Upcoming – 1st Global Digital Applied Linguistics Association Conference

International Conference on Applied Language Sciences Research (ALS-2026)

Organizer: English Department, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

Co-organizers: Global Digital Applied Linguistics Association (GloDAL) & Methodology SIG, Kansai Chapter, Language Education and Technology (LET), Japan

May 15–16, 2026 · The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong · On‑site only

About the Conference
Advancing theory, methodology, and practice in Applied Language Sciences.

Hosted by Global Digital Applied Linguistics Association (GloDAL) & Methodology SIG, Kansai Chapter, Language Education and Technology (LET), Japan, ALS-RM 2026 convenes a global community to advance state-of-the-art approaches in applied language sciences. The conference foregrounds methodological innovation, transparent and reproducible research, and real-world impact across language education, assessment, translation, and language technology.

Mission
To promote frontier dialogues and cross‑sector collaboration in applied language sciences across research, theory, methods, and practice. The conference highlights innovations in research, language technologies and AI, language teaching and assessment, and global communication.

Audiences
Global scholars, postgraduate students, educators, assessment professionals, and industry partners in applied linguistics and allied fields.

Call for Papers
The conference welcomes the following topics, but not limited to:
• Innovation in language teaching and learning
• GenAI in language teaching and learning
• Foreign language teaching and practice
• SLA & Pedagogy: input/output & interaction, psycholinguistics, TBLT, strategies & motivation
• Assessment & Evaluation; instructional interventions & design‑based research
• Academic writing, feedback & revision (incl. AI‑assisted assessment)
• Technology enhanced language learning
• Artificial intelligence in language research
• Bilingualism/Multilingualism & Pragmatics
• Global Englishes and communication

Presentation Formats
• Oral Presentation: 20‑minute talk + 5‑minute Q&A.
• Symposium / Roundtable: 60 minutes; 3–5 presenters; integrated proposal required.

Symposia should articulate a unifying theme and contribution.

Submission Guidelines
• Language: English.
• Abstract length: 200–300 words; include 3–5 keywords.
• Suggested structure: background & question, methods (data & analysis), main findings/expected contribution, keywords.

How to submit: Use the online form here.

Review & Decisions
• Double‑anonymous peer review based on methodological rigor, innovation, theoretical/practical contribution, clarity, and research ethics.
• Decision types: oral, poster, etc. Notifications via email.
• Best Student Paper Award: certificate and honorarium.

Keynote Speakers

Shaofeng Li is Professor of Applied Linguistics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where he conducts research and teaches courses on second language acquisition and language pedagogy. He received a Ph.D. in Second Language Studies from Michigan State University. Dr. Li has published on a wide range of topics including task-based language teaching and learning, corrective feedback, second language writing, research methods, meta-analysis, and cognitive and affective individual difference factors such as anxiety, motivation, language aptitude, and working memory. His publications constantly appear in leading journals in the field of applied linguistics, such as Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Language Teaching Research, Modern Language Journal, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, TESOL Quarterly, among others. He is the founding editor and editor-in-chief of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, the first and only journal focusing exclusively on research methods in applied linguistics. He is also the book review editor of TESOL Quarterly, and the co-editor-in-chief of Digital Studies in Language and Literature. He is included in the Stanford University list of the world’s top 2% most influential scientists. His recent book projects include a monograph on language aptitude, a monograph on cognitive assessments in second language research, a co-edited volume on individual difference factors in second language acquisition, and an edited volume on individual differences and task-based language teaching and learning. Dr. Li serves on the editorial boards of a number of journals and has given plenary and keynote speeches at various academic venues. He has held university positions in the U.S., New Zealand, and China.

Atsushi Mizumoto, Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education, is Professor at the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies and the Graduate School of Foreign Language Education and Research, Kansai University, Japan. His current research interests include Artificial Intelligence, learning strategies, language testing, corpus use for pedagogical purposes, and research methodology. He has published articles in journals such as Applied Linguistics, Language Learning, Language Teaching Research, Language Testing, and System. He is the recipient of Best Academic Paper Award from Japan Society of English Language Education in the Year of 2014, the Research Encouragement Award from Japanese Association for English Corpus Studies in the Year of 2016, and the Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement from Language Education and Technology in the Year of 2017.

