The 14th BAAL Language Learning and Teaching SIG Conference

The above conference was held at the University of Southampton on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th July 2018. The Confucius Institute at the University of Southampton (CI Soton) was among the sponsors. The British Association of Applied Linguistics (BAAL) is a professional society that was established in the UK to embark upon research in applied linguistics. It has an important influence in the field of applied linguistics in the UK and worldwide. The theme of this annual conference was: “Language teaching and learning in unstable times, and in changing political landscapes”

Ying Zheng, the director of CI Soton, and Shihan Lin, a volunteer from Hanban China, gave a presentation on the topic of  “ Investigating Mandarin Chinese Teachers' Professional Development Needs in the UK”. They used a survey and interviews to explore overseas Mandarin Chinese teachers’ professional development needs in the UK and made localised suggestions for the efficient development of teacher autonomy. The presentation not only resonated with the Chinese teachers present, but also inspired thought among, and  comparisons with, other language teachers.

Jia Li, a teacher from the CI Soton, based on experience of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in the Bohunt Confucius Classroom, presented on thetopic of “A Comparison of CLIL and Non-CLIL Teaching Methods for Chinese Language in Secondary School in the UK ”. Jia’s presentation attracted a lot of attention. Some participants expressed their interest in exploring a cooperation.

The conference provided valuable opportunities for academic discussion and teaching research in different languages. Participants benefited greatly and it gave strong inspiration for future linguistic research.