| SLAT | Second Language Acquisition and Teaching

Call for Proposals: 23rd Interdisciplinary SLAT Roundtable

Nov. 15, 2023

The Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Student Association (SLATSA) cordially invites your participation in the 23rd SLAT Interdisciplinary Roundtable at the University of Arizona. The Roundtable will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. The Roundtable is an annual conference organized by and for graduate students and faculty with interests in the linguistics, cognitive, instructional, and socio-cultural dimensions of L2 learning. The Roundtable will be fully in-person.

The theme of the 2024 SLAT Interdisciplinary Roundtable is “Innovations in Language Education and Research: Emerging trends and a look into beyond.”

More specifically, we are inviting proposals from the broader field of technology-enhanced learning, embracing a wide spectrum of innovative research and practices, including but not limited to the use of AI and innovative tools/apps in language learning, gamification, corpus linguistics, computer-assisted language learning, blended learning models, social justice and critical pedagogies in the changing world, teacher training for innovative approaches, and emerging trends and future directions in tech-driven learning. We also seek projects that demonstrate collaborative research between graduate students and faculty.

The Roundtable invites the following types of presentations:

Individual Presentation (20 min. + 10 min for Q&A). A formal talk addressing original empirical research or an original theoretical investigation. May include more than one presenter.
Project in Progress (7-10 min. presentation: individual presentation + 10 min. for Q&A). A brief presentation of a research project in progress, followed by small group discussions of individual projects. Presenters may be at any stage of the research process and looking for feedback or guidance for future directions.
Poster Presentations. A visual presentation of original empirical research, pedagogical application, or an original theoretical investigation. You will display your poster and be available for viewers to ask questions about your research during the poster presentation session. You will be responsible for printing out and setting up your poster in the designated room before the session begins.

All proposals must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another conference.

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, December 3, 2023. Submit your proposal here: https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZOa5IG7yGcFiMS You can also check the SLAT Roundtable website here.

Inquiries can be addressed to the Roundtable Committee members Dilara dilaraavci@arizona.edu, Gözde gdurgut@arizona.edu, Angus leydic@arizona.edu, and Mukaddes mukaddescoban@arizona.edu.

We look forward to your participation!

Sincerely,

SLAT Roundtable Committee (Dilara Avci, Mukaddes Coban Postaci, Gözde Durgut, Angus Leydic)

Dr. Mahmoud Azaz publishes new book on Instructed Second Language Acquisition of Arabic

"Instructed Second Language Acquisition of Arabic: Contextualized Input, Output, and Conversational Form-Focused Instruction of Agreement Asymmetries"

Oct. 4, 2023

Dr. Mahmoud Azaz, Associate Professor in MENAS and SLAT, has recently published his new book Instructed Second Language Acquisition of Arabic: Contextualized Input, Output, and Conversational Form-Focused Instruction of Agreement Asymmetries. The book is published through Routledge; more information about the book, including how to order it, is available here: https://www.routledge.com/Instructed-Second-Language-Acquisition-of-Ara…;

Congratulations, Dr. Azaz!

Transferable Skills Workshop

Come learn how to transfer your skills between academia and private industry

When

3 – 4:30 p.m., Feb. 8, 2024

Where

Harvill 452

As a doctoral student, you’ll have several opportunities throughout graduate school and your professional career to highlight your transferable skills when competing for fellowships, assistantships, grants, and jobs. This in-person interactive workshop will provide valuable insights and strategies on how to make the most of these opportunities. By attending this workshop, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively showcase your strengths and experiences, enabling you to leave a positive and lasting impression on the grant reviewer, interviewer, and/or hiring organization. With the knowledge you gain from the workshop strategies, you can approach your career search with greater confidence and maximize your chances of success.

Facilitating this workshop will be Stephanie Springer, the Internship Director and a Principal Lecturer in the Department of Public and Applied Humanities, and Brittney Crawford, the Internship & Engagement Coordinator in the Department of Public and Applied Humanities. Stephanie has supported over 1,800 UofA students as they searched for and secured internships and jobs, both locally and globally. Brittney has worked as a Career Educator in the Office of Student Engagement & Career Development and has over a decade of advising experience with helping students navigate their career journey and gain confidence as they go on the job market.

If you’re interested in attending the workshop, save the date/time on your calendar and please RSVP through this form so that we have an idea of how many people will be attending.

Issam Rian's Dissertation Proposal Presentation

Metacognitive Regulation of L2 Writers in Response to AI and Human Genre-feedback

When

9 – 10 a.m., Nov. 17, 2023

Where

Hybrid presentation (In person: EDUC 441A; Zoom: https://arizona.zoom.us/my/ria…

Dissertation Proposal Title: Metacognitive Regulation of L2 Writers in Response to AI and Human Genre-feedback

Dissertation Committee: Dr. Chris Tardy (Chair), Dr. Sandiway Fong, Dr. Janet Nicol, Dr. Jon Reinhardt, Dr. Raffaella Negretti (Special External Member, Chalmers University of Technology)

Abstract: The recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, in the form of Large Language Models (LLMs), pose new opportunities and challenges in second language (L2) instruction. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of LLMs, such as ChatGPT, as a pedagogical tool in L2 writing classrooms, where instructors have mixed perspectives due to the novelty of the technology and the scarce research into its implementation. By integrating the frameworks of metacognition (Flavell, 1979) and genre knowledge (Tardy et al, 2020), this study delves into how undergraduate L2 writers self-regulate their learning, when provided with formal and rhetorical feedback both from ChatGPT and from their human instructor.