Natsuko Shintani is a Professor in the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies at Kansai University. Her research focuses on the intersection of second language instruction and acquisition, with a particular emphasis on task-based language teaching, second language writing, and L2 pragmatic development. She has extensive experience teaching applied linguistics at the master’s and doctoral levels internationally, having taught at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the University of Auckland in New Zealand. She co-authored Exploring Language Pedagogy through Second Language Acquisition Research (Routledge), and Task-Based Language Teaching: Theory and Practice (Cambridge University Press).

Abdullah Alamer is an Associate Professor at King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia. Using advanced statistical methods, Abdullah’s primary research interest is the psychology of language learning and factors associated with success in learning with particular interest in self-determination theory and language anxiety. A dominant method in his work is structural equation modeling (SEM). Abdullah’s research has been published in top-tier journals including Educational Psychology Review, Applied Linguistics, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Language Teaching Research, System, and Computer Assisted Language Learning. He has co-authored papers on SEM with leading statisticians such as Joe Hair, Herb Marsh, Alex Morin, and Jörg Henseler.

Scott Aubrey is Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education, at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on second language motivation, learner engagement, and task-based language teaching. He is co-editor of the book The Role of the Learner in Task-Based Language Teaching: Theory and Research Methods (Routledge, 2023), and co-editor of the special issue The Role of the Learner in Task Performance and Acquisition: Evidence from New and Emerging Perspectives (TESOL Quarterly, 2025). Scott serves as Vice Chair of the Task-Based Language Teaching Special Interest Group within the International Association for the Psychology of Language Learning, Advisor to the Task-Based Language Teaching Committee of the Global English Education China Assembly, and Editorial Board member of the journal Language Teaching for Young Learners (John Benjamins Publishing).

Jookyoung Jung is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She also serves as the Director of the MA program in Applied English Linguistics. She has conducted research projects exploring task effects on real-time reading and writing processes using eye-tracking technology and keystroke-logging software. More recently, Dr. Jung has expanded her research into technology-mediated L2 learning, investigating areas such as video-conferenced collaborative L2 writing, gaze-contingent attention-triggering intervention, and text-audio synchronized input enhancement techniques. Her research has also delved into L2 pragmatic competence and learning, including studies on L2 users’ suggestion-giving abilities, comprehension of textual English jokes, and understanding L2 English irony. Additionally, Dr. Jung explores the moderating effects of learners’ cognitive abilities, such as language aptitude, working memory capacity, and attention control.

Todd J. Allen is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies at Kansai University, where he teaches courses in language, linguistics, and intercultural communication. He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Language Studies from the University of Queensland. His current research investigates language use in small hospitality spaces such as izakayas and bars from a sociopragmatic perspective. He has also conducted research on study abroad education and the development of intercultural and academic communication. He is currently co-editing two volumes on study abroad management and the internationalization of higher education. His recent work has been published in East Asian Pragmatics, Language, Culture and Curriculum, RELC Journal, and Japanese Studies.

Benefits
Engagement
• Engage with internationally renowned applied linguistics scholars.
Journal Recommendations for Outstanding Papers
• Reading in a Foreign Language (Scopus/ESCI Q1)
• International Journal of TESOL Studies (Scopus Q1)
• Digital Applied Linguistics
• Asian Journal of English Language Teaching

Publish in our Conference special issue:
Applied Language Sciences (Conference Special Issue)

Registration Fees
No registration fees will be charged for ALS‑2026.

Venue & Travel
Venue
English Department, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

Travel Tips
• Nearest airports: From HK Airport, take bus A41 or A46 to Shatin New Town Plaza.

Accommodation

We do not provide accommodation. Recommended hotels:
Alva Hotel by royal (帝逸酒店) walking distance 10 minutes, but not close to city center.
Regal Riverside Hotel (麗豪酒店) by bus 10 minutes, but close to city center.

Organizing Committees

Executive Organizing Members (in an alphabetical order)
Gavin Bui, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Amy Kong, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Mark Feng Teng, Macao Polytechnic University & Founding president of GloDAL

Anna Wing-bo, Tso, Head of English Department, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Junjie Gavin Wu, Macao Polytechnic University & Founding vice president of GloDAL

Ken Urano, Hokkai-Gakuen University & Executive member of Methodology SIG, Kansai Chapter, Language Education and Technology (LET), Japan

Weilun Wong, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Program Students Committees
• Amanda Can Zhang, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau SAR, China
• Allen Weili Xing, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau SAR, China

Contact & Updates
Email: alsrmconf2026@gmail.com

Keynote Speakers

About Us

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