This post is about a call for papers that appeared in 2012. The content of this post is no longer current, but the post is retained here as a record of the historical impact of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory in Language Education.
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Update
The special issue on Complexity and Applied Linguistics which is described in the section below appeared in the April/June 2013 issue of the Brazilian Journal of Applied Linguistics / RBLA (Volume 13, Issue 2). It contains 11 articles and an editorial note outlining how complex systems theory can inform applied linguistics and language education.
You can access the issue by clicking on the link below:
Call for papers
The Brazilian Journal of Applied Linguistics is inviting papers for a a special issue on Complexity studies in Applied Linguistics, to appear in 2013. The special issue will be jointly edited by Dr Diane Larsen-Freeman and Dr Vera Menezes. This peer-reviewed journal, which was founded in 2001, is distributed to all members of the Brazilian Association of Applied Linguistics, and is indexed by MLA, Linguistics Abstracts and Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts.
Contributions, up to 8,000 words (including references, notes and tables), should be sent to rblasecretaria@gmail.com by 30 July 2012. The title, abstract (10 lines) and keywords should appear in both English and Portuguese. The journal will provide support to those authors who are not able to write in Portuguese. Papers reporting on empirical research will be given priority, but reviews are also welcome.
A copy of the CfP, containing detailed submission guidelines, can be downloaded from here.
AI in Language Education: Notes from an International Panel
Rapid adoption of AI is not the same as thoughtful use. Reflecting on an international panel discussion, this post explores what AI asks in terms of learning, judgement, ethics, and accountability.
New in EJELR: Motivation, Migration, and the Ecology of Language Learning
How does motivation emerge for refugee language learners in Greece? This posts offers insights from an ecological study led by one of my MA students (Rizou & Kostoulas, 2026).
The Book I Wanted to Write (But Didn’t)
Three years of work, a team I’m proud of, and a book I have complicated feelings about. This is an honest account of all of the above.
About me
Achilleas Kostoulas is an applied linguist and language teacher educator at the Department of Primary Education, University of Thessaly, Greece. He holds a PhD and an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Manchester, UK and a BA in English Studies from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
His research explores a wide range of issues connected with language (teacher) education, including language contact and plurilingualism, linguistic identities and ideologies, language policy and didactics, often using a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory to tease out connections between them. Some of his work in the field includes the research monograph The Intentional Dynamics of TESOL (2021, De Gruyter; with Juup Stelma) and the edited volume Doctoral Study and Getting Published (2025, Emerald; with Richard Fay), as well as numerous other publications.
Achilleas currently contributes to several projects that bring together his long-standing interests in language education, teacher development, and the social dimensions of language learning. As the coordinator of the expert team of AI Lang (Artificial Intelligence in Language Education), an initiative of the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe, he works on developing principles and resources to help educators make informed, pedagogically grounded use of AI in their teaching. He also leads the University of Thessaly team of ReaLiTea (Research Literacy of Teachers), a project that supports language teachers in developing the capacity to engage with, and contribute to, educational research. Alongside these, he contributes to LocalLing, a Horizon-funded initiative to preserve and strengthen heritage and minority languages globally.
In addition to the above, Achilleas is the (co)editor-in-chief of the newly established European Journal of Education and Language Review, and welcomes contributions that explore the dynamic intersections between language, education, and society.
About this post
- This post was originally published on 12th April 2012, as part of the dissemination effort of the upcoming special issue. The post was updated in 2015 to announce the publication of the issue. Another update took place on 3rd January 2026 to update the format and improve functionality, without changing the substantive content of the post.
- The content of this post is no longer current. It is retained here for archival purposes, to document the interface between Complex Dynamic Systems Theory and language education.
- The content of the post does not reflect the views of the University of Thessaly, any of my previous employers, other institutions with which I am or was affiliated, or the editors of the journal described.
- The featured image, Fractal Flame, is from Wikipedia, who are sharing it with a Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike (CC BY-SA 2.0) license.
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