(Correspondent: CHEN Wanqing) The 2022 (18th) International Conference on CALL, hosted by Xidian University, was held online from November 11-13. The conference was organized by China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese (ChinaCALL), co-organized by the School of Foreign Languages and the Research Academy for Digitalized Foreign Language Education of Xidian University (XDU) and the Institute of Online Education and the Artificial Intelligence and Human Languages Lab of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), and hosted jointly by the Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning (JCCALL).
At the meeting, Vice President Professor Wang Quan was invited to deliver a keynote speech. Professor Sun Youzhong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC BFSU Committee and Vice President of BFSU, Professor Zhang Jincheng, Vice President of XDU, and Professor Gu Yuguo, Director of ChinaCALL, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. More than 200 experts, scholars, teachers and students from more than 100 universities at home and abroad, including Stanford University (USA), Open University (UK), Elite University (Malaysia), University of Southern Queensland (Australia), University of Hong Kong, Beijing Foreign Studies University and Xidian University, attended the conference. The opening ceremony was hosted by Professor Ma Gang, Executive Dean of the School of Foreign Languages (XDU).
In his speech,ProfessorZhang Jincheng firstly gave a brief introduction to Xidian University and its achievements. He pointed out that the conference focused on"Emerging Technologies and Language Education". Xidian University is a pilot university of the "5G+ intellectual education programs " launched by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Education,and is actively promoting the integration of the new generation of information and communication technology and innovations in education.The School of Foreign Languages and the Research Academy for Digitalized Foreign Language Educationtake the initiative to explore the deep integration of smart education and foreign language education, promoting the faster and better development of smart education in the university.ProfessorZhang Jincheng said thatin the context of the emerging artificial intelligence technology,the conference is of great practical guidance, providing academic inspirationand fresh views for experts and scholars, and playing an active role in the future development and enhancement of foreign language teaching.
The two-and-a-half-day conference is themed “Emerging Technologies and Language Education” in the form ofpre-conference workshops, keynote speeches, Symposium speeches, session presentations and colloquium. The conference focused on the latest theoretical research on computer-assisted foreign language teaching, involving the application of VR, AR and MR in language teaching, theoretical research on VR such as embodied cognition and experiential learning, emerging educational technologies and moral education, technology and language education, CALL environment, CALL & L2 teacher education, application of artificial intelligence in education and other cutting-edge topics of language intelligent teaching. The conference discussed in depth the current situation and future of the integration of new technologies and foreign language teaching, and draw a blueprint for the construction of "new liberal arts" and "new engineering" majors in the new era.
The two-and-a-half-day conference is themed “Emerging Technologies and Language Education” in the form ofpre-conference workshops, keynote speeches, Symposium speeches, session presentations and colloquium. The conference focused on the latest theoretical research on computer-assisted foreign language teaching, involving the application of VR, AR and MR in language teaching, theoretical research on VR such as embodied cognition and experiential learning, emerging educational technologies and moral education, technology and language education, CALL environment, CALL & L2 teacher education, application of artificial intelligence in education and other cutting-edge topics of language intelligent teaching. The conference discussed in depth the current situation and future of the integration of new technologies and foreign language teaching, and draw a blueprint for the construction of "new liberal arts" and "new engineering" majors in the new era.
During the conference,ProfessorWang Quan,ProfessorPhil Hubbard,ProfessorThang Siew Ming, Dr. Jeong-Bae Son, Dr. Lai Chun,ProfessorLi Zuowen, and Dr. Mirjam Hauck delivered keynote speeches.ProfessorYang Yue of the Research Academy for Digitalized Foreign Language Education of Xidian University (XDU) chaired the session of the keynote speeches.
ProfessorWang Quan gave a keynote speech entitled "Information Technology Empowering the High Quality Development of Talent Cultivation", which elaborated in depth from six aspects: building a new environment, reforming teaching methods, constructing a new evaluation system, building high-quality resources, carrying out innovative teacher training and strengthening campus governance. His speech reports presented some ideas of how to improve talent cultivation capability by using information technology (such as big data and artificial intelligence) to bring about classroom revolution and reform of teaching evaluation. The practice and results of high-quality talent cultivation of Xidian University were also covered in this report.
