The 2006 AAAL Conference: International Scope, Regional Atmosphere

Jim Mischler, [email protected]

Professional meetings are usually defined in terms of their scope-that is, their topical range and the size of the geographic area that the conference serves. International conferences tend to have the broadest scope, but as a result they can be logistically complex and mentally tiring. Regional meetings, on the other hand, are smaller and thus less hectic: There is more time to enjoy the conference experience and the city in which it is held. The effect is both stimulating and relaxing at the same time. This was my experience at the 2006 American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) conference, which was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 17-20. (Note: For more information on AAAL, see their official Web site at http://www.aaal.org.) In spirit and in implementation, the meeting was regional in size with the topical range of an international conference. As a result, I experienced the best of both.

This interregional conference was held in the Hyatt Hotel downtown, about a 15-minute walk from the St. Lawrence River. The meeting was hosted jointly by AAAL and the Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics (CAAL). Their combined efforts were seen everywhere, from the flags of the two countries flying in the hotel to the English and French transcripts of the organizers' welcome messages. The international flavor was also used to advantage in the plenary sessions; two of the talks focused on pedagogy for French as a second language (Claude Germain and Joan Netten) and issues concerning bilingualism in Canada (Monica Heller). In fact, over 4 days, seven speakers from around the world spoke on topics as diverse as defining proficiency in a language (Jan Hulstijn), discourse analysis in the classroom (Gordon Wells), and using computers to teach language and culture (John Sinclair; Dorothy Chun). In its topical breadth, the conference offered the advantages of a major international convention.

The subject scope was also evident in the individual presentation sessions. The conference was organized into 16 threads in applied linguistics, ranging from assessment and evaluation to language acquisition, from literacy to text analysis. Sessions were scheduled so that one thread continued for several hours in one room. For example, in the language acquisition thread, I saw a doctoral student's session (Youjin Kim, Northern Arizona U., USA) on "The Effect of Learner-Learner Interaction on L2 Vocabulary Acquisition," then immediately after heard Scott Jarvis (Ohio U., USA) and Laura Sanchez (U. of Barcelona, Spain) present the idea of conceptual transfer. Both sessions were interesting and the thread structure allowed for comparisons of specific ideas within a broader topic. Presentations often included both practical and theoretical issues, allowing participants to discuss both the details of a method and its wider implications. By the way, I also had the opportunity, with my colleague Rebecca Damron (Oklahoma State U., USA), to present our ongoing research study on "Conceptual Blending and Personal Oral Narrative." We noted that the audience was attentive and their questions and feedback were helpful for improving our research design and methods. In the end, I was able to see many sessions in my areas of interest, participate in wide-ranging discussions, and switch threads easily when I chose to do so.

There were also sessions on issues that impact Christian educators. For example, I attended the presentation by Michael Lessard-Clouston (Biola U., USA) on "Definitions in Theology Lectures: Implications for Technical Vocabulary Learning." Michael's presentation typified the conference format: a research study on a topic that both researchers and language teachers can appreciate and find useful, with practical and theoretical implications that led to interesting discussions. There were other sessions on similar topics, including the talk by Carolyn Kristjansson and Phil Goertzen (Trinity Western U., Canada) on perceptions of identity in an online MA TESOL program; the presentation included a discussion concerning the impact of the students' spiritual values on their social identities. In short, AAAL/CAAL 2006 offered sessions that contributed useful information to the work of CETC members.

Though broad in scope, the conference had the atmosphere of a much smaller professional meeting. The ability to house the entire event in one hotel put all of the conference's offerings (including poster sessions and the publisher's exhibition) within easy reach–a real time, energy, and leg saver. Running into old friends also seemed easier with a smaller crowd! During breaks in the schedule, taking a walk down to the river offered a change of scene. Finally, almost every day social events were held, including the Opening Reception, the Graduate Student Breakfast, the Presidents Reception, and the CAAL-hosted social. I had the privilege of attending all four. I made new friends at the breakfast and had good discussions about graduate school life. In the evenings, the two receptions and the social were held on the hotel's outdoor terrace. The social events were the place to discuss the day's sessions with friends old and new, eat some good food, and watch the sun set behind the trees (yes, there are trees in downtown Montreal). It was a good way to wind down and "unpack" the conference.

Overall, I personally felt that the 2006 AAAL/CAAL conference was productive and useful, and surprisingly energizing. I think the CETC membership would find interesting topics, stimulating discussion, and a small-group atmosphere at this interregional meeting. I recommend AAAL as a destination for CETC members interested in a research-oriented professional meeting with an international membership, sessions that discuss both theory and practice, a meeting schedule organized according to threads, and the ability to slow down and reflect on the whole experience. Consider attending the 2007 AAAL conference, which will be held in Costa Mesa, California, April 21-24. For more information on the upcoming conference, visit http://www.aaal.org/aaal2007/index.htm.

You may already know that AAAL used to be held in conjunction with the annual TESOL convention; for the past few years, however, the two organizations have met separately. In 2008 the AAAL conference will be March 29-April 1 in Washington, DC. The following year, in 2009, AAAL and TESOL will once again hold their meetings during the same week, in Denver, Colorado. If you cannot in the next 2 years, 2009 will be a great opportunity to spend some time at AAAL–in conjunction with TESOL.

Jim Mischler, a former CETC Newsletter editor, is pursuing doctoral studies in TESL/linguistics at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.