Contents

CASLS Director Julie Sykes is on the editorial board of Applied Pragmatics, a new journal published by the John Benjamins Publishing Company and edited by Zia Tajeddin and Naoko Taguchi. The new journal aims to enhance research on acquisitional pragmatics and will publish studies which have strong implications for teaching, learning, and assessing L2 pragmatics, including L2 English and other languages.

Dr. Sykes' research expertise on interlanguage pragmatic development and intercultural competence make her a perfect fit for the new journal. "I'm really honored to work with such a great group on scholars on such an important project. This journal will change the landscape of the applied pragmatics field," she says.

The first issue will appear in 2019. Visit the publisher's webpage for Applied Pragmatics here.

As educators, we recognize the ways in which knowing another language creates academic and career opportunities in addition to cognitive benefits. “The Language Lever,” a recent talk given by Omega Tennant and sponsored by Global Education Oregon (GEO) at the University of Oregon, explored the ways in which students can concretely leverage language learning to achieve their goals.

Ms. Tennant encouraged students to embrace the pressures of language learning in order to achieve their larger life goals. “Embrace pressure in a strategic way,” she says. “As you think about learning a language, think about the networks you’re expanding!”

She described the advantages of bilingualism, which include improvements in mental health, enhanced academic performance, and greater career opportunities. Job opportunities for bilingual employees are increasing, with a growing demand for Spanish, French, Arabic, and Chinese.

“Even if you don’t need the language for the specific job you’re applying for, employers find it a valuable skill that speak to my ability to work under pressure,” Ms. Tennant shares.

Ms. Tennant teaches Spanish and Mandarin, and she earned her degree in Asian Studies with a concentration in Chinese studies at Vanderbilt University. She received the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship. Ms. Tennant studied abroad in China twice and also served abroad in Ecuador, Tanzania, and Kenya. 

From https://global.oup.com/academic/product/english-usage-guides-9780198808206?cc=us&lang=en&#

English Usage Guides: History, Advice, Attitudes
Edited by Ingrid Tieken-Boon van Ostade
Published by Oxford University Press

This volume explores both historical and current issues in English usage guides or style manuals. Guides of this sort have a long history: while Fowler's Modern English Usage (1926) is one of the best known, the first English usage guide was published in the UK in 1770, and the first in the US in 1847. Today, new titles come out nearly every year, while older works are revised and reissued. Remarkably, however, the kind of usage problems that have been addressed over the years are very much the same, and attitudes towards them are slow to change - but they do change. The chapters in this book look at how and why these guides are compiled, and by whom; what sort of advice they contain; how they differ from grammars and dictionaries; how attitudes to usage change; and why institutions such as the BBC need their own style guide. The volume will appeal not only to researchers and students in sociolinguistics, but also to general readers with an interest in questions of usage and prescriptivism, language professionals such as teachers and editors, and language policy makers.

Visit the publisher's website at https://global.oup.com/academic/product/english-usage-guides-9780198808206?cc=us&lang=en&#

From https://benjamins.com/#catalog/books/aals.16/main

Expanding Individual Difference Research in the Interaction Approach: Investigating learners, instructors, and other interlocutors
Edited by Laura Gurzynski-Weiss
Published by the John Benjamins Publishing Company

Expanding Individual Difference Research in the Interaction Approach: Investigating learners, instructors, and other interlocutors demonstrates why investigating the individual differences of all interlocutors with whom learners interact - including peer and heritage learners, instructors, researchers, and native speakers - is critical to understanding how second and foreign languages are taught and learned. Through state-of-the-art syntheses detailing what is known about learners and instructors, and novel empirical studies highlighting new avenues of inquiry, the volume articulates the most pressing needs for individual difference research. The book concludes with a scoping review, which reveals the many interlocutors still yet to be empirically considered and outlines next steps for this research. Uniquely combining linguistic theory, research synthesis, and empirical study, this book encourages students and established scholars alike to expand their conceptualization of individual differences. By demonstrating the importance of considering the individual differences of all interlocutors, the studies are also highly relevant to those teaching second and foreign languages in diverse contexts.

