The European Conference on Language Learning 2017 (ECLL2017)

Join us in Brighton next summer for The European Conference on Language Learning 2017 (ECLL2017), June 30 to July 2, 2017. ***ECLL2017 at a glance The European Conference on Language Learning (ECLL2017) will be held alongside The European Conference on Education 2017 (ECE2017) in the exciting and cosmopolitan city of Brighton, UK. Submit your abstract now to participate in this international, interdisciplinary and intercultural event. **Location: The Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront, Brighton, United Kingdom **Dates: Friday, June 30 to Sunday, July 2, 2017 **Final Abstract Submission Deadline: April 16, 2017 **Early Bird Registration Deadline: March 15, 2017 **Enquiries: ecll@iafor.org SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT: iafor.org/ecll2017-call-for-papers Already had your abstract accepted? Register now: iafor.org/ecll2017-registration To find out more about registration packages, presentation options, conference events and more, please visit the conference website: ecll.iafor.org ------------- ***ECLL2017 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 to 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, as well as 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 University of Sussex and Birkbeck, University of London, UK, we look forward to extending you a warm welcome in 2017. – The ECLL2017 Organising Committee (iafor.org/ecll2017-committee) ------------- ***Programme **Featured Panel: Educating for Change: Educating for Global Citizenship Featured Panel Chair: Dr Joseph Haldane, Chairman and CEO, IAFOR UNESCO considers global citizenship education to consist of "Nurturing respect for all, building a sense of belonging to a common humanity and helping learners become responsible and active global citizens." This panel will look at the ways in which language teachers in particular are positioned to educate for global citizenship, and indeed carry a particular responsibility, burden or opportunity to engage with this concept. The panellists will discuss how language can shape identities and transform students, drawing on their personal experience of the transformative effects of language on their students as well as on themselves. **Spotlight Presentation: Enhancing the Development of Law Students' Critical Reasoning Skills Through the Use of Complex Decision-Forcing Case Studies Professor Charles Wild, University of Hertfordshire, UK Traditionally, an integral part of the educational strategies of business schools, law schools and medical schools has centred on the use of case studies. Whilst each discipline has, over time, adopted their own approach to case studies, ranging from the case method utilised by business schools through to the casebook method used by law schools, the aim remains to encourage students to engage in intensive discussion and detailed analysis of the scenario. The format relies on students having read the underlying discipline-specific theory and being prepared to apply that knowledge to the specific themes and climate forces at work within the case study. In other words, the aim is to shift the educational focus from teaching students WHAT to think, to teaching them HOW to think; to develop and enhance their wicked skills, including that of critical reasoning. Based on their experience within both business and law schools, coupled with their extensive use of the case study method, the authors propose: 1) The use of case studies addresses key HE concerns relating to student employability and the development of key wicked skills; 2) Whilst traditionally, disciplines such as business and law have developed differing formats to the use of case studies, the adoption of a multi-disciplinary approach to case studies is essential. The authors will use the example of their successful Legal Risk Management, Governance and Compliance course, where law students have addressed both classic and complex decision-forcing case studies, requiring them to engage in real-world, multi-disciplinary scenarios. Further programming will be announced in the coming weeks and months. ------------- ***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 The European Conference on Language Learning. 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/ecll2017-final-paper-submission **THINK THINK (think.iafor.org), The Academic Platform, is IAFOR's online magazine, publishing the latest in interdisciplinary research and ideas from some of the world's foremost academics, many of whom have presented at IAFOR conferences. Content is varied in both subject and form, with everything from full research papers to shorter opinion pieces, interviews, podcasts, film and photography. ------------- ***Join IAFOR at ECLL2017 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, Education 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 and save over 20%. Early Bird Registration is open until the end of March 15, 2017. Lunch is included in all conference registrations. Please see the registration pages for details: www.iafor.org/ecll2017-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 ecll@iafor.org for details. ------------- ***About IAFOR To learn more about IAFOR, please visit www.iafor.org. For enquiries please contact ecll@iafor.org.