Conferences are surely an essential part of language teacher professional development. They are not only a chance to keep up with the recent discussions, trends and understandings in language education and education in general, but also a great platform to meet new colleagues who could be future research partners. Let’s be honest, we all enjoy the cocktails, delicious snacks, coffee breaks and gala dinners a lot, too! With all these in mind, are you planning to present or participate in a conference soon? If yes, the list below may help you decide which one to attend.

Conferences in Turkey

The 19th INGED International ELT Conference: “Outside the Box” -November 14 – 16, 2019

Organized by INGED (English Language Education Association), an Ankara-based non-profit organization that holds national and international conferences, workshops and seminars on English language teaching, the 19th INGED International ELT Conference is to be held at Atılım University, School of Foreign Languages, Ankara, Turkey between November 14-16, 2019. With its motto ‘Outside the Box’, this year’s INGED event emphasizes creativity. The deadline for proposals is May, 31st, you had better hurry up if you don’t want to miss this well-organized ELT event which is a fruitful platform of sharing knowledge and experiences. You can use the following link to submit proposals

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/inged

The 2nd Bosphorus University School of Foreign Languages ELT Conference: “Towards Higher Education (THE): Teaching for a Better World in the 21st Century”- September 27 – 28, 2019

Hosted by the Bosphorus University for the second time, the conference aims to dig into newly-emerging themes such as integrating 21st century skills into the language classroom, digital literacy and information literacy, global citizenship, learner identity/agency and ICT integration into language teaching, etc… . If you are interested in any of these recent discussions and concepts in ELT and more, participating or presenting in this conference can be a mind-opening experience. The deadline for proposals is June 28, 2019.  You can check the conference website for further information:

http://www.theconference.boun.edu.tr/

ELT Conferences around the Globe

CALL-Based Conferences

Are you a techno-geek? Do you consider yourself a language teacher successful in ICT (Information &Communication Technologies) integration to teaching? If yes, one of the following conferences may be enticing for you because they all provide enriching experiences that are very likely to contribute to your ICT integration to language teaching skills.

18th International Conference on Information Technology Based Higher Education and Training- September 26 – 27, 2019

It is to be held in Magdeburg, Germany. The proposal deadline is June, 28, 2019. You can visit the conference website for further information: http://www.ithet.boun.edu.tr/pagecomm.asp 

The 17th Annual Technology for Second Language Learning Conference- September 6-7, 2019

With a specific focus on the mediating role of ICT in Task-Based Language Teaching, this conference is to be held at Iowa State University, Iowa, the USA. The deadline for proposals -April 28, 2019- is due already but you can still be a participant. Check the following web link for further details:

https://apling.engl.iastate.edu/tsll-2019/tsll-2019-cfp/

The 20th International CALL Research Conference- July 10-12, 2019

This long-lasting conference that is to be hosted by Education University of Hong Kong, in Hong Kong, China revolves around the main theme of ‘social CALL’ this year with emphasis on themes such as teacher and learner ecology, diversity and inclusion, minority languages, migration and integration, equity and equality, etc… . The deadline for proposals- February 3rd, 2019- is already due, but you can still be a participant if you want to hear more about these intriguing themes and their relation to CALL. You can visit the conference website for further information:

http://www.call2019.org/

27th EUROCALL 2019 Conference- August 28-31, 2019

The conference is to take place in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium with the overarching theme ‘CALL and complexity”.  The conference also aspires to tap into digital game based language learning (DGBLL), mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), intelligent CALL (ICALL), teacher education and professional development in CALL, etc… . Although the proposal deadline- February, 15, 2019- is due, you can still register as a participant and get savvy about the complexity of CALL. Here is the web link to conference website if you want to learn more about it:

International Conference on Intercultural Learning in the Digital Age: Building up Telecollaborative Networks and the VI Valencian Workshop on Computer-Assisted Language Learning: Gamification & Communicative Competence- November 7-9, 2019

The conference, the scope of which covers themes including telecollaboration or virtual exchange and computer-mediated communication (CMC), intercultural communication, education for sustainable development, gamification, teacher education and professional development, open education, task design, digital literacies, digital games-based and problem-based learning, mobile-assisted learning, is to be held at both the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain. You might be a bit late to be a presenter, but you can still be a participant to listen to discussions that are likely to broaden your horizons. For more information, here is the web link:

http://itecla.uv.es/itecla-conference/

The 5th International Congress on Education Sciences and Learning Technology Education (ICESLT) November 6 – 10, 2019

The conference, with a broad scope of topics on the use of technology in education, is to take place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The proposal deadline is September 6, 2019, which means you have plenty of time to submit a proposal and hopefully be a presenter in the conference. The conference website link is below:

http://www.education.gen.tr

Conferences on Language Assessment

Most language teachers would probably agree that learning should be assessed on a regular basis. Questions and conflicts arise when we ask how often, when and how the assessment should be done. If you think you have some reasonable answers to these questions or want to listen how language assessment experts around the globe answer these questions, you can participate or present at one of the following conferences below.

