Conference: NBR / FIPLV  Conference

Date: 8-9 June 2023

Venue: Veröld – House of Vigdís, University of Iceland

Special theme: Future of Languages

The conference Future of Languages will take place at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík in 2023. The venue is “Veröld – House of Vigdís” named after Iceland’s former president, Madame Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the first and only UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Languages. The conference program will consist of theoretical and practical presentations as we join forces to learn from each others’ experiences and practices, while simultaneously gaining knowledge about future perspectives and challenges. Presentations will be in different languages, but English will be the main conference language.

The conference will give teachers of languages and others interested in its theme an opportunity to evaluate the past, re-evaluate the present and consider the future of languages, language learning and teaching, as well as policy making – specifically in the Baltic and Nordic regions.

The Conference is sponsored by Nordplus, University of Iceland, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages,  Ministry of Education, Science and Culture,  The Icelandic Teacher’s Union and Hannesarholt Culture House.

ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING COVID-19, 25 January 2021

Dear all.

The unfolding of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has significantly affected all our lives As authorities work to contain the spread of the virus, many national and international events have been postponed. Due to continued uncertainties, the organizers of the conference, Future of Languages, have decided to postpone the event until 2023.

The NBR/FIPLV biannual conference Future of Languages will therefore be held in Reykjavík, Iceland, June 8 and 9, 2023.

By January 2023, the organizers will re-send the call for papers and request re-confirmation from registered participants who have already paid. Accepted papers will also be transferred to next year’s conference.

Should participants wish to withdraw from the conference, 75% of the registration fee will be refunded. The remaining 25% will cover expenses already incurred. For a refund, please write to foflanguages@hi.is.

We regret that it has come to this, but we must consider participants’ health and well-being. We look forward to welcoming you to Iceland in 2023.

With best regards.

Dr. Hólmfríður Garðarsdóttir
President of STÍL
Chair of the organizing committee

November 1, 2022       Deadline for abstract submission (Please mail to: infovigdis@hi.is, with the subject line: NBR abstract)

February 1, 2023     Deadline for notification of acceptance 

February 15, 2023        Draft Program / Registration / Practical Details

March 30, 2023            Final Program / Practical Details

May 15, 2023               Last Circular Letter

June 8-9, 2023         Conference Dates

Main themes

Future of Languages:

The roles of systematic language learning and teaching?

Means to promote language learning and cultural literacy?

Language Teaching Methodology / to whom / where and when?

What are our challenges / strengths?

How can language teachers and / or their associations contribute to society / community / humanity?

Call for Papers

Proposals for presentations should be submitted prior to November 1, 2022.

Please include: Name, affiliation, title and language of communication, followed by a short description of content. Maximum 200 words.

Please send to: infovigdis@hi.is / Subject: NBR abstract.

Fees and Registration

Registration will re-open 1 January 2023 and closes 1 May 2023.

Register by paying the participation fee. Your registration is not valid until payment has been made.
The conference fee includes conference organization, conference materials, coffee breaks and light lunches.
Accommodation, transport from/to airport and/or hotels and conference dinner are not included.

NBR / FIPLV Early registration, ISK 14.000 (upto 1 April 2023): https://greidslusida.valitor.is/Tengill/qqufwf

NBR / FIPLV Late registration, ISK 18.600 (after 1 April 2023):

NBR / FIPLV Students/Emiriti: ISK 7.700: https://greidslusida.valitor.is/Tengill/fvmm5x

The Icelandic Krona rates compared against other currencies can be checked here

Fee refund requests received on or before 1 March 2020 will be 70 % of total fees paid. No refunds after 15 April 2023.
Questions related to fee payment can be directed to Hólmfríður Garðarsdóttir, Conference coordinator at holmfr@hi.is

Keynote speakers

Confirmed:

Dr. Ofelia García, Professor Emerita in the Ph.D. programs of Urban Education of Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures (LAILAC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Dr. Sarah Breslin, Executive Director, at the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), in Graz, Austria.

Other keynote speakers will be announced soon.

Mr. Johan Sandberg McGuinne, a Swedish South Saami and Scottish Gaelic Indigenous scholar, language rights activist and teacher. 

Program

Draft conference program_23.3.2023

A chair will be assigned to each session or panel at the conference. His/her role will be to introduce the speakers, keep track of time and assist with technical support. Every speaker has 25 min at his/her disposal, 20 min for the presentation and 5 for questions and answers. Should you have any questions, please direct them to foflanguages@hi.is

Venue

The conference will be held in Veröld – hús Vigdísar • Brynjólfsgata 1 (corner with Suðurgata) • 107 Reykjavík
Coordinates: 64.140001, -21.952594 or 64°08’24.0″N 21°57’09.3″W.  This is in walking distance from many hotels and accommodation options in downtown and west Reykjavík.

