The Asian Conference on Language Learning 2017 (ACLL2017)

Join us in Kobe next spring for The Asian Conference on Language Learning 2017 (ACLL2017), May 11-14, 2017. ***ACLL2017 at a glance The Asian Conference on Language Learning 2017 (ACLL2017) will be held alongside The Asian Conference on Technology in the Classroom 2017 (ACTC2017) in the beautiful, cosmopolitan city of Kobe, Japan. Submit your abstract now to participate in this international, interdisciplinary and intercultural event. **Location: Art Center Kobe, Kobe, Japan **Dates: Thursday, May 11 to Sunday, May 14, 2017 **Final Abstract Submission Deadline: February 28, 2017 **Early Bird Registration Deadline: January 30, 2017 **Enquiries: acll@iafor.org SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT: iafor.org/acll2017-call-for-papers Already had your abstract accepted? Register now: iafor.org/acll2017-registration To find out more about registration packages, presentation options, conference events and more, please visit the conference website: acll.iafor.org ------------- ***ACLL2017 Conference Theme: "Educating for Change" Whether we are looking at why we must change, or how education has changed or even how education will change, change affects all of us involved in language education in many ways. Administrators, teacher trainers, teachers, students: we all wear many hats and we all come face-to-face with change, sometimes on a daily basis. Positive change is about improvement: improving proficiency, improving lives, helping learners achieve their goals and dreams and ultimately, broadening horizons. In our work as educators we are often asked to effect change – that we are change-makers can be seen in the new curriculums, new material, and even new techniques or methods that we develop. For those of us who conduct research, our research is often focused on finding "better" or more effective ways of teaching often measured in outcomes such as students entered with an average of X and improved to an average of Y. In such a case, improvement = change! But change is also an area of research as can be seen by looking at journals such as the Journal of Educational Change, Changes in Higher Education, Culture and Change, and Educational Research for Social Change, to mention four. It is a serious area of study, and one worth our attention. The focus of the last journal mentioned above is worth looking at. Change is not only about test scores or proficiency going up. It is also about lasting change in one's life, life choices, and looking beyond us as individuals, the society we live in. Social change and a focus on improving the societies we live in is another outcome of education. In recent years, there has been a focus on language and identity. And there has been an embrace of sociocultural theory and language development. At the same time change for the sake of change is not a good reason for change. There is often a tension between the status quo (which is not always bad) and the desire to change. As invested members of our field, we need to be able to examine change, identifying and applying that which is appropriate and will further our goals while also having the wisdom and gumption to reject change that does not make sense. As Dewey said, "Reforms which rest simply upon the enactment of law, or the threatening of certain penalties, or upon changes in mechanical or outward arrangements are transitory and futile." And so we welcome you to this year's conferences, where we can examine change in ways that are important to each of us. What are its challenges, its complexities, and its constraints? It is electrifying to think about the wide-ranging conversations we will have as we consider how we can go about educating for change the world over. In conjunction with our global partners, including the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT), we look forward to extending a warm welcome to you in 2017. – The ACLL2017 Organising Committee (iafor.org/acll2017-committee) ------------- ***Programme **Keynote Presentation: Beyond web 2.0: Designing authentic mobile learning for everyday contexts in Asia Professor Mark Pegrum, The University of Western Australia, Australia When the second generation of the web, or web 2.0, emerged around 2000, it opened up the possibility of promoting personalised but collaborative learning. A new generation of mobile context-aware technologies has now emerged, which builds on web 2.0 but goes beyond it, opening up the possibility of foregrounding authentic learning in everyday contexts. To capitalise on this new potential for educational change, it is essential to develop appropriate mobile learning designs. Drawing on Pegrum's (2014) 3-Level Mobile Learning Framework, Burden & Kearney's (2017) Mobile Pedagogical Framework, and Clandfield & Hadfield's (2017) Weak & Strong Interaction Model, this paper suggests that today's optimal mobile learning designs should involve activities where the devices, the learners, and the learning experiences are all mobile; where the three dimensions of personalisation, collaboration, and authenticity are foregrounded; and where both weak and strong interaction are present. The paper will