in Switzerland: Plurilingualism and social justice in a multilingual country.
Andrea Wehrli
Internationalisation at Home through Critical Virtual Exchange
Mirjam Hauck, Ana Cristina Biondo Salomão, Müge Satar & Gustavo Primo
Longitudinal civic engagement: Undergraduate students’ reflections on an intergenerational virtual exchange
Carolin Fuchs & Hannah Ferguson
Virtual Exchange for English Language Teaching (VEELT): Engagement and Inclusion Challenges
Yu-Hua Chen, Sofia Di Sarno-García, Marina Orsini-Jones & Karina Guadalupe Díaz Pedroza
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Academic Production and Dissemination in Languages other than English: Possibility or Wishful Thinking?
Cláudio França & Kyria Finardi
Individual differences in English-Medium Education: Comparing multilingual identity, beliefs, motivations and perspectives in EME in Spanish and Chinese undergraduates
Jennifer Ament & Mengjia Zhang
Redefining English Language Teaching in Punjab: Embracing Translanguaging and Plurilingual Competence for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Preeti Suri & Marina Orsini-Jones
Language Teacher Education in Brazil and the place of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Heritage speakers in Switzerland: Plurilingualism and social justice in a multilingual country.
Andrea Wehrli
Internationalisation at Home through Critical Virtual Exchange
Mirjam Hauck, Ana Cristina Biondo Salomão, Müge Satar & Gustavo Primo
Longitudinal civic engagement: Undergraduate students’ reflections on an intergenerational virtual exchange
Carolin Fuchs & Hannah Ferguson
Virtual Exchange for English Language Teaching (VEELT): Engagement and Inclusion Challenges
Yu-Hua Chen, Sofia Di Sarno-García, Marina Orsini-Jones & Karina Guadalupe Díaz Pedroza
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.
Disruptions allow and provide opportunities for new beginnings, fundamental reconsiderations, and the conceptualization of alternative directional approaches to education and training. They form a constitutive part of growing up, socialization, and education. The basic dialectical tone and the colorful metaphors used in the context of disruptions, upheavals, breakthroughs, collapses, or new departures point, not least, to the fundamental anthropological issue of a fragile existence. Not only does the notion of the human fragment testifies to this, but so does the phenomenon of the breakthrough as an elementary gain of knowledge along the fault lines of experience. Both in individual life courses and in the context of organizational or societal developmental processes, rifts mark disruptive changes. The dynamics of such social and cultural transformations, technological innovations, political upheavals, or increasing diversifications of educational and professional careers require pedagogical actors to deal with such breaks, discontinuities, and transitions. With the topic of this congress, we aim not only to identify problems but also focus on necessary moments of transition which hold potential for innovation and the positive shaping of the future.
The GERA Congress 2026 will take place in Munich from March 22nd – March 25th 2026.
AILA national affiliates embody traditions and represent cultures of doing, promoting, and supporting research and teaching, for example by the way they organize conferences, award academic leadership, and interact with their individual members. Experiencing these traditions and cultures across affiliates’ biotopes and boundaries can challenge routines, inspire us to think out of the box and foster mutual learning.
in AILA Long-term Activities / featured stories / Tandem Initiative
AILA is in contact with several potential new affiliates, for example, to keep the momentum of the AILA 2017 World Congress going and to strengthen Applied Linguistics in Latin America. The procedure of becoming an AILA National Affiliate has been simplified. A new, checklist style application form provides prospective parties with an overview of all the requirements for a successful application.
in AILA Long-term Activities / featured stories / Identity
Word of the Year initiatives have raised increasing attention around the globe. For Applied Linguists, the phenomenon is of twofold interest: First, empirically grounded selection processes of socially predominant words require sophisticated analytical tools from discourse and corpus analysis. Second, media coverage of every Word of the Year is an opportunity to raise both language awareness and the visibility of Applied Linguistics in society at large. These are two good reasons for a new AILA workgroup to explore ideas of collaborating with Word of the Year initiatives. To join the workgroup please contact: Word of the Year
in AILA Long-term Activities / featured stories / Research
Hot topics in research, such as literacy, tend to be addressed by fast-growing networks of globally connected researchers. Network participants bring in enthusiasm and commitment to their specific topic, which they address from various angles of traditional and new disciplines. Similar to AILA, these networks address linguistically and socially relevant issues, but often without the institutional stability and constant reach of AILA. Collaborating on global or regional levels with such networks, such as the European Literacy Network, benefits all parties involved. To join the workgroup please contact: Interweaving
in AILA Long-term Activities / featured stories / Research
Officially endorsing empirically grounded and theoretically sound polices on language use can foster the language awareness of decision-makers. By doing so, it may impact decisions, for example, in education management, courtrooms, and politics, for the sustainable benefit of society at large. In order to strengthen the connection between linguistic knowledge and action, AILA has established a workgroup that scouts policies already (or not yet) endorsed by our national affiliates and makes suggestions for global endorsements to the AILA Executive Board and International Committee.