In adopting a mixed-methods approach, this study will analyse students’ drafts, questionnaires, annotations, and reflections to not only assess the effectiveness of the feedback, but also understand students’ decision-making processes as they incorporate and prioritize feedback from both sources. This research is significant for at least two reasons. First, the findings can provide actionable insights and guidelines for L2 instructors who wish to supplement their feedback practices with AI tools. Second, and most important, in juxtaposing formal and rhetorical knowledge—two domains generally associated with machine and human expertise, respectively—this study pushes our understanding of the limits of AI and human cognition, and calls for more research into humans’ unique traits, such as metacognition. In doing so, it makes the case for the enduring value of human contribution in a world dominated by AI.

"Narratives of TESOL Professionals: Experiences Navigating the Doctoral Program"

Co-edited by a SLAT Professor, SLAT Alumna, and SLAT Student

Sept. 20, 2023

SLAT is thrilled to share that “Narratives of TESOL Professionals: Experiences Navigating the Doctoral Program,” which is co-edited by Dr. Hayriye Kayi-Aydar (SLAT Faculty), Dr. Angel Steadman (Assistant Professor at Highline College, former MA TESL & PhD SLAT student) and Kate Shea (current PhD SLAT student), is now available for pre-order. To order your copy, please go to the link above (embedded in the title) and use the following discount code: NOTP4151 (case sensitive so enter exactly as you see here).

This edited collection provides insight into the lived experiences of recent graduates of various English Applied Linguistics and/or TESOL doctoral programs in North America. These are the stories that hardly find a place in academic spaces. Dr. Kayi-Aydar, Dr. Steadman, and Ms. Shea wanted them to be heard. Given the “identity focus” and nature of the narratives in the chapters, a lot of emotion labor has gone into this body of work. We believe that the book has a lot to offer for doctoral students (in various disciplines, not just TESOL) as well as the faculty who advise and support them. Here are the chapter titles:

1. Foreword

Hayriye Kayı-Aydar, Angel Steadman, and Kate Shea

2. Preface: Understanding Doctoral Student Experience and Intersectional Identities in TESOL Programs: A Narrative Approach

Hayriye Kayı-Aydar, Angel Steadman, and Kate Shea

3. Interlude to a Degree: Autoethnographic Reflections on Dissertating After a Cancer Diagnosis

Silvia Vaccino-Salvadore

4. En La Brega: Puerto Rican Female Scholars Navigating U.S. Educational Pathways

Nidza V. Marichal and Raisa Ankeny

5. A Third Space where I Went into a Slump: Struggles, Inner Conflicts, and Reflections

Siti Juwariyah

6. PhD Pursuit: A Doctoral Mother’s Journey to Graduation

Yuliya Summers

7. Spatializing Researcher Identity Through the Multiple Spaces During Dissertation Writing and Motherhood Life

Inggrit Olivin Tanasale

8. Affordances and Constraints of Pursuing a TESOL PhD in an English Studies Model

Md Mijanur Rahman

9. Learning to Teach as an Outsider: The Stories of a Beginning Transnational Educator

Yue Bian

10. Grappling With Native-Speakerism as an International Multilingual Researcher: When Idealism Clashes With Reality

Yiran Xu

11. A Virtual Writing Community: Stories of Personal and Professional Growth

Elnaz Kia, Idée Edalatishams, and Fatemeh Bordbarjavidi

12. International First-Generation College Students Pursue TESOL PhD Programs in the U.S.: Navigating the Profession as Emerging Scholars

Lei Jiang, Shuzhan Li, and Wenyang Sun

13. Developing a Network of Support Through Collaboration: My Academic Socialization Journey as a PhD Student

Wendy Li

14. Spreading My Wings in Academia: An International Doctoral Student Developing Scholarly Identity Through Empowering Mentoring Relationships

Anna Sanczyk-Cruz

15. Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum: The Mentoring and Socialization Experiences of an International TESOL Student

Fares J. Karam and Amanda Kibler

16. A Few Final Words and Future Directions

Hayriye Kayı-Aydar, Kate Shea, and Angel Steadman

SLAT Writing Sessions

Informal writing sessions for SLAT students

When

4:30 – 6:30 p.m., Dec. 5, 2023

Where

Zoom

Dear SLAT students and SLAT minors,

Would you like to be a more productive writer? If you are working on an intensive writing project like a dissertation, journal article, course paper, or grant proposal, and you would like to increase your writing productivity in a safe and friendly space, consider joining the SLAT Writing Sessions this Fall 2023!

Each focused 2-hour session is set up to have unstructured writing time with short breaks, followed by a short discussion aimed at helping you improve your writing productivity. This is an informal way to create accountability, meet a few SLAT friends, and get some writing done.

The sessions will be on Zoom every Tuesday afternoon, from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm (AZ). The first session will take place on September 19, and the sessions will continue until December 5 (except for the week of Thanksgiving). The recurring Zoom link for the sessions is: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/89779868688 No advance registration necessary – just show up and work on your writing goals!

Please reach out to Amable (amableribeiro@arizona.edu) or Kate (kateshea@arizona.edu) with any questions.