2026(22nd) ChinaCALL Conference (ChinaCALL 2026) & International Congress

on English Language Education and Applied Linguistics (ICELEAL 2026)

1st Call for Papers

November 13-15, 2026     Guangzhou, China

Hosted by Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association, China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese (ChinaCALL), organized by Institute of Online Education, Artificial Intelligence and Human Languages Lab at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), School of Foreign Studies at South China Normal University (SCNU) . This event is cohosted by The Education University of Hong Kong, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, City University of Macau, Online Confucius Institute at The Open University, Virtual Exchange (VE) China Hub, Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning (JCCALL)，Beijing Waiyan Online Digital Technology Co., Ltd and LANGUAGECERT, ChinaCALL 2026 & ICELEAL 2026 will take place in Guangzhou, China, from November 13th to 15th, 2026.

Themed around “AI-empowered Digital Language Education and Applied Linguistics: Bridging Theory and Practice”, the conference aims to share knowledge, skills, and ideas on the integration of technologies and language learning in the forms of pre-conference workshops, keynote speeches, symposia, individual presentations and a colloquium.

We welcome experts, teachers, and practitioners in CALL to join us!

Keynote speakers

Prof. GU Yueguo

Beijing Foreign Studies
University,China

Speech Title

A Critique of Generative AI Seen over Lifespan Learning

Biodata

Prof. GU Yueguo is the Chief Scientist of Artificial Intelligence and Human Languages Lab, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). Prof. GU is also the President of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (ChinaCALL), the editor-in-chief of Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning, and the founding Dean of the Institute of Online Education of BFSU. He served as Research Professor of Linguistics in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the editor-in-chief of Contemporary Linguistics, and the editorial board member of Journal of Pragmatics, Text and Talk, Pragmatics, Journal of Intercultural Communication. His research areas include gerontolinguistics, corpus linguistics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, the philosophy of language, and online education.

Prof. Mirjam HAUCK

The Open University, UK

Speech Title

Where Critical AI Literacy meets Critical CALL

Biodata

Dr Mirjam Hauck (SFHA，Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy) is a Full Professor of Critical Digital Pedagogies in the faculty of Wellbeing Education and Language Studies at the Open University UK. She is also the university Academic Lead for AI in Learning, Teaching and Assessment. Her scholarly work focuses on theorising the field of collaborative online international learning (COIL)/virtual exchange (VE) through the social justice and inclusion lens, framed as Critical COIL/VE (CVE). Most recently she has been exploring the potential of CVE to develop students’ critical AI literacy skills, similarly grounded in equity, diversity, inclusion and access principles.
She is the President of the European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL), serves as Associate Editor of the CALL Journal and is an editorial board member of ReCALL and LLT. She is a founding member of UNICollaboration.org and the China VE Hub.

Prof. Pascual
PEREZ-PAREDES

University of Murcia, Spain

Speech Title

The Future of Corpus-based Language Teaching in the AI Era

Biodata

Pascual PEREZ-PAREDES is a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Linguistics at University of Murcia in Spain, and former Lecturer in Research in Second Language Education at the University of Cambridge. His main research interests are the use of corpus linguistics methods in applied linguistics, corpora and digital resources in language education and corpus-assisted discourse analysis. He is Co-Editor in Chief of CUP ReCALL journal (ranked 4th in Linguistics in the world). His most recent books are Corpus Linguistics for Language Learning Research, John Benjamins Research Methods in Applied Linguistics series, with co-authors Dr Geraldine Mark & Prof Anne O’Keeffe, and Data-driven Learning in and out of the Language Classroom, Cambridge University Press, co-authored with Prof Alex Boulton.

Dr. Bill RIVERS

WP Rivers & Associates

Speech Title

Language Learning in the Age of AI

Biodata

Dr. Bill Rivers is Principal at WP Rivers & Associates and the Chair of the National Language Access Coalition. A former Russian/English translator and interpreter, Russian teacher, academic researcher and administrator, and for-profit and non-profit executive, he has more than 35 years’ experience in language capacity at the national level, with significant experience in culture and language for economic development in the private and academic sectors, and publications in second and third language acquisition research, proficiency assessment, program evaluation, standards, and language policy development and advocacy. His company is contracted by the Association of Language Companies for advocacy support. Dr. Rivers chairs ISO Technical Committee 232, Education and Learning.