Closest bus-stops are Háskólabíó, Hótel Saga and, somewhat further away, Háskóli Íslands or Hagatorg.
The Building is connected with the main buildings of the university campus via a tunnel to the Háskólatorg building.

Accommodation

Tourism in Iceland has grown immensely and moderately-priced lodging is quick to fill up. We encourage conference participants to book accommodation as early as possible to avoid high prices and limited availability. Websites such as Booking.com and Airbnb.com will provide information about a range of accommodation possibilities. For more information about hotels and other types of lodging in Reykjavik, see HERE.

Travel

Keflavík International Airport (KEF), the main airport in Iceland, is located 40 kilometers from Reykjavík, the capital city. Over 20 airlines offer flights to and from Iceland through the airport. For information about flights to Iceland, see HERE.

Transportation to Reykjavík from the airport is available by bus, Flybus or taxi, see HERE. 

The only public transportation in Reykjavík is the bus system, commonly called Stræto. See their website for information about fares, timetable, and a route planner, HERE.

The two main taxi companies in Reykjavík are Hreyfill, tel. +354 588 55 22 see HERE and Taxi BSR, tel. +354- 56 10000, see HERE. When calling for a taxi you can expect it to arrive within 10 minutes.

For a map of the University of Iceland see HERE.

WIFI

The Internet can be accessed through Eduroam on the University premises.

Money

The official currency in Iceland is ISK (Icelandic krona). Recognised credit/debit cards are accepted in all restaurants, shops, hotels and cash machines. For the official exchange rate of ISK towards major currencies, see HERE.

Language 

The native language in Iceland is Icelandic, but English is widely used.

Excursion / Tour

Half-day excursion will be available for conference guests.

Information will be available in May 2023.

Styrkir

Í nýjasta Eplinu eru gleðifréttir fyrir þá kennara sem eru félagar í FF. Nú er hægt að sækja um styrk fyrir ráðstefnum og námskeiðum innanlands í B deild og einnig er í boði að fá greiddan aksturskostnað skv. ákveðnum reglum. Endilega kynnið ykkur málið.

About the Conference

Conference: EUROCALL 2023: CALL for all languages

Date: 15-18 August 2023

Venue: University of Iceland (on campus)

App: Download the event app Whova, it will be used for an on-campus event

The EUROCALL 2023 Conference will be held in Reykjavik on 15-18 August 2023 as an in-person conference on campus of the University of Iceland. This conference will be hosted by three different institutes, the VIC – Vigdís International Centre, the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute for Foreign Languages at the University of Iceland, and the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. The conference starts with a workshop day on 15 August and continues with a full conference programme on 16-18 August.

The focus of this year’s EUROCALL conference is on inclusiveness of all languages, which is also reflected in the main conference theme “CALL for all languages”. We particularly welcome papers that focus on supporting and promoting indigenous, endangered, and less commonly spoken languages, but themes related to other languages and language technologies in CALL are also very welcome.

Potential themes could include but are not limited to:

• Indigenous languages and CALL
• Endangered languages and CALL
• Less commonly spoken languages and CALL
• Archaic languages and CALL
• Sign languages and CALL to help Deaf and hearing-impaired communities to learn languages
• CALL and Braille writing system to help Blind and visually impaired communities to learn languages
• Preserving, documenting, and reviving languages
• Distant learning and CALL
• Collaborative learning and CALL
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in CALL
• High-tech and low-tech environments in CALL
• Learner assessment in CALL
• Teacher training in CALL
• Language management systems (LMSs) in CALL
• Synchronous and asynchronous learning
• Promoting the learning of languages with CALL technologies
• Application of theories and frameworks supporting CALL
• Language corpora and data-driven learning
• Any other theme related to CALL and language learning technologies are welcome

This year‘s conference theme is central to all co-hosting institutes, particularly, however, the Vigdís International Centre – VIC, whose research and activities focus on the promotion, preservation, awareness, and support in education and research of foreign languages and cultures. The Centre works under the auspices of UNESCO and actively participates in the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 to 2023). The role of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies is to conduct research in the field of Icelandic studies and related scholarly disciplines, in particular Icelandic language and literature, and among others also to disseminate knowledge in these fields. As such, the conference theme is dedicated to indigenous, endangered, and less commonly spoken languages in the Nordic Region, Europe, and the rest of the world, and welcomes submissions related both to the main conference theme and to other themes in the broad field of CALL.

Go to the Call for Papers tab here below for more information.

