Dear Sir or Madam,
The Centre for Language Studies (CLS) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) organises a biennial international conference on foreign language teaching and learning. The conference aims at bringing together academics, researchers and professionals from Asia and beyond for a productive and rewarding exchange of insights, experiences, views and perspectives on current and future developments in foreign language teaching and learning. The last three CLaSICs met with resounding success and a highly encouraging response, attracting many participants from all over the world.
We are pleased to announce the Fourth CLS International Conference (CLaSIC 2010) to be held from 2 to 4 December 2010. The theme of the conference is:
“INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SUBJECTIVE VARIABLES IN LANGUAGE LEARNING”
We would like to invite you and your colleagues to participate in this conference and to present papers on the sub-themes listed in the Call for the Papers below. We would be most grateful if you could circulate the information about the conference within your institution and enclose a PDF copy of the conference brochure for this purpose. If you require more information, please feel free to email the CLaSIC 2010 Organising Committee at clasic2010@nus.edu.sg.
Invited Keynote Speakers
We are delighted that the following four distinguished academics, all leading researchers and educators in language education and applied linguistics, will be delivering keynote lectures at CLaSIC 2010:
Dr. Karin Aguado (University of Kassel)
Dr. Naoko Aoki (Osaka University)
Dr. Richard Schmidt (University of Hawai’i)
Dr. Minglang Zhou (University of Maryland)
Call for Papers
Over the decades, research has rejected views of learners as passive processors and highlighted instead their subject roles in learning. It is evident to researchers and practitioners that learner characteristics such as age, gender, aptitudes, motivation, beliefs, metacognition and learning strategies contribute directly or indirectly to learning processes and outcomes. In view of the vast differences between individuals, each learner biography becomes in effect an individual case study. Yet these individual characteristics and subjective variables interact with factors external to the learners, including especially the cultural background, social environment and educational context, thus underlining the fact that learners are, at the same time, social beings. In selecting this theme, CLaSIC 2010 acknowledges the undoubted importance of learners’ - and teachers’ - individual characteristics for foreign language education. It hopes to engage participants in a fruitful and rewarding discussion of these issues and to draw insightful conclusions for research and practice.
CLaSIC 2010 Organising Committee invites submissions for Paper and Poster Presentations on one of the following twelve sub-themes:
- Cognitive Factors in Language Teaching and Learning
- Affect in Language Teaching and Learning
- Language Learning Anxiety and Fear
- Teacher/Learner Beliefs, Attitudes and Assumptions
- Subjective Theories and Language Teaching and Learning
- Language Learning Motivation and Motivational Strategies
- Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy
- Metacognition and Language Learning Strategies
- Learner Characteristics and Individual Differences
- Cultural and Individual Notions of Autonomy
- Constructivist Approach to Language Learning
- Narrative and Life Story
Presentation proposals can be submitted online at the following URL, latest by 31 May 2010: http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/cls/clasic2010/Proposal_Submission.htm
The language medium for all presentations at the conference is English.
Further information
To keep you informed of the latest update of the CLaSIC 2010, it is recommended to check the homepage on a regular basis.
CLaSIC 2010 homepage – http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/cls/clasic2010/index.htm
Information about the CLS can be found at the following URL:
CLS homepage – http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/cls/
Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to email the Organising Committee at clasic2010@nus.edu.sg.
Thank you very much for your kind attention and assistance. We look forward to seeing you and your colleagues at CLaSIC 2010.
With warm regards,
Dr Izumi Walker
Chairperson
CLaSIC 2010 Organising Committee
Centre for Language Studies
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
National University of Singapore
