ALTE 6th International Conference

Learning and Assessment:
Making the Connections

Bologna, Italy | 3 - 5 May 2017

Register now

Guidelines for presenters are now available here:

Guidelines for Panel Sessions

Guidelines for Workshops

Guidelines for Paper Presentations

Guidelines for Poster Presentations (updated)

Guidelines for WIP Presentations

Selection Committee

The Call for Abstracts closed on 30 October 2016.

Bart Deygers (CNaVT) – Emyr Davies (CBAC-WJEC) – Lorenzo Rocca (CVCL, University of Perugia) – Vincent Folny (CIEP) – Sibylle Plassman (telc) – Jane Lloyd (ALTE Validation Unit) – Marta Garcia (Cursos Internacionales, Universidad de Salamanca) – Kateřina Vodičková (Charles University in Prague) – Gabriele Kecker (TestDaF-Institut) – Thomas Eckes (TestDaF-Institut) – Esther Gutierrez Eugenio (Cambridge English Language Assessment) – Michaela Perlmann-Balme (Goethe-Institut) – Jose Pascoal (CAPLE) – Julia Todorinova (Sofia University) – Giuliana Grego Bolli (CVCL, University of Perugia) – Waldemar Martyniuk (Jagellonian University) – Beate Zeidler (telc) – Danilo Rini (CVCL, University of Perugia) – Anne Gallagher (NUI Maynooth) – Ina Ferbezar (Univerza v Ljubljani) – Cecilie Carlsen (VOX)

Presentation formats

Paper presentations should report on theoretical or empirical research and should offer innovative perspectives on one of the three conference strands, although issues linked to other strands can be included in the broader context of language education. Paper presentations should be of a standard suitable for publication.
Posters are an opportunity to present ongoing theoretical or empirical research which may still be at a pilot stage or not yet ready for publication, and are particularly appropriate for studies with a rich visual component or which can be easily represented as a graphic display. Posters can encourage fruitful one-to-one discussions with delegates who can provide useful feedback about the scope and potential of the research presented. Poster design and content guidelines will be provided when an abstract has been accepted.
Work in Progress (WIP) presentations are a more informal opportunity to present a range of research and best practice, including practical case studies and on-going research. WIP presentations can include, for example, demonstrations of new products and resources, preliminary results from empirical studies, or examples of best assessment practices in the classroom. Presenters will need their own laptops and/or materials. Delegates will sit around a table with the presenter and provide feedback, moving from table to table every 20 minutes. Presenters should be ready to repeat their presentation during each WIP session.
We encourage New Researchers, including postgraduate students, classroom teachers or school managers, policy makers and other educationalists, to submit an abstract on their research. This is a unique opportunity to share your work within a supportive environment, and gain feedback from leading practitioners and experts attending the Conference. New Researcher abstracts will be considered for either a paper, poster or a WIP presentation, with the format being confirmed by the Conference Selection Committee when the abstract is accepted.

New Researchers are also invited to be considered for one of five ALTE Scholarships:

    ALTE Full Scholarship (1 available), covering:

  • conference registration fee
  • up to three nights’ accommodation in Bologna
  • up to €300 travel expenses
  • up to €50 daily allowance for up to three days.

    ALTE Registration Scholarships (4 available), covering:

  • conference registration fee.
We hope to include a number of more dynamic and interactive Panel Sessions and Workshops within the Conference programme, allowing delegates to debate issues more directly, or to learn new skills or techniques directly related to one of the Conference strands. If you are interested in running either a Panel Session and/or a Workshop, please contact the ALTE Secretariat directly for more information.

Strands: Language learning, teaching and assessment...

… in a globalised economy

  • What is the financial impact of language education and assessment?
  • What is the role of language assessment within national and international policy development?
  • How should we use assessment for the recruitment, training and continuous professional development of teachers?
  • How do language skills influence employability and social integration?
  • What is involved in the recognition of language exams for higher education and different professions?
  • What impact can language teaching and assessment have on student mobility?

… in a multilingual world

  • How can language assessment encourage better teaching and learning?
  • What is the role of language assessment and multilingualism across the curriculum?
  • How can we integrate students from mixed linguistic backgrounds?
  • How can assessment literacy empower language teachers?
  • What is the impact of multilingualism on assessment and classroom practice?
  • How can Learning Oriented Assessment (LOA) be used as a model towards more multilingual societies?
  • How can we properly assess exam comparability across languages?

… in the digital era

  • What are the digital challenges facing language testers?
  • In what new ways can digital assessment support effective language learning?
  • How can we ensure quality in digital language education and assessment?
  • How can we assess the digital competence of language teachers?
  • How will the teacher’s role evolve throughout the digitalisation of language education?
  • How do we define effective digital solutions for language learning and assessment?
  • What are the digital opportunities and challenges for less widely taught and tested languages?