Individualization in Language Education Conference 2025

We invite submissions based on empirical studies that consider the heterogeneity of learners’ language abilities and experiences in individualized/adaptive teaching and learning.
Click here for the Call of Paper. 
For abstract submission please click here.

Keynotes

• Classroom discussion as an approach to individualization
  by Prof. Dr. Catherine E. Snow  (Harvard)
  
  Immigrant and second-language learning students increase the heterogeneity of skills and knowledge sources within the classroom, creating a challenge for teachers responsible for traditional, sequential curricula. The strategic utilization of discussion as part of instruction can maximize all students' opportunities for learning, while also building the oral language skills that contribute to literacy and learning from text. Specific examples of well-studied curricular approaches that center students' voices will be offered.
  
  Prof. Dr. Catherine E. Snow is internationally recognized for her work on theories of bilingualism and language acquisition through parent-child interaction, as well as on linguistic and social factors that promote or impair literacy development in reading and writing.
  
  
• Individual support in today’s multilingual classes in German primary school: Findings from an intervention study on translanguaging to support students’ reading strategies
  by Prof. Dr. Jasmin Decristan (Bergische Universität Wuppertal)
  
  Today’s classrooms in Germany are characterized by a large language-related and cultural heterogeneity of students. To better address students’ multilingual resources, and thus to provide individual support to students, translanguaging is considered a key approach. Translanguaging refers to a fluid and flexible use of the different languages that constitute multilingual students’ full linguistic repertoire. To support students’ translanguaging in classes with monolingual instruction in most subjects, such as in Germany, teacher must establish a collaborative space for students to support each other and provide a warm and appreciating climate towards multilingualism. However, teachers frequently express concerns about supporting students’ translanguaging in regular classes. These concerns are mostly related to classroom management and classroom climate as two key dimensions of teaching quality. Against this background, findings from an intervention study in German primary school will be presented. The intervention aimed to examine the effects of translanguaging in today’s multilingual classes to support students’ reading strategies. The presentation will provide insights into the implementation of the intervention and its effectiveness. Moreover, the differential effectiveness depending on students’ multilingualism and self-reported use of multiple languages for learning are reported. Finally, students’ perspectives on classroom management and classroom climate will be presented to empirically examine the concerns about translanguaging in class. The findings offer several implications regarding individual support in todays’ multilingual classes and will be discussed accordingly.
  
  Prof. Dr. Jasmin Decristan is head of the department „Schulische Interventionsforschung bei besonderen pädagogischen Bedürfnissen“ [Research on school interventions in case of particular requirements] and conducts research into cooperative learning, dealing with heterogeneity, teaching practice, and its quality.

Discussion forums

Based on a panel discussion format, four leading experts will discuss complementary and controversial perspectives on the following topics in three moderated forums: 

Forum 1: Diagnostics and Professional Competence in the Context of Linguistic Diversity 
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Elma Blom (Universität Utrecht), Dr. Fauve de Backer (Ghent University), Prof. Dr. Inci Dirim(University of Vienna), Prof. Dr. Vera Busse (Universität Münster)
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Karen Schramm (University of Vienna) 

Forum 2: Successful Formats of Individualization and Their Transferability – A Cross-Institutional Perspective
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Tanja Tajmel, (Concordia University, Montréal), Prof. Dr. Sarah Désirée Lange (Technische Universität Chemnitz), TBA
Moderation: Hendrik Stammermann, (Hamburg State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development)

Forum 3: Requirements for Future Research on the Individualization of Language Education
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Ingrid Piller (Macquarie University, Sydney), Prof. Dr. Theo Marinis (University of Konstanz), TBA
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Aileen Edele (Humboldt University Berlin)

The audience will be invited to participate in the discussions.

Paper Sessions

Paper presentations enable authors to present and discuss the particular research questions, design and results of empirical research. The individual presentations are scheduled for 15 minutes plus 10 minutes for discussion. The 90-minute sessions comprise three to four presentations on related topics. The schedule for each presentation can be adjusted depending on the number of presentations. All sessions will be moderated.

If you wish to organize a joint session (symposium), please submit each paper abstract individually and indicate in the comment field that you wish to be grouped in a joint session and provide a title for the session.

Poster Sessions

Posters offer researchers the opportunity to present their work in a concise visual format. There is ample opportunity for interaction and discussion during poster sessions and coffee breaks. A selected number of poster presenters can opt for a poster pitch and will have the opportunity to present their research to the audience in a moderated short interview of 2 minutes to stimulate discourse and international networking. A prize will be awarded for the best poster. (Format: DIN-A1 portrait)

Important Dates:

• Abstract submission deadline: 31.10.2024 (open from 01.08.2024)
• Notification of acceptance/rejection: 04.11.2024
• Conference registration open: 08.11.2024
• Conference: 5 - 6 March 2025

Conference Fees:

• EUR 100 for postdoc researchers and professors
• EUR 40 for PhD students and practitioners 
• EUR 25 for undergraduate students

Conference Venue:

Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1,

Flügelbau West (West Wing)

20146 Hamburg