This event is the annual conference of the European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL).

Organising Team

• Branislav Bédi, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies (chair)
• Sofiya Zahova, Vigdís International Centre
• Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir, University of Iceland
• Kolbrún Friðriksdóttir, University of Iceland
• Kimberly Ann Adams, University of Iceland
• Súsanna Björg Vilhjálmsdóttir, University of Iceland
• Cédric Sarré, Sorbonne University
• Victoria Bakshina, University of Iceland

Please contact us on: international@arnastofnun.is, with the subject line: EUROCALL 2023

About the VIC – Vigdís International Centre
The Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding is situated in Veröld – House of Vigdís. The centre operates under the auspices of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and is affiliated to the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute for Foreign Languages at the University of Iceland. The Vigdís International began operations on 20 April 2017 when Veröld – House of Vigdís was formally opened. Within the centre are facilities for conferences, symposia, lectures, research, film screenings, courses, meetings, exhibitions and collections of various information and data on languages in a broad context, all in accordance with aims outlined in the collaborative agreement between the Government of Iceland and UNESCO from 2013.

About the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic studies
The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies is a UNESCO organisation and an independently funded academic research institute at the University of Iceland, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. Its role is to conduct research in the field of Icelandic studies and related scholarly disciplines, in particular Icelandic language and literature; to disseminate knowledge in these fields; and to preserve and augment the collections entrusted to its care. The Department of Lexicography is a research body within the Institute whose function is lexicography, lexicology, language technology, and the study of Icelandic lexis in general. The role of the Institute’s International Office is to promote and disseminate Icelandic language and culture abroad. The Institute co-operates with the Humanities Department of the University of Iceland in holding courses in Icelandic, as well as supporting Icelandic studies and research on Icelandic as a second and foreign language.

About the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute for Foreign Languages at Faculty of Modern Languages, University of Iceland
The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute for Foreign Languages (VFI) is a research institute within the School of Humanities of the University of Iceland. It provides a fulcrum for academic scholars teaching and researching the languages now taught within the Department of Languages and Cultures at the School fo Humanities of the University of Iceland: Arabic, Chinese, Danish, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish and Swedish. The VFI helps to support the work of the Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding. The academic staff of the VFI particularly engage in research in the fields of literature, language-courses and teaching, language acquisition and bilingualism, cultural studies, translation studies, and linguistics. There is a constant effort to develop new methods in language teaching and in the mediation of literature and the cultural legacy of a variety of language groups and nations. Many of the institute’s scholars are also involved in translation and dictionary projects, as well as general promotional work to underline the importance of languages in society. The institute’s academic staff are involved in a wide variety of international collaborative projects concerning research, teaching, and the development of innovations in their particular fields.

Scholars at the VFI are currently involved in a number of research projects, covering a wide variety of subjects, including the use of computers and electronic databases in language teaching and linguistic research. The VFI in collaboration with the University of Iceland actively participates in research and development in the area of Computer Assisted Language Learning. Development of Icelandic Online began in 2000 and the first course was launched in 2004. Key concerns in the development were that these online courses should be pedagogically driven and the course design would include scaffolding of effective form-focused ways to teach morphologically complex languages online. Six online courses for Icelandic as a second language are now offered on www.icelandiconline.com, based on sound second language acquisition research and innovative instructional practice combined with the relevant technology. The goal is to provide an interesting, entertaining and effective online language learning environment for computers, and in 2016, for tablets and smart phones. The Icelandic Online courses are: Learner cantered, guided and sequenced with interactive and visual exercises Self-instructed and available in six proficiency levels Integrated in terms of instruction of vocabulary, form and function Organised around various oral and written texts followed by comprehension and accuracy and fluency exercises Aided by auxiliary resources such as glossaries, declension tablets and dictionaries. Icelandic Online allows anyone with Internet access the possibility of participating for free in a global community of learners of Icelandic. The University of Iceland offers a course in survival Icelandic along with five courses for university students.

About the University of Iceland
The University of Iceland is a progressive educational and scientific institution, renowned in the global scientific community for its research. It is a state university, situated in the heart of Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. It is the largest university in the country, and a modern, diversified, and rapidly developing institution, offering opportunities for study and research in over 400 programmes spanning most fields of science and scholarship. The University has been named one of the world’s top 250 universities in the arts and humanities on the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The new list was published 13 September 2017 and focusses particularly on evaluating universities by subject. The excellent ranking highlights both the University of Iceland Humanities’ competitiveness on an international level and the University’s overall strength in major fields of study. The University has its own intranet Ugla (the Owl). It is a collective information site, communication medium and important tool for students and teachers, as well as other members of staff. Various important information is also announced in Ugla. Access to courses is done through Ugla as well, and the programme has integrated other helping programmes, e.g., Canvas and Inspera, into its infrastructure so that teachers and students can easily navigate between courses, document databases, and tests.