7th British Council New Directions in English Language Assessment in East Asia- December 8-9, 2019

An annual conference organised by the British Council, it is to take place in Yokohama, Japan. The conference aims to offer a platform for language assessment academics, policy makers and practitioners to share approaches and solutions to language assessment challenges in the region and internationally. The deadline for proposals is August 14, 2019. You can visit the conference website for further information:

https://www.britishcouncil.my/new-directions/about

The 6th International Conference of the Asian Association for Language Assessment (AALA)-October 16-18, 2019

The conference that is to be held in Hanoi, Vietnam covers themes such as principles, policies and practices in language testing and assessment with a specific focus on contrastive review of policies across different contexts, learning-oriented assessment, standardization, computer-based assessment and new technologies in assessment. The proposal deadline- April 20, 2019- is due, but you can still register as a participant:

http://ocs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/aala/aala2019

ALTE 7th International Conference, April 22-24, 2020

Organized by ALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe, the conference that deals with valid and ethical language assessment practices in the light of new developments and innovations in the multilingual field is to be held in Madrid, Spain. The proposal deadline is September 30, 2019, which means you have plenty of time to plan your proposal. Here is the link to the conference website:

https://www.alte.org/event-3076380

Conferences on ELT & General Education

The Fourth Annual International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, Translation and Literature, February, 1-2, 2019

Organized by a number of different universities and research centres in Iran and to be held in Ahwaz, Iran, the conference taps into current issues of linguistics, languages, dialects, literature and translation. The deadline for proposals is November 30, 2019. The location of the conference may be an alternative for those who are interested in Persian culture. Here is the link to the conference website for those who want to find out more about it:

http://llld.ir/en/

The CALA 2020 – The Conference on Asian Linguistic Anthropology 2020- February, 5-8, 2020

This conference, to be held in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia, may grasp the attention of academics and researchers who specialize in anthropological linguistics, applied sociolinguistics, language socialization, semiotics, and post-structuralism and language, etc… .  The deadline for proposals is September 5, 2019. Here is the link to the conference website for those who want to find out more about it:

The 2020 Writing Research Across Borders (WRAB) 5- March 11 – 14, 2020

Hosted by Xi’an International Studies University, the fifth of WRAB conferences is to be held in Xi’an, China. The focus will be on writing development across the lifespan, along with the impact of ICT on writing skill development, early acquisition of writing and writing in the workplace or other community and institutional settings. If you are keen on broadening your perspective on teaching writing, this conference may be the one for you. The proposal deadline is June 1, 2019. You can visit the conference website for further information:

http://www.wrab2020.com/

Hawaiʻi International Conference on English Language and Literature Studies (HICELLS) 2020, March 13-14, 2020

Hosted by University of Hawaii at Hilo, the conference taps into the trends in research and pedagogical innovations in English language and literature, language assessment. The deadline for proposals is September 1, 2019. Here is the conference website for further information:

https://hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/english/hicells-2020.php

TESOL ​2020 International Convention & English Language Expo- March 31 – April 4, 2020

With its unifying theme “Where the World Comes Together”, the TESOL ​2020 convention is to take place in Denver, Colorado, USA. TESOL, being probably one of the most prestigious and trend-setting institutions in ELT, organize a plethora of academic events, e.g. online courses and seminars, leadership programs, conferences and symposiums, that offer the premium opportunity for professional development for language teachers. The deadline for proposals for TESOL 2020 International Convention is June 10, 2019. You can find more detailed information on the conference website:

https://www.tesol.org/attend-and-learn/international-convention/tesol-2020-call-for-proposals

If you are interested in getting to know about all TESOL events, you can visit the website:

https://www.tesol.org/

The ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo, November 22-24, 2019

Annually held by ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages), this event connects language educators from all languages, levels and assignments, making it an opportunity for professional development. The 2019 convention is to be held in Washington, DC, the USA. Here is the web link for further info:

https://www.actfl.org/convention-expo

54th International IATEFL Conference and Exhibition- April 18 -21, 2020

Probably one of the most prestigious academic events that is appreciated by thousands of scholars, teachers and researchers around the world, the annual IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) Conferences never fail to offer both qualitatively and quantitatively rich arena for sharing knowledge, skills and experiences in ELT. The conference covers a 4-day programme of approximately 500 talks, workshops and forums with the attendance of nearly 3,000 ELT professionals from more than 100 countries. The conference will be a great opportunity to meet the ground-breaking researchers, successful teacher trainers in ELT. Similarly, the exhibition will give the participants the chance to familiarize themselves with the latest ELT publications and services. IATEFL 2020 Conference will be held at Manchester Central in Manchester, the United Kingdom. It is possible that you apply for scholarships offered by IATEFL so that your expenses may be met. The deadline for speaker proposals is September 12, 2019. Here is the link to conference website for detailed information about the scholarship applications and other stuff:

https://conference.iatefl.org/