in Action / AILA Long-term Activities / featured stories
Globally relevant organizations such as UNESCO could benefit from systematic collaboration with AILA – and vice versa. This is all the more the case since the strategic goals of AILA and such organizations can considerably overlap, as the example of the UNESCO strategic goals shows. An AILA workgroup takes action in addressing such strategic overlap and evaluating ways of inter-institutional collaboration.
in Action / AILA Long-term Activities / featured stories / UNESCO
Sarah CK MOORE, University of Maryland, USA, American Association of Applied Linguistics
Francis HULT, University of Maryland Baltimore County, American Association of Applied Linguistics
David Cassels JOHNSON, University of Iowa, American Association of Applied Linguistics
Scope:
The Language Policy Research Network (LPReN) is an international network of early, mid- and late-career researchers whose scholarship concerns issues related to language policy and planning, the politics of language policy, development and implementation of language policy making, issues of power in the context of language policy making, and exposing hegemonies implicit to language policy and planning.
It is housed in the Multilingual Research Center in the College of Education at the University of Maryland. The scope is far-reaching, as it involves a listserv of over 850 subscribers hosted by the University of Maryland (), used for information sharing, event dissemination, Calls for publications, book reviews, and conferences, as well as the AILA World Congress Call for LPReN symposia papers.
In addition to lively listserv interaction and collaboration among its members, LPReN community constituents benefit from its advisory committee, which is comprised of leading global thought leaders and scholars whose publications, research, and academic endeavors address issues of language policy and planning. The advisory committee convenes annually aligned with the American Association of Applied Linguistics conference. LPReN activities are particularly valuable for early-career scholars because our AILA World Congress Call is open to both members and other newly- emerging, not yet established researchers. Members communicate via the LPReN listserv. Since 2008, LPReN has hosted panels at AILA World Congresses. Three well-attended half-day panel sessions were held at the 2024 AILA World Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Highlight of 3 scientific ReN works during the previous period:
Sinner, M., Hult, F.M., & Kupisch, T. (Eds.) (2018). Language policy and language acquisition planning. Springer.
Johnson, D.C. & Johnson, E. (2022). The Language Gap: Normalizing Deficit Ideologies. Routledge.
Moore, S. C. K. (2021). A history of bilingual education: Examining the politics of language policymaking. Multilingual Matters.
Some members:
Peter Backhaus, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Jeff Bale, OISE, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
David Block, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelon, Spain
Theodorus du Plessis, University of the Free State, South Africa
Patsy Duff, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Gregory Paul Glasgow, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
Nancy H. Hornberger, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Francis M. Hult, University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA
David Cassels Johnson, University of Iowa, USA
Kendall A. King, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Karen E. Lillie, SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, New York, USA
Angel Lin, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Reynaldo F. Macías, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
Jeff MacSwan, University of Maryland College Park, USA
Sarah CK Moore, University of Maryland College Park, USA
Anik Nandi, University of Leiden, Netherlands
Sonja Novak- Lukanovič, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Vaidehi Ramanathan, University of California, Davis, California, USA
Dónall Ó Riagáin, Naas, County Kildare, Ireland
Thomas Ricento, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Kristof Savski, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
Elana Shohamy, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Christopher Stroud, University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Roland Terborg, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
James W. Tollefson, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Humphrey Tonkin, University of Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Li Wei, University College of London, UK
Terrence G. Wiley, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
Wayne E. Wright, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
The 21st International Congress of Linguists (ICL) will be held from 8 to 14 September 2024 in Poznań. In 1928, during the first International Congress of Linguists in The Hague, Netherlands, Comité International Permanent des Linguistes (CIPL) was founded. It has organised ICL's ever since, in collaboration with local hosts. Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań is proud to have been selected as the hosting institution for the next Congress.
ICL is organized once every five years as the meeting place par excellence for international linguistics, where all areas and sub-disciplines of linguistics as well as interdisciplinary topics can be discussed.
This is done through a number of plenary lectures presented by eminent scholars who are specialists in their field, through separate sections devoted to particular branches of linguistics and focus streams related to special topics. The leitmotif of the 2024 Congress is: Languages - Communities - Technologies.
Friday 30th Sept - Saturday 1st October, hosted by Munster Technological University
