Skip to main content

BAAL Vocab Conference 2024

Date

BAAL Vocab Conference 2024

The recent British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) Vocabulary Special Interest Group conference, hosted by the School of Education (SoE) and the Centre for Language Education Research (CLER) from July 11-12, concluded with resounding success. This event brought together 66 delegates (17 academics, 8 ECRs, 37 PGRs, and 4 MA students) from about 17 countries and 21 institutions worldwide to exchange ideas, present research findings, and discuss advancements in integrating vocabulary research into multidisciplinary contexts.

Highlights of the Conference:

Plenary talks- The excellent plenary talks by three distinguished scholars - Prof. Laurence Anthony (Waseda University), our own Prof. Alice Deignan (University of Leeds), and Prof. Tess Fitzpatrick (Swansea University) showcased the intersection of vocabulary research with other disciplines and initiated ideas for future exploration.

Laurence Anthony’s plenary talk

Laurence Anthony’s plenary talk

Alice Deignan’s plenary talk

Alice Deignan’s plenary talk

Tess Fitzpatrick’s plenary talk

Tess Fitzpatrick’s plenary talk

Presenters: The conference featured 12 paper presentations, 6 work-in-progress presentations, and 11 poster presentations on various vocabulary study topics. Notably, our (former) PGRs and MA students, including Xuechun Huang, Gergely Kajos, Rasha Mohsen, Nhat Ha Nguyen, Samanan Sudsa-ard, and Hongyi Zhao, made significant contributions. Xuechun Huang won the best student work-in-progress presentation award!

Xuechun Huang’s presentation

Xuechun Huang’s presentation

Gergely Kajos’s presentation

Gergely Kajos’s presentation

Rasha Mohsen’s poster

Rasha Mohsen’s poster

Nhat Ha Nguyen’s presentation

Nhat Ha Nguyen’s presentation

Samanan Sudsa-ard’s presentation

Samanan Sudsa-ard’s presentation

Hongyi Zhao’s presentation

Hongyi Zhao’s presentation

White Rose PGR-led Initiative: Xuechun Huang and Hongyi Zhao proposed a White Rose PGR-led vocabulary community, showcasing the active involvement of our CLER PGRs in the wider community.

Xuechun Huang & Hongyi Zhao’s presentation

Xuechun Huang & Hongyi Zhao’s presentation

Networking Opportunities: With 66 participants with special interest in vocabulary, the conference provided a unique platform for networking, allowing attendees to connect, share research, and explore potential collaborations.

Group photo

Group photo

Poster session

Poster session

Coffee break

Coffee break

Poster session

Poster session

CLER Member Involvement: The local team's dedication and professionalism were highly appreciated. Key contributors included Richard Badger, Yen Dang, Alice Deignan, Tom Hammond, Xuechun Huang, Maggie Kubanyiova, Chengyan Li, Rasha Mohsen, Diane Pecorari, Zhuowei Qian, Tag Sahakyan, Nurdamia Shaffee, Elina Stylianou, Airen Zhang, Huahui Zhao, and Hongyi Zhao.

Leeds team (left to right): Yen Dang, Nurdamia Shaffee, Gergely Kajos, Rasha Mohsen, Airen Zhang, Elina Stylianou, Alice Deignan, Chengyan Li, Nhat Ha Nguyen, Hongyi Zhao, Samanan Sudsa-ard, and Xuechun Huang. Other members not in the photos are Richard Badger, Tom Hammond, Maggie Kubanyiova, Diane Pecorari, Zhuowei Qian, Tag Sahakyan, and Huahui Zhao

Leeds team (left to right): Yen Dang, Nurdamia Shaffee, Gergely Kajos, Rasha Mohsen, Airen Zhang, Elina Stylianou, Alice Deignan, Chengyan Li, Nhat Ha Nguyen, Hongyi Zhao, Samanan Sudsa-ard, and Xuechun Huang. Other members not in the photos are Richard Badger, Tom Hammond, Maggie Kubanyiova, Diane Pecorari, Zhuowei Qian, Tag Sahakyan, and Huahui Zhao

Maggie Kubanyiova opening the conference

Maggie Kubanyiova opening the conference

Diane Pecorari chairing Laurence Anthony’s plenary

Diane Pecorari chairing Laurence Anthony’s plenary

Richard Badger chairing Tess Fitzpatrick’s hybrid plenary talk with tech support from Chengyan Li

Richard Badger chairing Tess Fitzpatrick’s hybrid plenary talk with tech support from Chengyan Li

Tom Hammond, Tag Sahakyan (pictured), Elina Stylianou, and Huahui Zhao chairing paper and work-in-progress presentations

Tom Hammond, Tag Sahakyan (pictured), Elina Stylianou, and Huahui Zhao chairing paper and work-in-progress presentations

Media team (left to right): Chengyan Li, Nurdamia Shaffee, Elina Stylianou, Airen Zhang, and Xuechun Huang

Media team (left to right): Chengyan Li, Nurdamia Shaffee, Elina Stylianou, Airen Zhang, and Xuechun Huang

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the high quality of presentations, the event's organization, and the opportunities for professional growth.

I really enjoyed the conference. I think the combination of research in progress, plenary sessions, as well as other sessions is really good.

I'm very satisfied with this conference. This was a well organised conference and I enjoyed attending.

Thanks for organising this event. I really liked the academic atmosphere. It felt very supportive and kind

 

The success of this conference showcases the professionalism and dedication of CLER members, both staff and PGRs, and underscores CLER's and SoE's commitment to build up an inclusive environment to support excellent interdisciplinary and collaborative work with a global reach

- Yen Dang                                                                  

On behalf of the Local Organising Committee: Richard Badger, Alice Deignan, Tom Hammond, Xuechun Huang, Maggie Kubanyiova, Chengyan Li, Rasha Mohsen, Diane Pecorari, Zhuowei Qian, Tag Sahakyan, Nurdamia Shaffee, Elina Stylianou, Airen Zhang, Huahui Zhao, and Hongyi Zhao

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the School of Education, CLER, British Council, BAAL Vocab SIG Committee, and the Operations team for their generous support.

For more details, please visit the CLER website.