Dr.Phil Hubbard from Stanford Universitymade the keynote speechentitled with “Emerging Technologies and Language Learning: Mining the Past to Transform the Future”. A language learning model with technology, content, teachers and learning partners was proposed. With his own teaching and research experience,Dr.Phil Hubbard explained how to correctly view the role of technology in teaching and how to read academic papers in CALL field critically.
Dr. Thang Siew Ming, Professor of Malaysia Elite University and Chairman of PacCALL, made a keynote speech entitled "Eye tracking Research on Young Children: What Can We Learn from Them?", introducing an eye movement study focusing on children's English reading ability.
Dr. Jeong Bae Son, Associate Professor of the University of South Queensland in Australia and Chairman of APACALL, delivered a keynote speech entitled "Teacher Development through Exploration, Communication, Collaboration and Reflection". This study emphasized that language teachers need to improve their abilities in computer assisted language learning (CALL) and technology enhanced language teaching (TELT), and proposed a teacher development model of ECCR, which is "exploration – communication – cooperation -- reflection".
Dr. Lai Chun, Associate Professor of the School of Education of the University of Hong Kong, delivered a keynote report entitled "Incorporating Technology in Language Teaching and Learning". By citing a large number of empirical studies, he explained the role of technology as a "tutor" and "tool", and proposed that teachers should achieve a goal of being creative, coordinated and critical at the same time when using technology in language teaching.
Dr. Li Zuowen, the Director of the Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Human Language of Beijing Foreign Studies University, delivered a keynote speech entitled "Disciplinary Knowledge Graph and Intelligent Language Teaching". This study explored the development of subject knowledge map and intelligent language teaching by focusing on the development stage of AI, the basic concept of subject knowledge map and the characteristics of LingNet.
Dr. Mirjam Hauck, Vice Dean in charge of "Internationalization, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion" of the School of Language and Applied Linguistics of the Open University of the United Kingdom and President of EUROCALL, delivered a keynote report entitled "Critical CALL, Critical Virtual Exchange, and Critical Global Citizenship Education". He introduced the development background and theoretical framework of "Virtual communication".With the examples of "reading the city" and "sharing the garden", he explained the application and problems of virtual communication in language teaching practice from the perspective of equality, diversity and inclusiveness.
In the symposium session, Associate Professors Chen Wanqing and Zou Tiantian of School of Foreign Languages from our university delivered speeches on "Constructing an Ecosystem of "AI + instructor" Cooperative English Writing Teaching" and "A Study on Students’ Satisfaction with Blended Teaching Mode and its Influencing Factors --- Take the English Classes for Doctoral Students as an Example".
More than 100 experts, scholars and students from more than 50 universities presented their speeches and made academic exchanges in 15 concurrent sessions. Associate Professors Liu Huixia, Guo Puli, Li Shihua, Zhang Xiaofang from School of Foreign Languages also presented their papers in concurrent sessions.
In the colloquium session, Professor Ma Gang, Executive Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, together with Professor Li Zuowen, Professor Wang Haixiao and Dr. Zou Bin conducted in-depth discussions about the "Emerging Technologies and Language Education", and delivered insightful views on the practical problems and future trends of language teaching empowered by AI. Professor Gu Yueguo chaired the colloquium session.
In the closing ceremony, Professor Tang Jinlan, Secretary General of ChinaCALL and Dean of the School of Online Education of Beijing Foreign Studies University, made a summary of the academic event with the keywords of "appreciation", "gains" and "outlook". On behalf of the organizer of the conference, she expressed her sincere thanks to the leaders, experts, scholars, students and staff at home and abroad. She said that the in-depth discussion on cutting-edge topics related to new technology enabled language teaching in this event would certainly play an important role in promoting the development of intelligent language education and high-quality foreign language talents cultivation at home and abroad. She also looked forward to the 2023 (19th) International Conference on CALL.