illustrate the potential of mobile augmented reality (AR) language and literacy learning projects, most of which also incorporate elements of community building and cultural exploration. The main focus will be on recent gamified learning trails in Asia, such as the Singaporean AR Heritage Trails and the Hong Kong AR TIEs (Trails of Integrity and Ethics), where students learn collaboratively in real-world settings, while practising language, developing digital literacies and 21st century skills, building community, and exploring culture. We will consider how these gamified trails are structured to enable students to draw the greatest learning benefits from digitally supported, authentic, real-world interactions. **Featured Presentation: Assessment Basics for the Language Classroom: A Crash Course in Testing Brandon Kramer, Osaka Jogakuin University, Japan Everyone remembers the stress of taking tests when they were students. Whether for placement purposes, measuring classroom learning, diagnosing content weaknesses or measuring overall proficiency, tests are an embedded and unavoidable part of teaching. Maximizing their potential should be a goal of every teacher and administrator. This presentation will outline how tests can be used to check how much students have learned throughout a semester, as well as how they can help encourage the students to reach new levels. Different kinds of tests as well as recommended test-making strategies will be introduced, in addition to a discussion of the concepts of validity, washback and fairness. Focus will be given to considering the purposes of testing, the kinds of questions used, and basic results analysis. It is hoped that participants will gain an understanding of how tests can be used as a tool to promote learning in the classroom. **Featured Presentation: Balancing Principles and Practicalities When Designing and Implementing a Vocabulary Program Stuart McLean, Osaka Jogakuin University, Japan The presenter will explain characteristics that make up an effective and efficient vocabulary program. These include spaced rehearsal, adaptive learning, increasing retrieval difficulty, the use of an appropriate counting unit, the presentation of both audio and orographic forms, and the use of context and the learner's L1. However, while designing a vocabulary program that meets all of these criteria is simple, the operationalization of a vocabulary program designed in line with research literature is problematic. The later half of the presentation describes the challenges faced when trying to implement the planned vocabulary program first across a new program, and then across of most of the institution. The presentation concludes by describing the achievements and limitations of the vocabulary program, and by making recommendations for others who hope to create a similar program. **Further programming for The Asian Conference on Language Learning 2017 will be announced in the coming months. ------------- ***IAFOR's Grants and Scholarships For information about IAFOR's new grants and scholarships for PhD students and early career academics, please visit: www.iafor.org/acll2017-financial-support ------------- ***IAFOR Publishing Opportunities **Peer-reviewed journal: IAFOR Journal of Language Learning The IAFOR Journal of Language Learning (joll.iafor.org) is an editorially independent journal associated with ACLL. The editor of the journal will select the strongest papers from associated conference proceedings for consideration. This open access journal, which conforms to the highest academic standards, reflects the interdisciplinary and international nature of our conferences. **Conference Proceedings After having your abstract accepted and presenting your research at the conference, you are encouraged to submit a full paper for inclusion in the official conference proceedings. Our conference proceedings are open access research repositories, which act as permanent records of the research generated by IAFOR conferences. Further details are available here: iafor.org/acll2017-final-paper-submission ------------- ***Join IAFOR at ACLL2017 to: – Present to a global audience – Have your work published in the Conference Proceedings and considered for peer-reviewed, open-access journals – Benefit from IAFOR's interdisciplinary focus by hearing about the latest research in Language Learning, Technology in the Classroom, and more – Participate in a truly international, interdisciplinary and intercultural event – Take part in interactive audience sessions – Network with international colleagues **Register now to take advantage of Early Bird Registration prices. Early Bird Registration is open until the end of January 30, 2017. Lunch is included in all conference registrations. Please see the registration pages for details: www.iafor.org/acll2017-registration *If you have attended an IAFOR conference within the past year, or belong to an affiliated university or institution, we offer additional discounts in appreciation of your support. Please contact us at acll@iafor.org for details. ------------- ***About IAFOR To learn more about IAFOR, please visit www.iafor.org. For enquiries please contact acll@iafor.org.