About this post: This post advertises an academic event that took place in 2014. The content is no longer current, and it is retained here for archival purposes. You can find more recent information about upcoming conferences in this page.
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Call for papers
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel are holding the Sociocultural Competence and Language Learning in Multilingual Settings conference (SCLL2014), which will take place in Brussels on 18-19 September 2014.
As stated by the conference organisers:
Current language pedagogy is more and more confronted with notions such as ‘intercultural learning’, ‘intercultural communication’ and ‘multicultural society’. In spite of this growing interest, we still know little about the actual realization of what is referred to as ‘sociocultural competence’ within the setting of multilingual education.
The international conference ‘Sociocultural Competence & Language Learning in Multilingual Settings’ will bring together researchers and language teachers from across the globe interested in the role of sociocultural competence and intercultural communication in language learning and teaching. It aims to generate new insights on a range of topics, such as discussions of theoretical frameworks, methodological decisions and practical implications.
Plenary speakers include: Em. Prof. Dr. Hugo Baetens-Beardsmore (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and Prof. Dr. Jean-Marc Dewaele (University of London).
Call for papers
Papers are invited on topics including, but not limited to:
- linguistic challenges in multilingual contexts
- multilingualism and educational settings
- role of learning contexts in acquiring sociolinguistic competence
- interplay between language learning & intercultural communication
- acquisition of pragmatic skills
- second, third and additional language acquisition
- critical sociocultural awareness
Prospective authors are requested to submit an abstract for peer review using this form (link no longer active). Abstracts are to be sent to scll2014[at]vub.ac[dot]be by 5 May 2014, and notification of acceptance will be given by 15th May.
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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 blog is a space for slow, reflective thinking about applied linguistics language education, professional development, and the role of technology in language teaching and learning. Transparency about process, tools, and authorship is part of that commitment.
- I wrote this post on 24th April 2014, and archived it in 2018. A functional and aesthetic upgrade took place on 11th January 2026, without changing the content in any substantive way.
- The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Thessaly or any other entity with which I am affiliated.
- The featured image is from Pexels and it is in the public domain.
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