The 6th National Research Forum on Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA) was held at XJTU from September 20 to 22, 2024. This forum brought together over 10 leading experts in second language acquisition (SLA) and attracted over 300 scholars from more than 130 universities worldwide to explore the latest research and innovations in SLA, language education, and New Liberal Arts development in China.
The forum was sponsored by the Second Language Acquisition Committee of the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese, co-hosted by SFS and the Center for Teaching and Learning Development, XJTU, and co-sponsored by the Shaanxi branch of Chaoxing Fanya Group.
The forum commenced with three parallel workshops on the evening of September 20, focusing on three cutting-edge topics: AI-empowered language teaching, AI-empowered language assessment, and latent profile analysis in foreign language education research.
The opening ceremony was held on the morning of September 21, with remarks from Cheng Jin, Member of the CPC XJTU Standing Committee and Director of both the Publicity and the United Front Work Departments, Xu Zhongfeng, Director of the XJTU Center for Teaching and Learning Development, and Xu Jinfen, Chair of the SLA Committee of the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese.
Following the opening ceremony was seven keynote speeches: Professor Shawn Loewen examined the connection between SLA research and instructional practice. Prof. Zhang Jun discussed how combining Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) with teacher feedback affects L2 writing performance. Professor Zheng Yongyan explored effective approaches to ISLA in the AI era. Professor Ana Maria Ferreira Barcelos focused on the interplay between learner beliefs and emotions, emphasizing their impact on teacher education and SLA outcomes. Later in the afternoon, Professor Wu Heping presented on designing L2 classroom interaction using virtual agents, followed by Researcher Gao Yang’s talk on differences in emotional and AI literacy beliefs among teachers and students in the digital era.
The forum continued with 11 special sessions and 16 parallel sessions themed "Instructed Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Development".
Another three keynote speeches were held on September 22. Professor Peter I. De Costa addressed the "affective turn" in L2 teacher education; Professor Chen Yaping presented research on online graded English reading for children; and Professor Li Shaofeng discussed individual differences in task-based language teaching, offering practical insights for personalized instruction.
The Editors-in-Chief panel, serving as the highlight of the forum, provided a valuable platform for global academic exchanges, further promoting the internationalization and innovation of foreign language education research.
At the closing ceremony, Chen Hongjun, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Dalian University of Technology, extended an invitation to all attendees to join the 7th forum in Dalian in 2025. Prof. Chen Xiangjing, Dean of SFS, delivered closing remarks, in which she highlighted the forum's academic achievements and its role in driving theoretical and practical innovation in China's foreign language education.
The forum showcased the latest SLA research achievements and significantly contributed to international academic exchanges, interdisciplinary integration, and the construction of the New Liberal Arts in China.
