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: ltrc@iltaonline.com
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.