Call for Papers: Language Teaching in Motion

In a rapidly shifting world, second/foreign language (L2) teaching in higher education demands adaptability, creativity, and collaboration. This two-day event in Vienna brings together language teachers and researchers, with a particular focus on early-career researchers, from Circle U. member universities to explore how research and communities of practice can meet the evolving needs of language learners and respond to the opportunities and challenges created by social, institutional, and technological change. By sharing innovative practices, exploring current research, and building new networks, participants will strengthen the ties that advance language learning and teaching across communities.

Join us in Vienna for the CU.LTN (Circle U. Language Teachers’ Nexus) event by submitting your abstract here by 7 April 2026. 

CU.LTN is a Community of Practice for language teachers across the Circle U. alliance aiming to provide a space for teachers to come together, exchange ideas and expertise and share useful resources

We invite proposals for two different types of presentations (practice-oriented or research-/theory-oriented) on a range of topics linked to tertiary-level language teaching and learning. Please find the call for papers down below.

Second Language Writing in a Digital Age

Prof. Dr. Marije Michel, University of Groningen

Department of European Languages & Cultures 

Over the past decades, research into Second Language (L2) writing has demonstrated the pivotal role it can take in shaping L2 development. While early work often focused on the product of writing, that is, the written text, the past years have seen growing interest in the relationship between writing processes and L2 development (cf. Révész & Michel, 2019), and newer insights have informed modern ways of L2 writing instruction. Yet, with the introduction of generative AI (genAI), education is confronted with the task to innovate L2 writing pedagogy, in order to ensure that language learners still benefit from the writing processes that support their L2 learning. In this talk, I will draw my own and collaborative work on L2 writing processes and its relationship with attentional processes, working memory, and L2 proficiency.

By now, using different methodologies including eye-tracking, stimulated recall and key-stroke logging, we have increased our understanding of what processes L2 learners engage in while writing, and how these processes contribute to L2 competence as evaluated with holistic and more specific measures of text quality. By showcasing our task-based writing interventions employing different digital tools, I will share my insights and desiderata for L2 writing instruction in a digital age.

Marije Michel is Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Chair of Language Learning at Groningen University in the Netherlands. She studied Dutch and German at Utrecht University and the FU Berlin, and holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on cognitive and social aspects of second language (L2) learning and instruction with specific interest in task-based language teaching (TBLT), L2 writing processes, and alignment in digitally mediated communication. Marije is board member of the International Association of TBLT and on the editorial board of a.o. the Modern Language Journal, Journal of Second Language Writing, the Journal of Writing Research.

Towards a collaborative, curriculum-integrated approach to academic literacy instruction

Prof. Dr. Ursula Wingate, King’s College London

School of Education, Communication and Society

Over the past two decades, the need to support students entering university in developing discipline-specific academic literacies has become increasingly evident. This reflects both the growing number of students worldwide who study through an additional language, predominantly English, and the increasing diversity of student populations in traditionally Anglophone countries, where many entrants are insufficiently prepared for disciplinary discourse conventions. The emergence of generative AI further reinforces the need for explicit academic and digital literacy instruction to enable students to participate successfully in disciplinary communicative practices.

This keynote provides a brief overview of academic literacy support in higher education, highlighting a gradual shift from generic provision towards more discipline-specific approaches. I argue that current support remains inadequate and that academic literacy instruction should be embedded within the curriculum and delivered primarily by subject lecturers to ensure inclusion and engagement. This provision requires close collaboration with specialists in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), as subject lecturers are often unaware of the linguistic and discursive features of their disciplines. Drawing on their expertise in language, discourse and pedagogy, EAP specialists can support the integration of academic literacy development into teaching and assessment. The keynote outlines methods for curriculum-integrated instruction and presents examples of successful collaborative implementation, concluding with a call for systematic evidence to support institution-wide adoption.

Ursula Wingate is Professor of Language Education in the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London. Her research interests include theoretical and pedagogical models underpinning the development of students’ academic literacy. Based on a recent research project examining perceptions and practices surrounding generative AI tools, she proposes pedagogical approaches that empower students to use generative AI ethically and effectively in academic writing.

CU.LTN Vienna 2026 will take place from 31 August 2026 at 13:00 CET (on-site registration from 12:00 CET) until 1 September 2026 at 16:15 CET. More information on the programme and online registration will be available here in May.

Please find details on the venue and accommodation down below:

Email: cu.ltn.anglistik@univie.ac.at

• Armin Berger, University of Vienna
• Alexandra Schurz-Vogelsang, University of Vienna
• Members of the ELC, CELTER, and EduLing teams at the Department of English and American Studies, University of Vienna