About Icelandic Online
The University of Iceland actively participates in research and development in the area of Computer Assisted Language Learning. Development of Icelandic Online began in 2000 and the first course was launched in 2004. Key concerns in the development were that these online courses should be pedagogically driven and the course design would include scaffolding of effective form-focused ways to teach morphologically complex languages online. The University of Iceland now offers six online Icelandic courses, www.icelandiconline.is, based on sound second language acquisition research and innovative instructional practice combined with the relevant technology. The goal is to provide an interesting, entertaining and effective online language learning environment for computers, and in 2016, for tablets and smart phones. The Icelandic Online courses are: Learner cantered, guided and sequenced with interactive and visual exercises Self-instructed and available in six proficiency levels Integrated in terms of instruction of vocabulary, form and function Organised around various oral and written texts followed by comprehension and accuracy and fluency exercises Aided by auxiliary resources such as glossaries, declension tablets and dictionaries. Icelandic Online allows anyone with Internet access the possibility of participating for free in a global community of learners of Icelandic. The University of Iceland offers a course in survival Icelandic along with five courses for university students. Funding for this project has been provided by EU´s Lingua Project, NordPlus, The Icelandic Research Fund, The Icelandic Ministry of Education and The University of Iceland. Over 80,000 users have completed one or more of the curated and pedagogically driven courses, which are monitored by a tracking system. The tracking system and follow-up surveys generate unique, large-scale empirical data enabling sustained engagement with participants’ views and behaviours as they go through the courses, some of which are offered in three different delivery modes. Further development projects based on the versatile IOL non-language specific, multiplatform system are being developed, including Virtual Reality (VR) projects, courses in other languages, and L2 literacy courses for children.

1 December 2022: First call for submission of abstracts

15 December 2023: Submission of abstracts opens

7 February 2023: Final call for submission of abstracts

15 February 2023 1 March 2023 10 March 2023: Submission of abstracts closes

10 March 2023: Deadline to sign up as a reviewer of abstracts on OpenConf

20 March 2023: Reviews assigned

3 April 2023: Reviews completed

12 April 2023: Notification to authors

14 April 2023: Short paper submission opens on OpenConf

15 April-31 May 2023: Early-bird conference registration (deadline 31st May)

1 June-31 July 2023: Regular conference registration (deadline 31st July)

31 July 2023: Short paper submission closes (hard deadline)

15-18 August 2023: EUROCALL 2022 in Reykjavík

15 September 2023: Reviews and notification to short paper authors

30 September 2023: Submission of reviewed short papers

30 October 2023: Final notification of acceptance/refusal of short papers to authors

Call for Papers (PDF)

CALL for all languages

The focus of this year’s EUROCALL conference is on inclusiveness of all languages, which is reflected in the main conference theme “CALL for all languages”. We particularly welcome papers that focus on supporting and promoting indigenous, endangered, and less commonly spoken languages, but themes related to other languages and language technologies in CALL are also very welcome.

Following the UN‘s declaration of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032, this year‘s conference theme draws attention to the importance of building a global community for the preservation, revitalization, and teaching of indigenous, endangered, and less commonly spoken languages, and other languages in the world, with the aid of computers. As such, this conference will contribute to the global action plan for supporting speakers, teachers, and learners of all these languages by sharing knowledge about the newest trends and technologies in CALL. Researchers and practitioners will be able to share their insights about ways to promote language diversity and multilingual aspects in CALL and opportunities to create sustainable development efforts in teaching and preservation methods of less-commonly taught languages. However, insights from more commonly taught languages will also be an asset to this conference as they would provide information from research and practice using the newest tools and technologies in language education. Although the main focus is on the support of indigenous, endangered, and less commonly spoken languages, other themes related to CALL and more-commonly taught languages are also very welcome.

Potential themes could include but are not limited to:

• Indigenous languages and CALL
• Endangered languages and CALL
• Less commonly spoken languages and CALL
• Archaic languages and CALL
• Sign languages and CALL to help Deaf and hearing-impaired communities to learn languages
• CALL and Braille writing system to help Blind and visually impaired communities to learn languages
• Preserving, documenting, and reviving languages
• Distant learning and CALL
• Collaborative learning and CALL
• High-tech and low-tech environments in CALL
• Learner assessment in CALL
• Teacher training in CALL
• Language management systems (LMSs) in CALL
• Synchronous and asynchronous learning
• Promoting the learning of languages with CALL technologies
• Application of theories and frameworks supporting CALL
• Language corpora and data-driven learning
• Any other theme related to CALL and language learning technologies are welcome

Submission of Abstracts

Abstracts (500-word limit) for all presentation categories have to be submitted through the OpenConf system between 15 December 2022 and 10 March: https://www.openconf.org/eurocall2023/openconf.php.

