The Asian Conference on Language Learning 2018 (ACLL2018)

***The Early Bird Submission Deadline is quickly approaching. In order to be eligible for the Early Bird Discount, submit your abstract by December 8, 2017 through the Call for Papers page of the conference website. https://acll.iafor.org/call-for-papers/ Greetings from The Asian Conference on Language Learning (ACLL2018) Organising Committee. We are very pleased this year to welcome Dr Bonny Norton of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia, Canada, to our conversation about how to move forward as international educators in a challenging time. With her career-spanning research interests in globally situated identity(ies) and a transdisciplinary sociocultural approach to what constitutes good language teaching, Dr Norton might well have written our conference theme, "Surviving and Thriving: Education in Times of Change", for us. We will also feature Dr. Garold Murray of the Centre for Liberal Arts and Language Education at Okayama University and his talk, "Language Learning in a Time of Complexity and Change," in which he suggests we look beyond the in-class/out-of-class divide when viewing learners. Dr. Murray has served as convener of the AILA Research Network on Learner Autonomy in Language Learning (2005-2011) and president of the Japan Association of Self-Access Language Learning (2005-2010). Presented in the historic port city of Kobe, which has been critical to internationalization of Japan, this IAFOR conference will attract researchers and practitioners from around the world. At this eighth ACLL conference we will continue to provide the international, intercultural, interdisciplinary and intellectual meeting ground that past participants have come to expect. Meet your peers from over 40 countries to exchange experiences, perspectives and expertise on how to help our learners survive and thrive. This conference, like all previous ACLL conferences, will take an interdisciplinary approach. The major streams addressed include Culture and Language, Psychology of the Learner, Intersectionality, Plurilingualism – Bilingualism, Educational Technologies, Learning Environments, Professional Development, Assessment, Approaches, Applied Linguistics Research, Disabilities and the Language Learner, Educational Policy, Lifelong Learning, and Translation and Interpretation. The stream of Culture and Language Learning has been expanded to include Cross-cultural Communication, Cultural Literacy, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), Literature and Language Learning, and Linguistic Landscapes. If you have something to share related to Language Learning and Teaching this is the conference for you! Presenters who submit abstracts by December 8, 2017 will qualify for discounted Early Bird Registration rates, so if you are considering joining us, please send in your abstract early. Kobe, part of the greater Kansai region, is also a convenient base from which to explore Japan and Japanese culture, so if you can, plan your schedule to arrive early or stay after the conference concludes. We look forward to welcoming you to ACLL2018 in Kobe, Japan. Best regards, The ACLL2018 Organising Committee Professor Barbara Lockee, Virginia Tech, USA Professor Ted O'Neill, Gakushuin University, Japan Professor Steve Cornwell, Osaka Jogakuin University, Japan Dr Jo Mynard, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan Dr Joseph Haldane, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) ***Conference at a Glance Venue: Art Center Kobe, Kobe, Japan – Dates: Friday, April 27, 2018 to Sunday, April 29, 2018 – Conference Theme: "Surviving and Thriving: Education in Times of Change" – Initial Abstract Submission Deadline: December 8, 2017* – Final Abstract Submission Deadline: February 8, 2018 – Registration Deadline for Presenters: March 8, 2018 *Submit early to take advantage of the discounted registration rates. Learn more about our registration options. ---------- ***Conference Theme: "Surviving and Thriving: Education in Times of Change" In 2017, IAFOR education conferences in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America have brought together delegates from around the world to consider the theme of "Educating for Change" from a variety of different perspectives and approaches, taking full advantage of the international make-up of the attendees and the huge diversity of experiences. A recurring theme throughout the conferences was the reference to the future, be it immediate or longer term, as being uncertain; the natural resilience and optimism was counterbalanced by both apprehension; with hope also came fear. In this period of great global political and economic instability, rising inequality and social unrest, the role of education within society has never been more important, but never more vulnerable. This brings us to our conference theme for 2018, which references these inherent vulnerabilities in both educational systems and the individual students and teachers, as well as the necessary resilience needed to not only survive, but also thrive. How do we teachers, administrators and policymakers adopt and adapt to change outside our control? How do we nurture and encourage positive change, through the excitement of the imagination, innovation and creativity? How can technologies be better used to help us teach, and to help students learn? How do we sustain and manage change? How can we react positively to negative change? How can we, our institutions and our students survive and thrive in these times of change? ***Call for Papers: acll.iafor.org/call-for-papers The conference theme for ACLL is "Surviving and Thriving: Education in Times of Change", and the organisers encourage submissions that approach this theme from a variety of perspectives. However, the submission of other topics for consideration is welcome and we also encourage sessions across a variety of interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Submissions are organised into the following thematic streams: CULTURE AND LANGUAGE – Cross-cultural communication – Cultural literacy – Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) – Literature and language learning – Linguistic landscapes PSYCHOLOGY OF THE LEARNER – Learner identities – Motivation – Individual differences – Learning strategies – Autonomy and self-regulation – Group dynamics – Emotions INTERSECTIONALITY – Class, gender, race and minority identities in language learning PLURILINGUALISM – BILINGUALISM – World Englishes – English as a Lingua Franca – Languages other than English EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES – Adaptive learning – Mobile learning/Apps – Augmented and virtual realities – Blended learning – MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) – OERs (Open Educational Resources) – Games and gamification – Learning Management Systems (LMS) LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS – New classrooms – Informal learning – Design for learning – Learning in the community – Self-access centers PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – In-service teacher development – Pre-service teacher training – Mid-career teacher development – Educational management – Teacher autonomy – Observation and feedback ASSESSMENT – Testing and evaluation – Standardized tests – Continuous assessment – Achievement/Proficiency – Self-assessment – Mastery learning – Norm-Referenced/Criterion Referenced – Formative/Summative APPROACHES – Task-based learning – English for Special Purposes – English for Academic Purposes APPLIED LINGUISTICS RESEARCH DISABILITIES AND THE LANGUAGE LEARNER EDUCATIONAL POLICY LIFELONG LEARNING TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION ------------- ***IAFOR's Grants and Scholarships For information about IAFOR's new grants and scholarships for PhD students and early career academics, please visit: acll.iafor.org/grants-and-scholarships ------------- ***IAFOR Publishing Opportunities **Peer-Reviewed Journal: IAFOR Journal of Language Learning The IAFOR Journal of Language Learning (ijll.iafor.org) is an editorially independent journal associated with ACLL2018. 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 that act as permanent records of the research generated by IAFOR conferences. Further details are available here: acll.iafor.org/final-paper-submission ------------- ***Join IAFOR at ACLL2018 to: – Present to a global audience – Have your work published in the Conference Proceedings and considered for peer-reviewed, Open Access journals – Hear about the latest interdisciplinary research in language learning and culture – 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 9, 2018. Lunch is included in all conference registrations. Please see the registration page for details: acll.iafor.org/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 iafor.org