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- CReLLU hosts Bilingual First Language Acquisition BAAL/Routledge seminar
CReLLU hosts Bilingual First Language Acquisition BAAL/Routledge seminar
Posted on 14 December 2017
workshop was supported by the British Association for Applied Linguistics, Routledge and the Departmental Research centre for language learning and language use.
The aim was to bring together leaders and experts in the theories and methodologies in the field with postgraduate students, new and early career, and to create a space within which to explore and critically discuss current theories and methodologies on bilingual acquisition. In detail, the objectives were:
- To present to postgraduate students, new and early career researchers an overview of the epistemological and methodological principles of bilingual first language acquisition.
- To provide both theoretical and methodological synopses so that researchers can leave the
workshop with concrete ideas in how to begin, improve or alter their current designs. - To create a space for postgraduate students, new and early career researchers to explore
the methodological and theoretical trends of bilingual language acquisition with experts who bring state-of –the-art knowledge to the workshop. - To allow postgraduate students, new and early career researchers to network and showcase their work and discuss ideas with one another.
- To establish a network of researchers in bilingual first language acquisition (SIG group) that includes researchers at every stage. This is also open to anyone at BAAL or outside with an interest in the topic.
We were fortunate to secure four keynote speakers who delivered state-of- the-art talks on Bilingual First Language Acquisition and related fields:
Prof. Marilyn Vihman, University of York
What does it mean to apply usage-based functional approaches to analysing your data? And how can it help you track bilingual development?
Prof. Annick De Houwer, Erfurt University, Germany
Are all bilinguals the same? Why differentiate between bilingual first language acquirers and early language acquirers?
Prof. Xiao Lan Curdt-Christiansen, University of Reading, UK
The role of parental beliefs and practices on the process of bilingual acquisition: why it matters if we are to fully understand bilingualism.
Prof. Ben Ambridge, University of Liverpool, UK
Which theory? Which methodology? Finding your way through generative and non-generative approaches to first language acquisition.
In addition, Prof. Annick De Houwer gave a methodological workshop on Screening and measuring linguistic knowledge and development of young bilingual children.
At the beginning of the conference Emma Marsden delivered a 5-minute presentation of the work BAAL (British Association of Applied Linguistics) does, in her capacity as a member of the executive committee.
We received a huge variety of abstract proposals from all corners of Europe and as far as Russia. A total of 35 delegates attended, and each participant gave either a 20 minute paper, a ten minute presentation or a poster. We facilitated PhD attendance by subsidising conference fees. We also gave out four PhD travel/assistance funds to attendees. With a mixture of PhD students, academics and four professors, we achieved the aim of getting PhD and early career researchers to benefit from current leading figures in the field. The relatively small number of delegates facilitated these encounters.
There was sufficient time during breaks, lunches and the conference dinner to network informally and continue academic debates. Catering by Cucina and the organisation went according to plan and received high praise from delegates.
The next steps are to edit a volume of contributions from presenters at this conference and share the exciting research with academics, students and researchers in the field.