International Association for Language Awareness 2026 Conference - Heritages, Languages, Ecologies
June 22–25, 2026 | Middlebury Institute of International Studies
The Association for Language Awareness (ALA) is an international organization established in 1992, which hosts biennial conferences around the world dedicated to Language Awareness. Language Awareness is defined as “explicit knowledge about language, and conscious perception and sensitivity in language learning, language teaching and language use” and addresses a wide spectrum of fields, “exploring the benefits that can be derived from developing a good knowledge about language, a conscious understanding of how languages work, of how people learn them, and use them” (ALA 2025).
In 2026, the conference will be held in Monterey, California at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS), where the late Professor Leo van Lier, a founding member of ALA, had taught from 1986-2012. The conference committee represents a consortium of volunteers from: Cal State Monterey Bay, MIIS, DLI, Pacific Grove Adult Education, Santa Clara College, UC Santa Cruz, and CSU Fresno among others.
The call for conference proposals opens July 1, 2025 and closes September 15, 2025. The conference call includes a wide variety of topics as we seek opportunities to learn and investigate language. The proposal submission specifications and submission link is here. Note that we ask that you use a gmail account for verification purposes.
The Association for Language Awareness Conference 2026 invites interested participants to submit proposals to present in English or a language other than English for individual papers and posters. All proposals submitted should include the following information in English: (1) a title (not to exceed 75 characters), (2) program description (not to exceed 50 words), (3) an abstract (not to exceed 400 words), and (4) references (with up to 15 references) for the work. Please use Times, 12 point font for the proposal submission.
Presenters who wish to present in a language other than English must also: (a) identify the language they will use for the presentation and the place the language is spoken, (b) provide the title in the identified language, and (c) the program description in the identified language. (The digital program will be available for participants with the title and description in both English and the language of the presentation).
Individuals can submit a maximum of 1 proposal session as lead or single author, and participate as co-presenter or panelist in a maximum of 3 sessions. The proposal form must include the co-presenters’ names, institutions, and contact email and whether to include their emails in the program. However, all communication will be conducted with the lead presenter for the session.
The deadline for proposals is 5:00 p.m. on September 15, 2025 (PST; UTC-7). Proposal submissions by Association for Language Awareness (ALA) members will be eligible for early registration discounts along with the other benefits of becoming an ALA member. Join ALA Here!
Please submit proof of current ALA membership with your proposal submission. If you are unsure of your membership status, you can email the conference chairperson for assistance; however, please allow for a 48 hour turnaround time for a response, in which case, plan to submit your proposal early.
Email:
Please use a gmail account to submit your proposal which automatically verifies your email account. We also ask that you include your institution name and email address.Communication:
All communication will be conducted through the lead presenter. The lead presenter will be notified whether the proposal has been accepted by Nov 1, 2025. At that time, the lead presenter must register for the conference by Jan 1, 2026. Any unregistered lead presenters' proposals will be disqualified so that other proposals can be accepted. Please ensure that the lead presenter’s email and institution is accurate as it may be necessary to verify submission, in which case we require prompt response.Fair review process:
The proposal review committee will conduct double-blind reviews. In order to provide a fair and unbiased proposal review process, we ask that all proposals avoid identifying yours or co-authors’ previous work in the proposal and abstract. For example, do not reference prior work such as: In our pilot project, we (name, date)….Conference participation:
While all effort will be made to prioritize in-person participation, exceptions may be made in the following situations with supporting documentation of eligibility at the discretion of the conference Chair:-
A solo presenter or immediate family member of the presenter has a medical emergency and cannot travel to the conference;
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A solo presenter is denied a travel visa or travel visa application is rejected (as long as the visa was submitted within a reasonable timeframe);
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A solo presenter experiences a travel ban, an unforeseen at the time of proposal submission.
In the unfortunate event above, a co-presenter can present a pre-recorded presentation while the presenter is available for audio question and answer discussion after the presentation.