Presentation categories at the conference include individual short papers, symposia, symposia of special interest groups (SIGs) within EUROCALL, European projects, posters, and pre-conference online workshops.

1. Individual short papers

Short papers should be submitted for 20-minute presentations. This timing allows for 15 minutes presenting and 5 minutes for questions.

Three types of short papers may be given:

a) Research papers focusing on a specific research topic with practical implications. Rationale together with methodology and a brief literature review should be included. Both empirical and theoretical research papers are welcome.

b) Research and development papers focusing on the development of pedagogies, programs and technologies supporting intelligent tutoring. The research and development paper should present original findings and focus on practical implications and improvement of language learning and teaching.

c) Reflective practice papers focusing on testing and integration of technologies in different language learning and teaching environments. The reflective practice papers could report on assessment and evaluation of language learners and teachers using different programs and technologies to enhance their learning and teaching strategy.

2.  Symposia

Symposia consist of three or four papers on a similar topic. The length of each paper presentation during the symposium should be about 10-15 minutes. The proposer and organiser of the symposium will also be the chair, who will be in contact with the EUROCALL 2023 organizing team and the individual presenters. The topic for each symposium should normally address the conference theme. Sessions are organised in a panel format with no changeover and last for 60 minutes.

Submissions for symposia from EUROCALL Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are very welcome, with a view to promoting their work to the conference delegates and encouraging participation in the SIGs. Current EUROCALL SIGs are: Teacher Education, Virtual Worlds and Serious Gaming, iCALL, CorpusCall, Computer-Mediated Communication, Less-widely Taught Languages, Mobile-Assisted Language Learning, Graduate Students, LMOOC.

Proposal for symposia should be submitted in the OpenConf system in a form of an abstract (max. 500 words) describing the theme of the symposium, the names and institutions of the participants, and the aspect of the main problem that each of the participants will address. Please note that each participant in the symposium presenting their research can submit a separate abstract of their short paper through the OpenConf platform and indicate the category (SIG symposium) in the selection of choices when submitting (see section “How to submit your proposal” below).

3. European Projects

This year’s conference will again offer a forum for the showcasting and dissemination of EU-funded projects. Each project will be allocated a 30-minute slot, including questions. Abstracts (max. 500 words) of proposals for each project should be uploaded to the OpenConf system as an abstract for a short paper.

4. Posters

Posters enable a brief and very visual presentation of research projects, work in progress, or ongoing student work, such as bachelor’s or master’s thesis and doctoral dissertations. They aim at attracting a wide audience in language education because the information they present is clear and concise, and therefore easy to remember. Posters should focus on work in progress and report on previous or preliminary findings. Please keep in mind that posters are first and foremost visual aids that should attract the audience. They should have a clear and easy-to-read layout with a text that people from different areas in technology and language learning, and language education could understand. Submissions from
university students are especially welcome in this category. A prize will be awarded for the best poster in two categories: PhD student and Researcher.

5. Pre-conference workshops

A limited number of pre-conference online workshops will be organised on Wednesday 15 August 2023. The duration of each online workshop is max. 90 minutes. In case the time limit of 90 minutes would be insufficient, the workshop proposer can organise two consecutive separate sessions so that participants can attend either one of them or both, without missing out on crucial information. Workshops typically involve a hands-on session, during which participants can become familiar with the latest technological tools and theoretical approaches in relevant topic areas in language education and CALL.

Proposals should be submitted via the OpenConf system in a form of an abstract (max. 500 words) describing the theme of the workshop, the name(s) and institution(s) of the organiser(s), and the topic of the hands-on workshop that will be handled during the online session(s).

Format of abstracts

All presentation categories require the submission of an abstract that does not exceed 500 words, excluding the title, names and affiliations. We would appreciate if you could select from a list of conference subthemes when submitting your abstract. This would help us to organise the full conference programme around different subthemes of the conference.

How to submit your proposal

Submission platform OpenConf: https://www.openconf.org/eurocall2023/openconf.php

Contact information

Any queries relating to the conference should be sent to international@arnastofnun.is with the subject line EUROCALL 2023.

Publication of EUROCALL 2023 short papers

Authors of all accepted presentations (papers, incl. individual symposium papers, and posters) can send a short paper for publication in the EUROCALL 2023 conference proceedings (short paper submission deadline: 31 July 2023 – hard deadline). Note that only the papers/posters presented at the conference will be eligible for publication.

