The concept
In recent CALL articles, conference presentations and project proposals, we notice a renewed interest in activities, and less emphasis on technology or theoretical pedagogy. These activities, elective or compulsory, can be subdivided into three partly overlapping categories: (a) focus-on-form tasks which can be defined as meaningful tasks in which the focus on particular forms is tightly embedded; (b) focus-on-meaning tasks which should lead to communication (CMC approach) or any kind of non-linguistic outcome (TBLT approach); and (c) form-focused exercises that focus on isolated forms, such as improved and enriched (drill-and-practice) exercises.
During this conference we will discuss the design process behind these tasks: How do we decide on task types? How do we shape them? How do we monitor and evaluate them?
Submitted presentations should tackle questions such as:
– How do we design authentic, meaningful, useful and enjoyable tasks?
– To what extent do tasks depend on context?
– What can CALL learn from TBLT?
– What can TBLT learn from CALL?
– What are the affordances and limitations of technology?
– How does technology impact on non-technological tasks?
– What are the specific challenges for LMOOCs, OERs, Interactive Whiteboards, Student Response Systems, Synchronous Collaborative Writing Tools, Serious Games… ?
– How do our tasks fit in with Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, Socioconstructivist environments, Flipped Classroom approaches …?
– What is the role of corrective feedback?
– What are the consequences for Learner Analytics?
– Which tasks for which skills?
– Which tasks are most appropriate for intercultural competence?
Call for Proposals
This is a preliminary announcement. The first call for proposals will be sent out mid November. The abstract should contain:
– 10 lines on the context of your research: situate your contribution;
– 30-40 lines where you focus on the conference theme and try to tackle one of the questions mentioned above.
Deadline for submission of abstracts: January 31st 2015
Notification of acceptance: March 1st 2015
Venue
Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Tarragona, Spain
(1 hour from Barcelona)
Awards
The conference organizers will reward the best paper submission as ‘selected plenary’.
The best presentation by a PhD student will receive the Jaclyn Ng Shi Ing Award, in memory of our friend and colleague who passed away in the tragic event of Flight MH17.
Previous International CALL Research Conferences
Keith Cameron initiated this series at Exeter University leading to:
– VIIIth edition: “CALL and the Learning Community” (Exeter, 1999)
– IXth edition: “The Challenge of Change” (Exeter, 2001)
– Xth edition: “CALL Professionals and the future of CALL Research” (Antwerp, 2002)
– XIth edition: “CALL and Research Methodologies” (Antwerp, 2004)
– XIIth edition: “How are we doing? CALL and Monitoring the Learner” (Antwerp, 2006)
– XIIIth edition: “Practice-Based & Practice-Oriented CALL Research” (Antwerp, 2008)
– XIVth edition: “Motivation and Beyond” (Antwerp, 2010)
– XVth edition: “The Medium Matters” (Taichung, 2012)
– XVIth edition: “Research Challenges in CALL” (Antwerp, 2014)
Information and feedback
Contact Ann Aerts, conference manager: ann.aerts@uantwerpen.be
Info through:
Prof. Dr. Jozef Colpaert
Conference organizer
www.jozefcolpaert.net