Welcome to the annual Autumn Symposium of the Finnish Association of Applied Linguistics (AFinLA) to be held in Helsinki 27–29 October 2022! The theme of the symposium is Language and participation.
The theme invites applied linguists to consider the role of language in today’s diverse societies both from the perspective of the individual and that of social groupings. How do individual and societal decisions on language influence participation? What kind of linguistic competence is expected from an individual? What can societies do to support the participation of individuals? What kinds of language policies are needed? What should the role of applied linguistics be in solving these questions?
We wish to invite all interested linguists to join us in pondering these and many other applied linguistic questions!
The symposium programme includes the following plenary speakers (topics TBA):
The programme also includes a language expert panel on the topic of the symposium, led by Heini Lehtonen and Johanna Isosävi. The experts in the panel are Minna Intke-Hernandez (University of Helsinki Language Centre), Juha Jalkanen (Ylä-Savon SOTE Joint Municipal Authority), Leealaura Leskelä (Finnish Center for Easy Language) and Jenni Viinikka (Kela Language Services). The panel will be held (mainly) in Finnish.
The symposium is organised by the University of Helsinki. The aim is to arrange the event on-site on the University of Helsinki City Centre Campus.
The symposium consists of individual and poster presentations (on completed research or research in progress) and thematic workshops. The main language of the presentations and workshops should be Finnish, Swedish and/or English, but you may also draw on other languages. We encourage inclusive multilingualism so you may use different languages in flexible ways. Please mention in your abstract in what language or languages it will be possible to follow the presentation or workshop.
Individual presentations can be given either on a completed study or on research in progress. Individual presentations are 20 min + 10 min for discussion. We invite abstracts of up to 300 words, including references.
Poster presentations are particularly suitable for doctoral researchers and for presenting research projects or research in progress. The maximum size of a poster is A0. We invite abstracts of up to 300 words, including references.
Thematic workshops, either 90 or 150 min long, include several thematically connected presentations. A workshop can also have an introduction and/or a final discussion. The workshop convenors decide on the length of presentations in the workshop.
The convenors are asked to submit a description of the theme of the workshop. The description (max 500 words) should include a list of the contributors and the titles of their presentations in the order in which the presentations will be given. All workshop contributors are required to submit individual abstracts, following the guidelines for individual presentations (max 300 words incl. references). Each abstract must indicate the name of the workshop it belongs to.
We are looking forward to receiving your individual and poster presentation and workshop proposals. Proposals for individual presentations, posters and workshops should be submitted through this abstract submission form by 10 August 2022.
Registration for the symposium will be opened in August after decisions about proposals have been made. More information about participation fees can be found under “Registration and practical information”.
Those who present at the AFinLA Autumn Symposium may submit an article manuscript to the AFinLA Yearbook 2023. Submitted manuscripts go through anonymous peer review. The yearbook is an open access publication (with a Publication Forum rating of 1). Article manuscripts can be based on any type of presentation given at the symposium, but they need to be related to the theme of the symposium. Further instructions for publishing in the yearbook will be provided after the symposium.
Please note that the presenters at the AFinLA Autumn Symposium must be members of either AFinLA or other affiliate organisations of AILA. If a presentation or a poster is a collaboration of many authors, at least one of the authors must be a member. However, all workshop convenors must be members. For information on how to become a member of AFinLA, please visit the AFinLA website.
If your presentation relates to any of the AFinLA research networks, please indicate this in your abstract. This information is important for the planning of the programme and will not affect the evaluation of the abstract. More information on the AFinLA research networks.
Workshop and presentation abstracts must be submitted by 10 Aug 2022.
Notification of acceptance will be given by 31 Aug 2022 → 2 Sept 2022.
For presenters and workshop convenors the deadline for registration and payment of the symposium fees is 14 Sept 2022, for everyone else 30 Sept 2022.
Welcome to Helsinki!
Organising committee: Niina Hynninen (chair), Johanna Isosävi, Heini Lehtonen, Anne Mäntynen, Eeva Sippola, Anna Solin and secretaries Irina Herneaho and Mei Yang
You can contact the organisers by sending email to: afinla-2022@helsinki.fi.