2019 6TH ANNUAL UDEC ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (ELT)

CONFERENCE: CALL FOR PAPERS

The UdeC English Language Teaching Conference is dedicated to the advancement of
theory and best practices in English teaching, and is largely organized by pre-service
teachers in the Pedagogía en Inglés program of the Universidad de Concepción. It is
designed to promote collaboration between pre-service and in-service teachers, teacher-
researchers and academic researchers in the field, with the goal of bridging the gap
between theory and practice and creating networking opportunities.

For the 2019 6th annual conference, we will focus on the following timely issue:
Education systems should ensure that all learners -including those from disadvantaged
backgrounds, those with various special needs and migrants –can complete their education,
through policies and practices that lead to successful inclusive education. Until recently,
some students with special needs were allowed to opt out of English classes in the Chilean
context, but according to a new decree by the Ministry of Education as of 2020 students
will no longer be able to opt out of any subject and instead classrooms must be adjusted so
as to accommodate all learners. Are English classrooms in Chile ready to face this
challenge? These and other issues will be addressed at the 6th annual conference,
Embracing the Inclusive English Classroom: Equitable Access for All Learners, which
will be held at the Universidad de Concepcion on October 16th and 17th, 2019.

We invite all interested speakers, including in-service teachers, pre-service teachers and
academic researchers, to submit a proposal for a presentation, workshop or poster by
sending an approximately 300 word abstract or description to congresopei@udec.cl (or
congresopei.udec@gmail.com) by Friday, August 9th, 2019.

The presentations workshops or posters should be related to the conference theme and
should either include 1) research that has been carried out or 2) the application of relevant
theory or policy in practical classroom or school settings. All presentations workshops and
posters will be conducted in English. Presentations will be approximately 20 minutes in
length, with additional time for questions. Workshops should include hands-on activities with
smaller groups of participants and should be approximately 45 minutes long. Poster
presentations will take place in the afternoons in open question and answer sessions lasting
approximately 30 minutes.

Possible topics or issues to be addressed:

• A Space for All Children—Inclusive English Education and Children with Special
Needs/Disabilities
• Creating a Culture for Inclusion
• Inclusion—A Policy in Practice
• Challenging Exclusion
• How can ICT Support Young People with Special Educational Needs (SEN) to Access and
Engage in their English Education More Effectively?
• How Do We Build Capacity for Inclusion in Teachers: Empowerment and Enablement?
• Engaging and Motivating Students with Challenging Behaviour in Large English Classes
• Taking the Matter into One’s Own Hands: How Can Schools and English Teachers
Participate in the Inclusion Agenda?
• The Role of the Special Educator/PIE Professionals in the Inclusive English Classroom