Research

RECAL – Research & Educational Cultures in Applied Linguistics

Convenors:

  • Paola GAMBOA, Sorbonne Nouvelle, France, AFLA
  • Claire KRAMSCH, USA, AAAL

Scope:

The scope of this AILA Research Network RECAL - Research & Educational Cultures in Applied Linguistics, is to examine the cultural, political, epistemological and methodological diversity of applied linguistics research in various countries; as well as the diversity of institutional conditions in which the research is conducted. 

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach (applied linguistics, educational sciences, sociology), research in this ReN focuses on:

  1. Scientific culture. In order to know, how theories from Global North and Global South countries have been received, interpreted and put into practice in different countries with different intellectual, scientific and educational traditions.
  2. Educational culture. Education systems, history and heritage. Coloniality and decolonial perspectives.
  3. Editorial culture. To determine the opportunities and constraints of publishing in English. In particular, how to publish in English without losing the conceptual, epistemological and pedagogical specificity of a research often conceived in a language different from English.
  4. Didactic and pedagogical cultures. To find out, what are the socio-political bases, realities and constraints in language teaching and learning (bilingualism / multilingualism / plurilingualism) in different education systems.
  5. Pre-service and In-service teacher’s development. To understand the difficulties researchers and teachers have to face in order to adapt diversity policies into inclusive practices, but also to what extent they have been trained to reflect on identifying problems of diversity and inclusion.

This REN wants to feature both research and educational projects showing the challenges to overcome in: 

  • analyzing, understanding and questioning the colonial heritage, the systemic coloniality and the decolonial needs.
  • adopting transnational (such UNESCO) and national (specific to a country) policies and guidelines to implement diversity and inclusion.
  • promoting language value (equality and equity), maintenance or revitalization. 
  • implementing appropriate working conditions for researchers and teachers in order to meet the learners’ needs.

 

This REN welcomes projects describing the challenges mentioned above, but also the designing of educational solutions representative of social challenges, connecting classrooms with life experiences and recognizing the experiences and abilities of every student, in particular, those historically marginalized.

Keywords

Epistemological, research and educational cultures | Diversity & Inclusion | Teacher’s development, practices and social impact | Critical intercultural dimensions | Decolonial perspectives | Education policies.

If your research and teaching interests meet those of our network, do not hesitate to contact us in order to join us.

 

Highlight of 3 scientific ReN works during the previous period:

  • 2021: INVITED SYMPOSIUM - AILA INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS 2022

Groningen. Netherlands, August, 2021. The dynamics of language, communication and culture in applied linguistic research in Latin America. Participants: English researchers and teachers in various Latin American countries. Objectif: To respond to changes due to globalization: inequalities and social justice; epistemological and ideological sequels of colonialism; deconstruction and postmodern theories concerning the language-identity-culture relationship; and the didactic foundations of language teaching. Coordinators: Claire KRAMSCH, Harold CASTAÑEDA PENA & Paola GAMBOA.

REN RECAL EDITED VOLUME

As organizers of the 2021 ReCAL symposium Claire KRAMSCH (Emerita Professor at Berkeley University), Harold CASTEÑEDA (PhD Professor at Universidad Distritital Francisco José de Caldas) and Paola GAMBOA (PhD Lecturer at Sorbonne Nouvelle University) have decided to coordinate a volume on the decolonization of research in applied linguistics in Latin America. In this volume, researchers from Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and the United States of America, were invited to report on their work, adopting as much as possible a reflexive stance, but also to offer a critical analysis of their efforts to decolonize their research projects. In particular, they would analyze, using Spanish or Portuguese and English, their own locus of enunciation / lugar de enunciación / lugar de fala.

Castañeda-Peña, H., Gamboa, P., & Kramsch, C. (Eds.). (2023). Decolonizing Applied Linguistics Research in Latin America: Moving to a Multilingual Mindset (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003326748 

  • 2024: CONPLA MULTILINGUAL SYMPOSIUM MARCH 2024

In the frame of the 5th Congreso Paraguayo de Lingüística Aplicada (CONPLA) preparation, Claire KRAMSCH, Kyria FINARDI and Paola GAMBOA were invited to held a conference on the edited volume Decolonizing Applied Linguistics Research in Latin America: Moving to a Multilingual Mindset. The invitation was made by Professor Valentina CANESE. Directora del Instituto Superior de Lenguas. Universidad Nacional de Asunción.

AILA INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AUGUST 2024

Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia, August, 2024. Hybrid symposium. Diversity and inclusion: from transnational and national policies to classroom realities, constraints and implementations. Objectif: To understand what is meant by diversity and inclusion (clearly identified typologies and the adoption of anticipatory and accurate responses). Coordinators: Claire KRAMSCH & Paola GAMBOA.