Proposals should be the original work of the authors. While we understand that AI enhancement may be helpful, we ask that authors honestly identify if AI was used and how it was used, for example, describe the chat session if possible. Proposals generated by AI will be eliminated.
Abstracts must explain how the object(s), goal(s) and procedures relate to Language Awareness in the following conference themes:
(1) Language Awareness in the age of AI
This strand explores the challenges of language awareness in the age of Artificial Intelligence. What is enhanced with the ubiquity of AI and what is lost? Why learn languages? How might critical literacy and language awareness aid in detecting bias and misinformation?(2) Language Awareness in Virtual Exchange
Virtual Exchange, Telecommunication, or Collaborative Online International/Intercultural Learning (COIL) have been an international technology-based learning exchange practiced between universities for more than 25 years. This strand explores Language Awareness in Virtual Exchange--design, application, implementation, opportunities, and challenges.(3) Language Awareness and Indigenous Languages
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the period of 2022–2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022–2032). This strand explores language awareness in relation to indigenous, heritage, and immigrant languages and communities.(4) Language Awareness in Education and the Workplace
This strand considers language awareness in educational settings and professional environments. It examines how understanding language use, variations, and functions can enhance or impede communication, learning, and collaboration.(5) Language Awareness for Social and Environmental Ecologies
How might language awareness contribute to global healing? How might plurilingual learning provide opportunities for empathy, understanding, and peace education? How does the presence or absence of language impact traumas experienced?-
Featured Presenters
Andrés Ramírez is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL USA. He is also co-chair of FAU’s Hispanic Serving Institution Research Interest Group. His research explores culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogies that promote the literacy and language development of Emergent to Advanced Bilingual students (EABs). His book, currently under contract with Bloomsbury, UK and scheduled to be published early 2026, is Translanguaging in Classroom Discourse: Genre-Based Multilingual Pedagogy and Design. He teaches courses in TESOL education, curriculum theory, and discourse analysis.
Carly Tex, is the Executive Director for the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival (AICLS) and is responsible for the implementation of the Advocates’ programs, vision, and mission to support the revitalization of languages Indigenous to California. She also is a co-convener for the Collaborative Language Institute (CoLang) and sits on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.
Robert O'Dowd is a professor for English Studies at the Universidad de León, Spain. He has published extensively on the application of Virtual Exchange in higher education and has coordinated 3 Erasmus+ projects, including the European Policy Experiment ‘Virtual Innovation and Support Networks for Teachers’ (VALIANT) (2021-2024). He collaborates with organizations on the promotion and integration of Virtual Exchange in higher education and his most recent book is Internationalising Higher Education and the Role of Virtual Exchange (2023, Routledge). He was recently listed in Stanford University’s ‘Ranking of the World Scientists: World´s Top 2% Scientists’.
Strand Topics
1. Language Awareness in the age of AI
This strand explores the challenges of language awareness in the age of Artificial Intelligence. What is enhanced with the ubiquity of AI and what is lost? Why learn languages? How might critical literacy and language awareness aid in detecting bias and misinformation?
2. Language Awareness in Virtual Exchange
Virtual Exchange, Telecommunication, or Collaborative Online International/Intercultural Learning (COIL) have been an international technology-based learning exchange practiced between universities for more than 25 years. This strand explores Language Awareness in Virtual Exchange--design, application, implementation, opportunities, and challenges.
3. Language Awareness and Indigenous Languages
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the period of 2022–2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022–2032). This strand explores language awareness in relation to indigenous, heritage, and immigrant languages and communities.
4. Language Awareness in Education and the Workplace
This strand considers language awareness in teaching and training in educational settings and professional environments. It examines how understanding language use, variations, and functions can enhance or impede communication, learning, and collaboration.
5. Language Awareness for Social and Environmental Ecologies
How might language awareness contribute to global healing? How might plurilingual learning provide opportunities for empathy, understanding, and peace education? How does the presence of absence of language impact traumas experienced?