Past ECLL Conferences

The European Conference on Language Learning (ECLL) brings together delegates from many different national, cultural and linguistic backgrounds to London, UK, to present new research and exchange ideas. This exceptional platform welcomes speakers and delegates working in any area of education, from academics and theorists to policymakers and practitioners, in both the private and public sectors, for challenging debate and stimulating discussions around the latest concepts and newest approaches.

Held across four continents, IAFOR’s education conferences attract more than 2,000 delegates a year from more than 100 countries. Language Learning as an discipline drives the purpose of the forum by bringing alive the notions of the international, the intercultural and the interdisciplinary through scholarly, political and personal encounters with some of the most important academics and practitioners working in the field, as well as the thought leaders of tomorrow.

IAFOR's education conferences are organised in partnership with some of the world’s leading universities and schools of education, including Birkbeck, University of London, UK; University College London (UCL), UK; Waseda University, Japan; University of Sussex, UK; University of Indonesia, Indonesia; Virginia Tech, USA; Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT), Japan; National Association of Teachers of English (NATE), Russia; and the National Association of Applied Linguistics, Russia.


ECLL2022

July 14–17, 2022 | University College London (UCL), London, UK


ECLL2021

July 15–18, 2021


ECLL2020

July 17–19, 2020


ECLL2019

Conference Theme: “Independence & Interdependence”

July 19–21, 2019 | Birkbeck, University of London & University College London (UCL), London, UK


ECLL2018

Conference Theme: “Surviving and Thriving in Times of Change”

June 29 – July 01, 2018 | The Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront, Brighton, UK


ECLL2017

Conference Theme: "Educating for Change"

June 30 – July 02, 2017 | The Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront, Brighton, UK


ECLL2016

Conference Theme: “Education and Social Justice: Democratising Education”

June 29 – July 3, 2016 | The Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront, Brighton, UK

This international and interdisciplinary conference, held alongside The European Conference on Education 2016 (ECE2016) and The European Conference on Technology in the Classroom 2016 (ECTC2016) brought together a range of academics and practitioners to discuss new directions of research and discovery in education. As with IAFOR’s other events, ECE2016 afforded participants the opportunity for renewing old acquaintances, making new contacts, and networking across higher education and beyond.

In this conference – one of a series of five held in 2016 on education and social justice – participants were invited to explore and question ways in which education can transcend borders of space, identity, culture and more, and to consider the ways in which education can develop (or hinder) social justice.

Over 280 delegates attended the event, which saw a Featured Presentation on enhancing STEM learning through theatre arts integration from Megan Atkinson of Barter Theatre’s Project REAL, USA, and Conference Co-Chair Professor Barbara Lockee of Virginia Tech USA, as well as a Keynote Presentation entitled "The Non-Linguistic Benefits of Language Learning" by Professor Jean-Marc Dewaele, Birkbeck, University of London, UK.


ECLL2015

Conference Theme: “Education, Power and Empowerment”

July 1–5, 2015 | Thistle Brighton, Brighton, UK

Conference Report

The European Conference on Language Learning 2015 (ECLL2015) was held jointly alongside The European Conference on Education 2015 (ECE2015) and The European Conference on Technology in the Classroom 2015 (ECTC2015) at the Thistle Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom from July 1 to July 5, 2015, and saw over 360 delegates representing more than 45 countries.

The conference was a wonderful celebration of interdisciplinary study around the conference theme, “Education, Power and Empowerment”, and attracted a wide range of research papers, presentations, posters, workshops and featured panels. IAFOR would like to thank Keynote, Featured and Spotlight Speakers Dr Fergal Finnegan, Ken Wilson, Dr Linda Morrice, Dr Tamsin Hinton-Smith, David Wolff, Dr Kerry Harman, Dr Susette Brynard and Sheri Brynard, Dr Katy Campbell and Michele Jacobsen.

Our special thanks goes out to our partner institution, Birkbeck, University of London, and our conference Co-Chairs and Programme Directors, Professor Sue Jackson, Professor Barbara Lockee and Professor Steve Cornwell, for their continued support and guidance. Lastly we would like to thank all the conference weekend participants from around the globe.


ECLL2014

Conference Theme: “Individual, Community, Society: Connecting, Learning and Growing”

July 9–13, 2014 | Thistle Brighton, Brighton, UK

The European Conference on Language Learning 2014 (ECLL2014) and the European Conference on Education (ECE2014) were held alongside the inaugural European Conference on Technology in the Classroom (ECTC2014) at the Thistle, Brighton, from July 9 to 13, 2014. This event, the largest in IAFOR's European Conference Series, attracted 270 delegates from over 40 countries in a programme chaired by Professor Sue Jackson, Pro-Vice Master of Teaching & Learning at Birkbeck, University of London (UK), Professor Steve Cornwell of Osaka Jogakuin University (Japan) and Professor Barbara Lockee of Virginia Tech (USA), and considered the joint conference theme, “Individual, Community, Society: Connecting, Learning and Growing”.

The plenary session and supporting sessions at the conference had an excellent line-up of speakers. IAFOR would like to thank ECLL Keynote Speaker and leading ESL author and consultant Ken Wilson, ECTC Keynote Speaker Dr Peggy S. Meszaros, William E. Lavery, Professor of Human Development and Director of the Center for Information Technology at Virginia Tech, USA, and ECE Keynote Speakers Professor Penny Jane Burke of Roehampton University, London, and Professor Heidi Safia Mirza of Goldsmiths, University of London, UK.

We would also like to thank Professor Linden West from Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, and Professor Barbara Merrill, Reader in Lifelong Learning and Director of Research in the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Warwick, UK, for their ECE Featured Presentation "Transforming Learning, Selves and Institutions: Student Narratives from European Biographical Research", and the members of our ECTC Featured Panel discussion, "IT Pathways: Utilizing Game-based Learning to Enhance Girls’ Interest in IT Careers", which featured Dr Monica Kimbrell, Professor Barbara Lockee and Professor Peggy Meszaros, from Virginia Tech, USA. Additionally, it was a pleasure for IAFOR to welcome award-winning educational architect Cindy Walters from the London architectural firm Walters & Cohen Architects, whose featured presentation gave academics and educators insight into the creativity, challenges and contributions of specialist educational architects.


ECLL2013

Conference Theme: “Shifting Paradigms: Informed Responses”

July 18–21, 2013 | Thistle Brighton, Brighton, UK

Conference Report

The European Conference on Language Learning 2013 (ECLL2013) was held alongside The European Conference on Arts & Humanities 2013 (ECAH2013). This event saw 250 people from more than 50 countries in an incredibly diverse celebration of interdisciplinary and intercultural study. The theme for the conference was “Shifting Paradigms: Informed Responses” and our selection of featured speakers came at this topic from a number of different angles.

Professor Steve Cornwell, in his ECLL Conference Chair's Session, made a presentation about the theme, "Shifting Paradigms: Informed Responses", examining how language learning education has rapidly changed in recent years. In their Spotlight Presentation, Professors Kiyomi Chinen, Masako Douglas and Hiroko Kataoka from California State University, Long Beach, USA, discussed issues surrounding heritage-language education with particular relation to Japanese in California. Professor Olesya Orlova, of Kemerovo State University (Russia) looked at language in the Russian context in a paper entitled “National Stereotypes as Means of Connectedness, Identity and Alienation”. Finally, Dr Miho Inaba of Lund University (Sweden) looked at autonomous learning in the acquisition of languages, asking: “What is the Role of 'language classes' in Autonomous Learning?: The Implications from Japanese Language Learners’ L2 Activities Outside the Classroom”.