The short papers will be peer-reviewed and edited; a committee of reviewers selected by the editors will review the documents and rate them according to quality and correctness. Authors may be solicited to review one or two manuscripts.

The publication of the short papers is planned before the end of the year 2023. Because of the short amount of time between paper submission and publication date, there will be hard deadlines, which authors will have to meet if they want their manuscripts considered for publication.

Submission of short papers is on the OpenConf website (link to be confirmed).

Fees and Registration

Please note that registration will open in April 2023 and will close on 31 July 2023, given the logistics associated with the format of the conference.

Protecting the environment:
Please note that one tree will be planted for each registered participant at the conference. This will be done through the Iceland Carbon Fund (ICF), which offers carbon offsets through tree planting.

Conference Registration Guidance

The following registration fees apply for EUROCALL 2023. All registration fees are expressed in Icelandic Krona (ISK) and their approximate equivalent in EUR (calculated in February 2023 but may be different at the time of payment) is also provided: Early bird and student conference registration fee (incl. conference, excl. day tours) 58.500 ISK (approx. 370 EUR) and  – Regular conference registration fee (incl. conference, excl. day tours) 63.000 ISK (approx. 400 EUR). Please note that all conference participants must be members of the EUROCALL Association before registering at the conference (see registration process below) and must include the EUROCALL membership number in the “comments“ section in the online payment form. Registration and payments for EUROCALL 2023 should be completed via this online registration form:

1. Join EUROCALL – by clicking this link. You will be redirected to the EUROCALL Association page and then you may register for the conference from there.
2. Eurocall members, click this link to register for the conference.
3. Members of CALICO/JALTCALL/IALLT, click this link to register. (Please make sure you have your membership number to hand).

Instructions for Presenters

Parallel sessions

Presentation facilities
All rooms are equipped with a PC, internet access (Wifi, Eduroam), data projector (VGA monitor), and audio system. Please make sure to bring a USB stick with a copy of your presentation (Powerpoint, PDF) to copy your presentation to the system. It is not possible to install your own software.

Oral presentation setup
In view of smooth transitions between sessions, you are advised to test your presentation before the parallel sessions start (shortly before the session start / during the breaks). It is always possible to connect your own laptop (with a VGA port or a VGA adapter), but only if it is absolutely necessary. All presenters are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the lecture rooms in which they are presenting in advance of their session.

Timing in oral presentations in parallel sessions
There will be a Chair and a conference assistant present in all sessions.
The duration of individual presentations during parallel sessions is 20 minutes: 15 minutes for presentation, 5 minutes for questions and answers. Presenters are kindly requested to strictly stick to the timing as it is not possible to prolong sessions.
For workshops and symposia the duration is 60 and 90 minutes respectively, with no room changes between individual contributions. Timings will be determined by the Chair / workshop organiser.

Location of paralell sessions and workshops/symposia
All parallel sessions will take place in the Veröld – hús Vigdísar building and Háskólabíó (University Cinema). Please check the programme for location of each session.

Poster format
Standard poster panels will be available. Posters should be in A0 format (841 mm x 1189 mm) and in PORTRAIT orientation.

Poster setup
Please hand over your poster at the welcome desk in the morning of the day on which your poster session is scheduled. Our student staff will fix your poster on the poster panel marked with your poster number. All posters will be numbered as given in the final programme.
Please be present near your poster during your respective poster session.
Your poster should be picked up at the welcome desk at the end of the day.

Location of poster session
(To be confirmed)

Prize awards
Cambridge University Press (CUP), in association with EUROCALL and ReCALL, are proud to announce the institution of two annual prizes each worth £100. Winners will be announced at the annual EUROCALL conference.

1. Best ReCALL paper. The Editors and Editorial Board of ReCALL will vote on the most outstanding original article published in the journal during the previous 12 months.
2. Best EUROCALL student presentation. Representatives of the EUROCALL Executive Committee and conference organisers will vote on the best presentation given by a doctoral student. The winner will be encouraged to submit a full paper to ReCALL.

Conference Programme

Link to conference program (link to be confirmed).

Program Committee
Branislav Bédi, project manager at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
Kate Borthwick, professor in enterprise (online and digital education), Modern Languages and Linguistics, University of Southampton
Ana María Gimeno Sanz , professor of English and applied linguistics, Department of Applied Linguistics, Universitat Politècnica de València

Keynote Speakers

• Júlía Guðný Hreinsdóttir, Head of Teaching (Icelandic Sign Language – ÍTM) at The Communication Centre for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The history of sign language and the development of sign language teaching in Iceland

Sign languages, like all other languages, differ from country to country. Icelandic sign language (ÍTM) is an example of a spontaneous language that developed without exposure to other languages, in a school for deaf students. Similar process happens everywhere in the world: when deaf students come together in deaf schools they communicate in sign language.