Visit the publisher's website at https://benjamins.com/#catalog/books/aals.16/main

From https://benjamins.com/#catalog/books/z.206/main

Developmental Perspectives in Written Language and Literacy
Edited by Eliane Segers and Paul van de Broek
Published by the John Benjamins Publishing Company

Research on the development on written language and literacy is inherently multidisciplinary. In this book, leading researchers studying brain, cognition and behavior, come together in revealing how children develop written language and literacy, why they may experience difficulties, and which interventions may help those who struggle. Each chapter provides an overview of a specific area of expertise, focusing on typical and atypical development, providing steps for future research, and discussing practical implications of the work. The book covers areas of bilingualism, dyslexia, reading comprehension, learning to read, atypical populations, intervention, and new media. Thus, the book presents a comprehensive overview of the current state of affairs in this field of research. The various book chapters have been written by researchers who all have collaborated at some point in their careers with Ludo Verhoeven, whose research sets the example for the importance of crossing disciplinary borders to research to take the next, important steps. The combination of the research in this book sets the stage for future research that connects various fields and hopes to inspire anyone interested in the development of written language and literacy.

Visit the publisher's website at https://benjamins.com/#catalog/books/z.206/main

• Culture-based education
• Language revitalization/reclamation/maintenance
• Immersion schools, Mentor-Apprentice Programs and other paths to fluency
• Community organizing/fund development/activism/program planning
• Research/assessment/best practices
• Technology/audio-visual language maintenance & revitalization techniques
• Other Indigenous language education topics
• Elder, speaker, teacher and student outreach and recruitment

From https://bilforum2018.wordpress.com/

The 2018 UIC BilForum (Bilingualism Forum) will be held on October 11 and 12, 2018 at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The UIC BilForum is dedicated to research in any area related to bilingualism, including theoretical linguistics, code-switching, second language acquisition, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, neurolinguistics, cognitive sciences, heritage languages and bilingual acquisition.

Proposals are due by March 31, 2018.

View the full call for papers at https://bilforum2018.wordpress.com/page/

From https://linguistlist.org/issues/29/29-331.html

Call for Papers: AAUSC Volume 2019 
Pathways to Paradigm Change: Critical Examinations of Prevailing Discourses and Ideologies in Second Language Education 
Editors: Beatrice Dupuy and Kristen Michelson

The editors of the 2019 AAUSC volume of Issues in Language Program Direction call for contributions that explore possibilities for paradigm change by critically evaluating and, ultimately, changing discourses of second language (L2) education. 

This volume focuses on the current discursive landscape around L2 teaching and learning with particular attention to describing prevailing ideologies as well as proposing ways of moving the dominant discursive needle forward. The editors' intention is to awaken the field to the urgency of reasserting the relevance of L2 education in individual learning endeavors and institutional practices. Specifically, this volume seeks to answer such questions as: 

- How do discourses of globalization, internationalization, or intercultural competence both on and off campus shape current views of language, language teaching, and learning? 
- How do current L2 teaching and learning frameworks and materials construe learners and the object(s) of learning? 
- How do formal and informal interactions among teachers and learners in L2 study contexts either sustain or change traditional narratives about language learning? 
- How do professional development activities and resources socialize L2 teachers into the profession? 
- What specific modifications to existing materials and interactions might effectively contribute to promoting an understanding of language use as situated communication practices? 

The submission deadline for 400-word abstracts is March 15, 2018 and for complete manuscripts is September 1, 2018.

View the full call for chapter proposals at https://linguistlist.org/issues/29/29-331.html

From https://www.ntprs.info/educator-workshops

Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling
July 9-13, 2018
Pre-conference workshop July 8
Danvers, Massachusetts

If you are interested in presenting a session at NTPRS 2018, you can submit a proposal by February 9. Go to https://www.ntprs.info/educator-workshops and scroll to the bottom of the page for the submission form.

From http://s3.goeshow.com/nysabe/annual/2018/hotel.cfm

New York State Association for Bilingual Education 41st Annual Conference
Uncovering the Talents of Multilingual Learners from Early Childhood through High School and Beyond
March 15-17, 2018
Hilton Long Island/Huntington

The conference sessions will focus on providing meaningful resources and inspiring direction for educators, researchers, parents, students and other stakeholders. A broad range of innovative topics, ideas and strategies for learners, families and educators will be presented.

Visit the conference website at https://www.nysabe.net/2018conference/