Conference Strands

This conference will examine issues related to immersion education. Papers, symposia and posters will be presented based on the following general strands:

IMMERSION PEDAGOGY AND ASSESSMENT

High quality teaching is vital to improving student learning. While research has consistently shown immersion to be effective in various language settings, our understanding of immersion pedagogy and assessment remain incomplete. Challenges for immersion teachers and indeed immersion teacher educators persist. This strand focuses on the theoretical and practical questions that underpin instructional and assessment practices in immersion and minority language contexts. It showcases innovative classroom-orientated research and teacher practices that address the challenges of promoting and assessing language proficiency, biliteracy across the curriculum, and content mastery through immersion or minority language.

SCHOOL SELF-EVALUATION, LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATOR DEVELOPMENT

Immersion and minority language educators need to understand how to align programme design and implementation features effectively with specific purposes, learner populations, and community needs. Initial teacher education and professional development endeavors are key drivers of successful immersion and minority language programmes. They are central to the supply of teachers with the mandatory linguistic and cultural competencies as well as associated pedagogical practices required to ensure learners ’ success. This strand focuses on a range of paradoxes and potentialities and provides a re-examination of aspects pertaining to school self-evaluation, leadership and educator development in immersion and language minority contexts.

PUBLIC POLICY AND INNOVATION IN BILINGUAL/MULTILINGUAL COMMUNITIES

The education system often plays a key role in the development and maintenance of languages (including minority and majority languages) in bilingual/multilingual communities. This strand allows for the exploration of that role and examines policies, legislation, advocacy initiatives, strategies for engaging stakeholders and projects for expanding support for minority language education within bilingual/multilingual communities.