National Conference on ‘Literature, Language and Technology’, H M Patel Institute of English Training & Research, Vidyanagar, Gujarat – India, May 23 – 24, 2009
Technology, in today’s world, has become an integral part of our lives and whether, we like it or not, is widely accessed by the teachers and learners for varied purposes. The ubiquity of technology is something that can no more be denied and therefore, needs to be addressed from a pedagogic platform. The aim of this conference is to explore, investigate, examine, evaluate, and of course, critically probe the possibilities and limits of technology in the teaching of literature and language.
However, delving deeper, the conference also wishes to explore the tenuous, and yet, deeply enmeshed relationship between language and literature. That the two cannot be separated, and yet has been, is often seen as contentious and deeply ideological in nature. The two domains are inseparably linked and yet are pedagogically treated as separate entities. Can technology play a role in bridging the gap that has been created? Could it be fruitful to use teaching of language to enrich literary experience and vice versa? Can technology, again, act as a buffer zone between the two?
The conference, thus, would look into (re)defining literature and language vis-à-vis technological developments and how the three can be brought together into a meaningful relationship.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
H M Patel Institute of English Training and Research, Vallabh Vidyanagar invite papers from teachers of schools, colleges, universities and government academic departments, teacher trainers, research scholars, and interested professionals on the theme of the conference:
‘Literature, Language and Technology’
The sub-themes of the conference are:
- ICT in the teaching of English Language
- Management of ELT projects through technology
- Technology, ELT and literature teaching
- Technology in multilingual approach
- Online language learning
- Audio-video aids literature and language teaching
- Social networking for teaching language and literature
- Multimedia materials evaluation: issues and challenges
- Using web tools for language and literature teaching
For more details, please contact the coordinators:
1) Atanu Bhattacharya, 02692-230193, 9227160619, Email: atanu1071@gmail.com
2) Mitul Trivedi, 02692-230193, 9824975768, Email: mitul.t@hotmail.com
32nd Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC), University of Cambridge, UK, April 14-16
Theme
Crossing the threshold: investigating levels, domains and frameworks in language assessment
Our main theme reflects contemporary research interests and concerns within the language testing and assessment community (at both national and international level) focusing on proficiency levels, language domains, and the role of interpretative frameworks of reference for language learning, teaching and assessment (cf CEFR, CLB). It relates directly to questions such as:
- why and how do we define and describe a proficiency level?
- what are the key criteria that distinguish one proficiency level from another?
- how is the testing of language for special purposes evolving?
- how do we identify and describe emerging domains for assessment?
- how do we decide when someone is (or is not) at a level ? (i.e. what sort of evidence do we need and how do we gather it?)
- how can proficiency levels be related to one another within a framework?
The main theme also allows for coverage of a number of additional sub-themes which have contemporary relevance, including:
- The teaching and assessment of young language learners
- Issues of language education planning and policy
- The interface of multilingualism and assessment
- The testing of less commonly taught languages
- Issues of assessment literacy in education and society
At least one of the pre-conference workshops will focus on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages in relation to assessment issues.
Call for Papers
First formal call for proposals: April 2009
Deadline for receipt of proposals: 30 September 2009
For further details and pre-registration, please visit: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/LTRC2010/
International Symposium on ICT in Education, Rome, Italy, June 11-12
European Schoolnet (EUN), the network of 31 ministries of education in Europe, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), USA and Education.au, the Australian national agency for ICT in education are organising the first international symposium of all education networks active in the field of ICT in education. This event will take place on 11-12 June 2009 in Rome, Italy.
The aims of the symposium are:
- To encourage high-level networking within the global ICT in education community;
- To improve information-sharing and cooperation between international education networks;
- To reflect on the nature of 21st century learning and analyse the role of international education networks vis-à-vis decision makers in the field.
The emphasis will be networking on shared global issues as well as developing peer-learning mechanisms between all networks, taking into account the diversity of educational environments at the national level.
This symposium is reserved for high-level decision makers in international networks active in the field of ICT in education. Each network can recommend a maximum of five participants to attend the event. Only 120 participants worldwide will be accommodated.
For further details and pre-registration, please write to paul.gerhard[at]eun.org.
1 comment