“Döff” is a language-minority group in Iceland, united by a special and shared history and culture and, most importantly, a communal natural language – ÍTM. The hearing status is of no importance. In June 2011 it was confirmed by the Icelandic Parliament, that ÍTM has equal status to Icelandic as a form of communication in Iceland. In the same act it was also declared that Icelandic is the national language of Icelanders and the official language of Iceland. In a similar way ÍTM is the “national” language of the approximately 300 Döff individuals in Iceland.

The year 1880 marked a turning point in the history of sign language teaching ​​across the world, and had in turn a huge effect on the global deaf community. At the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf in Milan that year, the use of sign language in teaching deaf was banned. At that time sign languages had not been researched and it was argued that they were not really languages, only some gestures. For that reason it was decided that it would be best for the students to learn only vocal languages and lip reading. This ban lasted for more than 100 years.

In Iceland teaching ÍTM was first tried by the Association of the Deaf in 1976. The results were very limited, mostly because of the teachers lack of experience and their lack of knowledge in the grammar of ÍTM. In 1990 The Communication Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SHH) was founded. Legally one of its main function was to research and teach Icelandic sign language, and after that the teaching started to develope very quickly. From the start sign language teachers at SHH have been designing and developing teaching material, fitting them to their different students groups, ranging from general courses and families of deaf children to university students. Since 2018 The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has been used as a guidance in SHH’s teaching and course developing.

Modern technology has also influenced the teaching. Since 2012 an Icelandic/ÍTM dictionary has been available online at signwiki.is, a collaborative web and mobile platform developed by SHH. Apps like ZOOM and Teams have made distance learning possible, and sites like GoReact make it possible for students to hand in homework on videos, to mention just a few examples. SHH has recently started to develop their sign language teaching online even further, both in cooperation with other European countries within the Erasmus+ project SignTeach Online and by making a special website fit for this purpose.

• Neasa Ní Chiaráin, Ussher Assistant Professor, Trinity College Dublin

Endangered Languages from an Irish perspective: Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan Anam

This talk will discuss the situation of Irish (Gaeilge) and the efforts currently underway, particularly those involving CALL, that aim to contribute to the revitalisation and maintenance of the language. The importance of our indigenous language to our identity is underlined in the well-known saying by the Irish patriot Pádraig Pearse ‘Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan Anam’ – a country without its language is a country without its soul.

However, the revitalisation of an endangered language is a daunting task and in this talk I will outline some of the challenges where the development of digital resources and CALL can have a positive impact. The sociolinguistic context is discussed, along with features of linguistic structure which critically need to be taken account of in any CALL or digital language-based development. A major milestone is the recent development of a Digital Plan for Irish Speech and Language Technology. This is outlined, along with the potential it offers of harnessing the vital digital environment of modern living.

The range of research activities of the ABAIR initiative at the Phonetics and Speech Laboratory, Trinity College Dublin is reviewed in the context of the Digital Plan for Irish. As part of this, the related research and development of the Irish iCALL platform An Scéalaí (‘the Storyteller’) is presented along with the proposed framework for iCALL development, LeTTAT. My talk will illustrate some of the general principles that inform my work in iCALL, the research and development in ABAIR, and which are enshrined in the Digital Plan. These are to embrace our indigenous language communities; to share ideas and resources with other endangered language communities; and to proceed with applications that harness whatever limited resources one has access to at a given point in time.

• Róbert Bjarnason, CEO of the Citizens Foundation. Citizens Foundation is a leading nonprofit organization in the field of citizen engagement that designs and builds open-source software used in 45 countries in projects such as Betri Reykjavík, Okkar Kópavogur, Engage at the Scottish Parliament, Junges Wien in Vienna and many more. Róbert has over 30 years of experience in artificial intelligence and producing computer games, websites, films, and music. He was one of the founders of the first Internet companies in Iceland and Denmark and developed the first mobile version of The Sims game. He designed and programmed artificial intelligence currency trading systems for hedge funds and developed one of the oldest chatbots still in use, Agent Ruby, in 2001.

