iicall2 2007
Interfaces of Intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Learning
University of Waterloo, 7-8 December 2007

We have started to post the slides of the presentations. Please check the 'Program' section.

Research in Intelligent Computer-Aided Language Learning (ICALL) integrates natural language processing into a computer-assisted language learning environment. For such research to be innovative, successful and sustainable, it arguably needs to combine linguistic modeling, second language acquisition research and insights from foreign language didactics with representations and computational linguistic algorithms capable of integrating the information from these models.

The current state of the art in the various relevant fields seems favorable for interdisciplinary ICALL research. Complementing the focus on communication and culture in foreign language teaching since the 1960s, second language acquisition research since the 1990s has clearly established that awareness of language constructions, forms and meanings, rules and principles can facilitate the successful acquisition of a foreign language. At the same time, most research groups currently lack the interdisciplinary orientation, background, or ties needed to develop and combine the linguistic and learner/cognitive modeling with computational processing, and to develop and test intelligent tutoring systems as part of real-life language teaching.

The iicall2 conference - the first conference was in December of last year at The Ohio State University - is intended to foster exchange and in-depth discussion of these interfaces of ICALL.

The event will be held at the University of Waterloo. Participation in the conference and the invited workshop is free for presenters and other participants. We are grateful to the Centre for Teaching Excellence, the Faculty of Arts, the Department of French Studies, the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, and the Graduate Studies Office for their support of this conference.

Contents

• The program will be made available in the Fall.
  The call for papers can be found here.

• The invited pre-conference workshop will be conducted by Roy Lyster (McGill University, Montréal, Canada). Roy is a well-known specialist on second language acquisition in the classroom, particularly form-focused instruction and feedback.

Practical information

• If you plan to attend, please register here
  Participation is free for presenters and other participants - but the registration is important for us to plan the event.

• Information on travel

• Information on accommodation

• Please direct any questions to the iicall2 2007 organizers:
  Mat Schulze (mschulze æ uwaterloo.ca) and Peter Wood (p2wood æ uwaterloo.ca)