BAAL Vocab Conference 2024
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.