Leveraging AI for Language Education: An Overview of ChatGPT in Language Learning

Language education is rapidly evolving, and with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly language generation models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, it can revolutionize how we learn and teach languages. In this keynote presentation, we will explore how ChatGPT can be leveraged to enhance language learning outcomes and provide innovative solutions for language learners of all levels. From conversational agents that simulate real-life language interactions to personalized language learning materials, ChatGPT has the potential to transform the language learning experience. With advanced algorithms and natural language processing techniques, ChatGPT can provide customized and interactive language learning experiences, real-time feedback on pronunciation and grammar, and engaging dialogues. It can also generate personalized language learning materials, such as reading comprehension passages or writing prompts, based on a learner’s language level and learning style. Join us as we delve into how ChatGPT can be used to revolutionize language education and provide practical examples and case studies to illustrate its potential. By the end of this keynote presentation, you will better understand how ChatGPT can be used to enhance language learning and how it can play a critical role in the future of language education.

• Trond Trosterud, Professor of Language Technology, Department of Language and Culture, UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

 CALL for all languages? Why languages differ and what consequences that has for CALL

Organised foreign language teaching is typically done for the following two kinds of languages: The first is the handful of foreign languages found in school curricula (in various parts of Europe traditionally German, English, Russian and French). The second group consists of a large share of the approximately 100 official state languages, both cultural contacts and work migration has for these languages given rise to production of learning material and more recently also CALL applications.

Between 98 and 99 % of the world’s languages fall outside the two groups mentioned. They are either widely spoken but otherwise marginalised languages of former colonies, or they are languages of indigenous peoples. Most of these languages have quite complex word inflection. All these languages face severe challenges when text is being moved from paper to digital form, connected to both letter repertoires and to the lack of computer and mobile phone keyboards and various types of proofing tools.

Both these types of marginalised languages will also need learning material. In order to implement a more democratic language policy in former colonies, members of the elite and technical experts will have to learn the languages that eventually would be promoted to official status or put into literary use. In order to revitalise their languages, indigenous language communities often start language nests, but there will within the ethnic group typically be a generation of young non-speakers eager to acquire the lost language of their grandparents, or even of their childhood. For all this CALL can and should play a role.

In my talk I will argue that the answer to this challenge is found in an alliance between language activists and teachers, language philologists and computer scientists, all with (different) interests in a joint project. At the core of the answer lies a grammatical model of the language in question: In order to provide both basic tools for a functioning literacy, philological insight and language learning programs, we need to be able to model the vocabulary of the language, be able to analyse the grammatical properties of any wordform and determine whether it belongs to the (standard or non-standard) language or not. And all of this will have to happen without access to large standardised corpora to learn from.

Practical Information

Venue
The conference will be held in Veröld – hús Vigdísar • Brynjólfsgata 1 (corner with Suðurgata) • 107 Reykjavík
Coordinates: 64.140001, -21.952594 or 64°08’24.0″N 21°57’09.3″W.  This is in walking distance from many hotels and accommodation options in downtown and west Reykjavík.
Closest bus-stops are Háskólabíó, Hótel Saga and, somewhat further away, Háskóli Íslands or Hagatorg.
The Building is connected with the main buildings of the university campus via a tunnel to the Háskólatorg building.

Accommodation
Tourism in Iceland has grown immensely and moderately-priced lodging is quick to fill up. We encourage conference participants to book accommodation as early as possible to avoid high prices and limited availability. Websites such as Booking.com and Airbnb.com will provide information about a range of accommodation possibilities. For more information about hotels and other types of lodging in Reykjavik, see HERE.

Travel
Keflavík International Airport (KEF), the main airport in Iceland, is located 40 kilometers from Reykjavík, the capital city. Over 20 airlines offer flights to and from Iceland through the airport. For information about flights to Iceland, see HERE.
Transportation to Reykjavík from the airport is available by bus, Flybus or taxi, see HERE.

The only public transportation in Reykjavík is the bus system, commonly called Stræto. See their website for information about fares, timetable, and a route planner, HERE.

The two main taxi companies in Reykjavík are Hreyfill, tel. +354 588 55 22 see HERE and Taxi BSR, tel. +354- 56 10000, see HERE. When calling for a taxi you can expect it to arrive within 10 minutes.

For a map of the University of Iceland see HERE.

WIFI
The Internet can be accessed through Eduroam on the University premises.

Money
The official currency in Iceland is ISK (Icelandic krona). Recognised credit/debit cards are accepted in all restaurants, shops, hotels and cash machines. For the official exchange rate of ISK towards major currencies, see HERE.

Language
The native language in Iceland is Icelandic, but English is widely used.

Social Programme

Regarding organising own day trips, please see tab „Practial Information“ above or visit Iceland Tourist Board (www.visiticeland.is) HERE.

Other social events, which will be part of the conference, are to be confirmed.

Sponsors

To be confirmed.