 

Some members: 

  • Maure AGUIRRE ORTEGA. Universidad de Antioquia. Colombia
  • Paula Tatianne CARRERA SZUNDY. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Brazil
  • Harold CASTAÑEDA PEÑA. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas Colombia
  • Erica COACHMAN. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Brazil
  • Fotini DIAMANTIDAKI. University College London. United Kingdom
  • Haley DE KORNE. University of Oslo. Norway
  • Carina FERNANDEZ. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Argentina
  • Jorge FROZZINI. Université de Québec à Chicoutimi. Canada
  • Carmen Helena GUERRERO NIETO. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. Colombia
  • Irene HEIDT. Universität Potsdam. Germany
  • Lane IGOUDIN. Los Angeles City College. United States of America
  • Tiechneg LI. Chinese University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong
  • Mario LÓPEZ GOPAR. Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca. Mexico
  • Yecid ORTEGA. Queen's University Belfast. United Kingdom
  • Janeth ORTIZ. Universidad de Antioquia. Colombia
  • Beatriz PEÑA DIX. Universidad de los Andes. Colombia
  • Nara TAKAKI. Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul. Brazil
  • Gabriela TAVELA. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Argentina
  • Rogerio TILIO. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Brazil
  • Diego UBAQUE CASALLAS. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. Colombia
in ReN: English as a Medium of Education

ReN Applications Report

Report by Grégory Miras as AILA ReN Coordinator

The AILA Research Networks (ReNs) are enshrined in the statutes and by-laws of the Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée - AILA as a lever for  promoting research on burning issues in applied linguistics arising from real-world problems.

Although the statutes specify a number of 15 ReNs for periods of 3 years, the wording was changed in 2012 to allow greater flexibility according to needs. For the previous period 2021-23, there were 20 ReNs plus a special ReCAL on Research Cultures in Applied Linguistics. During this special period, ReN convenors had the opportunity to organise symposia at the two jubilee congresses, AILA 2023 (Lyon, FRANCE) and AILA 2024 (Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA).

With the return to a three-year cycle, the call for ReNs for the period 2024-27 has focused on finding a balance between renewing ReNs that have demonstrated their impact on the scientific field and allowing new ones to emerge. The idea is to come close to the numbers of ReNs set out in the By-laws, while at the same time proposing a framework that will allow us to build on existing promotional tools (for example, the publication of news in the International Journal of Applied Linguistics) and also to propose new formats (a focus in the President's Newsletter).

The call for proposals was sent out on 9 September, with a deadline of 13 October 24, and projects could be submitted until 16 October, in accordance to the AILA statutes, which stipulate a deadline for submissions up to two months after the end of the AILA Congress, which took place from 11 to 16 August 2024. The submission consisted of filling in a template describing the ReN project. 

The ReN Committee is made up of 4 members, one of whom is a member of the Executive Committee and three of whom are members of the International Committee:

  • Prof. Dr. María Luisa Carrió-Pastor, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
  • Dr. Anitha Devi Pillai, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 
  • Dr. Doris Cristina Vicente da Silva Matos, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Brazil
  • Dr. Caroline Tagg, The Open University, United Kingdom

The Committee met on 19 November 24 to consider each application according to the following criteria, as defined in the AILA by-laws:

  • at least 5 members
  • at least 1 new scholar
  • international team
  • produce a report on the previous year for renewals

but also on items such as :

  • the contribution of the topic to applied linguistics
  • a clear work programme for the period in question 
  • the strategic dimension of the theme for Applied Linguistics

In the end, 16 ReN proposals were accepted including 4 new projects and 12 renewals. They all present the diversity of approaches in applied linguistics.

in ReN: Applications Report / Research

ISB14 Call for papers – Abstract submission portal now open

International Symposium on Bilingualism 14
– Diversity Now –

Now Accepting Abstract Submissions

The 14th International Symposium on Bilingualism will take place on 26-30 June 2023 at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

The theme of the conference is Diversity Now. The United Nations General Assembly has declared the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages to draw attention to the critical status of many Indigenous languages across the world and to encourage action for their preservation, revitalisation, and promotion. ISB14 especially encourages submissions of work involving lesser-studied bilingual communities and interdisciplinary work examining bilingualism across cultures, societies, and the life-span.

ISB14 invites submissions in all areas of research on bilingualism and multilingualism, including but not limited to: linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, applied linguistics, neuropsychology, language acquisition, clinical linguistics, language and education, and multilingual societies.

Keynote speakers include:

  • Christos Pliatsikas (Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism, School of Psychological and Clinical Language Science, University of Reading)
  • Ingrid Piller (Centre for Workforce Futures, Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University)
  • Kevin Kien Hoa Chung (Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong)
  • Kilian Seeber (Faculty of Translation and Interpreting, University of Geneva)
  • Leher Singh (Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore)
  • Ofelia Garcia (Urban Education and Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures, City University of New York)
  • Sharynne McLeod (School of Education, Charles Sturt University)

We invite abstracts for two categories of submissions: individual papers and posters.

Individual papers are formal presentations on original research or pedagogy-focused topics by one or more authors, lasting a maximum of 20 minutes with 5 additional minutes for discussion.

Posters on original research or pedagogy will be displayed in sessions that offer the opportunity for individualised, informal discussion with others in the field. Posters are especially effective for presenting work-in-progress, fieldwork, and results of empirical research for which data can be presented visually. Posters will be available throughout an entire day of the conference with presenters in attendance for a 90-minute poster session.

Abstract submission is now open and will end on 30 November 2022.

Abstracts should be a maximum of 300 words in length, anonymised and submitted in English via the submission portal https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/3999/submitter.

Abstracts will be reviewed anonymously. Notification of acceptance will be sent by 28 February 2023.

Enquiries regarding the academic content of submissions should be addressed to the ISB14 Scientific Committee via ISB14.ScientificCommittee@westernsydney.edu.au. For general inquiries about the conference please email the Organisational Committee at ISB14@mq.edu.au.

in featured stories / Research

AILA Research Networks: Call for Applications for new ReNs

Deadline: 13 October 2024

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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: gregory.miras@univ-lorraine.fr

in featured stories / Research / Research Sharepoint