Argument

What does the term “success” mean in the field of LSP (Languages for Specific Purposes)? What do we mean by “failure”? If the concepts of success and failure seem to be interdependent, are they mutually exclusive? Is failure a necessary step on the route to success? And in the pursuit of excellence, which has become one of the major stakes in higher education since the Bologna Process (1999 & 2003) and the Lisbon Strategy (2000), is failure for some necessary for the success of others? Does this last statement imply the creation of an elite with “good”, “less good” and “bad” institutions, teachers and students (Levy 2000).

At a time when no aspect of higher education seems exempt from assessment (Romainville, Goasdoué & Vantourout 2012), has the time come to reaffirm that success and failure are relative, even arbitrary concepts? How should we define them? How should we measure them? How should we take them into account to improve teaching programmes in higher education?

The 36^th APLIUT conference will provide the opportunity for teachers and researchers to explore the question of success and failure in teaching, learning and assessment the field of LSP. Perhaps it is time to question the meaning of these terms in language learning now that the levels defined by the CEFRL[2] nearly 15 years ago seem to be the unique reference source for “objectively” measuring the success or the failure of a learner or of a programme. This process implies not only a re-examination of the CEFRL, of language certifications and of assessment in general - whether it be of students, teachers, researchers or universities themselves.

Among the questions under examination are success and failure in higher education (Romainville & Michaut 2012) in relation to language teaching, the relationship between success & failure in language learning and motivation (Williams 1997, Dörnyei 2012), self-efficacy (Bandura 2003), learning strategies of successful students (Amadieu 2012), learner autonomy (Rivens 2012) or, marking, correction & assessment (Tardieu 2009).

This conference will allow us to explore the current limits of learning and teaching in LSP and how we can move beyond these limits. This may include the use of the various resources which characterise many of the learning situations in higher education, such as use of ICT tools, self-access language centres, CLIL[3], international exchange programmes, etc., which may all contribute to successful language learning but which may also lead to or include failures.

The aim of this conference will therefore be to examine, as comprehensively as possible, the concepts of success and failure in LSP by approaching the question from different angles such as those offered by pure research, by examples of classroom practice and by action-research projects which are commonly a feature of language teaching research.

Submissions should fall into one of the following five areas:

• 1 – The meaning of the terms “success” and “failure” in LSP: What do these terms mean? What are the perceptions and expectations of these terms of students, teachers, institutions and those outside higher education? What are the consequences of success and failure in languages on students, teachers, institutions and those outside higher education? What distinctions may be drawn between success and failure? How should teachers and students deal with errors? Etc.  
• 2 – Measurement tools: What tools should be used for measuring success or failure in LSP? Should the focus be on quality or quantity? What importance should be given to the CEFRL? What importance should be given to language certification? How important is giving grades? What guidelines exist for assessing language teaching programmes? Which are the most appropriate assessment methods for given aims and outcomes? What are the consequences of assessment on success or failure? Etc.  
• 3 – Contributing factors to success and failure in higher education: What are the external factors which contribute to success or failure in languages in higher education? What are the links between motivation and success or failure in languages? What is the relationship between feelings of self-efficacy and motivation in languages?  Between learning strategies and success and failure?  
• 4 – Complementary resources for teaching and learning languages: What are the advantages and the limitations of innovative complementary resources which often characterise language teaching in higher education, such as ICT tools, self-access language centres, CLIL and international exchange programmes? Etc.
• 5 – Stakeholders and their relationship to success and failure in languages: What are the perceptions and representations of success and failure in languages of the various stakeholders (students, teachers, researchers, Institutions, those outside higher education)? How does the assessment of teaching impact on teaching programmes? How should teachers be trained to enable LSP students to succeed? How can LSP teaching programmes best ensure graduate employability? Etc.

Submission guidelines

Proposals must be one of the two following formats:

Presentations of new and original research / review of existing research: research papers presenting current theories or models relating success and failure in languages, epistemological issues concerning success and failure in higher education, new and original research projects concerning success and failure in language teaching and learning and in disciplines such as linguistics,  neurolinguistics, CALL, ergonomics, etc.

Presentations of classroom practice: papers presenting innovative teaching programmes with LSP students in relation to the theme of success or failure of the various stakeholders (students, teachers, researchers, Institutions, those outside higher education).

Papers may given in English or in French.