Prof. Jeong-Bae SON

University of Southern
Queensland, Australia

Speech Title

AI-Powered Language Teaching: Challenges and Opportunities

Biodata

Professor Jeong-Bae Son, Ph.D., is an author, an educator, and a researcher. He serves as the Director of the Technology-Enhanced Language Teaching Research Institute (TELTRI) and the President of the Asia-Pacific Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning (APACALL). He is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. His areas of specialisation are Applied Linguistics and TESOL. His research interests include CALL, technology-enhanced language teaching, AI-powered language teaching, digital literacy, AI literacy, academic English writing, and language teacher education. He has developed a number of CALL applications, published extensively in the field of CALL, and conducted seminars and workshops around the world. He is the author of Teacher Development in Technology-Enhanced Language Teaching (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018) and Insights into Digital Literacy in Language Teaching (Castledown, 2024). Details of his research can be found on his website at .

Prof. MA Qing

The Education University of
Hong Kong,China

Speech Title

Advancing English Teacher Professional Development in the AI Era: Insights from Pre‑Service and In‑Service Teacher Contexts

Biodata

Qing Ma (Angel) is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies and Associate Dean (Research & Postgraduate Studies) in the Faculty of Humanities at The Education University of Hong Kong. Trained in applied linguistics, her research has centered on language technology spanning three interconnected areas: (a) second language vocabulary acquisition, (b) technology‑enhanced language learning (CALL and MALL), and (c) corpus‑based language pedagogy (CBLP). She pioneered CBLP, receiving several international awards: (1) the 2025 TESOL Award for Excellence in Research, USA; (2) the 2020 Esperanto Access to Language Education Award, USA; (3) the 2019 Silver Medal at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, Switzerland. She serves as Associate Editor for five international journals: Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Language Learning & Technology (LL&T), International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching (IJCALLT), The Journal of China Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning (ChinaCALL), and Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning (RPTEL).

Prof. XU Yueting

South China Normal
University,China

Speech Title

Cultivating Pre-service Teachers’ Critical Thinking in the AI Era: From Curriculum to Assessment

Biodata

Yueting Xu is Professor at School of Foreign Studies of South China Normal University in China. She is among the World’s Top 2% most-cited scientists (2022-2025) by Stanford University and also a highly cited scholar on Elsevier’s list from 2020 to 2025. She is also a Top 1% highly cited scholar on CNKI (2024 & 2025). Her research interests include teacher assessment literacy, online education, teacher identity and emotions, and parental involvement in education.

Dr. Yiannis PAPARGYRIS

LANGUAGECERT, UK

Speech Title

Language Assessment in the Era of AI: Implications for Design, Validity, and Practice

Biodata

Dr. Yiannis Papargyris is an education management professional with over 20 years’ experience in the fields of English-medium Higher Education, Qualification Development and Language Assessment. At PeopleCert, he holds the position of Assessment Director & Interim Quality Director and is responsible for the development and fitness-for-purpose of the LanguageCert exams portfolio. He is a regular contributor to LanguageCert’s Research and Validation programme.
Yiannis completed his PhD at the University of Birmingham where he taught for several years. He is also a Chartered Educational Assessor.

Conference themes

We invite participants to present their current or recent research and to focus hereby on one or more of the following 12 topics.

Best Presentation Award will be awarded to up to two participants. High quality research papers in English will be recommended to be published on Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning (JCCALL), the official journal of ChinaCALL. All published papers are freely accessible on the journal’s homepage: www.degruyter.com/JCCALL

Selected research papers in English will also be suggested to other journals, including International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching (IJCALLT) , Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, and Digital Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools（published by the People's Education Press）. Besides, we also plan to publish online a conference proceeding of accepted papers.

Important dates

Conference information

Abstract submission guideline

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