China Association for Language Testing and Assessment (CALTA) is happy to announce that the Sixth International Conference on Language Testing and Assessment will be held in Shanghai, China on October 15–17, 2021. We invite proposals for paper presentations, workshops/interactive sessions, posters/exhibits, and symposia addressing the following theme and topics.

Theme: Connecting language assessment to teaching and learning

The years 2020 and 2021 witnessed not only significant changes in the ways language assessment, teaching, and learning were conducted, but also increasing demands for educational assessment reform in general.

We have chosen, in this context, "Connecting language assessment to teaching and learning" as the theme of the Sixth International Conference on Language Testing and Assessment (CALTA 2021) to acknowledge the efforts of language assessment researchers and practitioners and encourage further explorations of the symbiotic relationship among language assessment, teaching, and learning.

Topics:

1）Classroom language assessment

2）Diagnostic language assessment

3）Language standards and their application

4）Online language assessment

5）Assessing Chinese

6）Assessing young language learners

7）Educational assessment reform and language assessment

8）Other topics related to language testing and assessment

Keynote speeches:

Prof. Sara T. Cushing (Georgia State University, ILTA President):

    Technology for formative assessment in the language classroom

Prof. Jianda Liu (Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, CALTA President):

    Formative assessment: College English teaching reform in China

Prof. Yan Jin (Shanghai Jiaotong University, CALTA Vice President):

    Test specifications for developing and using language tests

Prof. Jimin Wang (Beijing Language and Culture University, CALTA Vice President) with Prof. Ningning Zhao (Beijing Normal University):

    Assessment for Chinese education quality: Approaches, paths, and directions

Prof. Liyan Huang (South China Normal University, CALTA Executive Board member):

    Researching the cognitive validity of the NMET continuation task

Preconference workshops:

1. Formative young learner assessments: Design, AI technology, psychometric model & score reporting (A half-day session facilitated by Dr. Xiaoming Xi)

2. Leveraging and validating technology in assessment for learning (A half-day session facilitated by Dr. William Bayliss and Dr. Trevor Breakspear, British Council)

3. Structural equation modeling and its use in language testing (A full-day session facilitated by Prof. Hongwen Cai from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Prof. Shangchao Min from Zhejiang University)

4. Understanding language tests and designing self-assessment tools in light of China's Standards of English Language Ability (A full-day session facilitated by Sha Wu from the National Education Examinations Authority and Dr. Weiqiang Wang from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies)

Local organizer:

School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai University

Submitting your proposals:

All proposals should be submitted to this email address: calta2021@163.com. Proposals could be written in English or Chinese.

1）English proposals should have a length between 300 and 400 words.

2）Chinese proposals should have a length between 400 and 500 Chinese characters.

3）Authors of English proposals are expected to present in English.

4）Authors of Chinese proposals are expected to present in Chinese.

5）Deadline for proposal submission: August 20, 2021.

Proposals format:

1) English proposals

Title: Times New Roman, 15.75 font size, 1.5 spacing.

Author information: Times New Roman, 10.5 font size, 1.5 spacing.

Body: Times New Roman, 10.5 font size, 1.5 spacing.

2) Chinese proposals

Title: 宋体, 15.75 font size, 1.5 spacing.

Author information: 楷体, 10.5 font size, 1.5 spacing.

Body: 宋体, 10.5 font size, 1.5 spacing.

Important details:

Date: October 15–17, 2021

Venue: Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

Registration fee: RMB1,000 for regular participants, RMB500 for students

Pre-conference workshop fee: Full-day sessions: RMB800 for regular participants, RMB400 for students. Half-day sessions: RMB400 for regular participants, RMB200 for students.

Conference website: http://calta.gdufs.edu.cn

Official email address: calta2021@163.com

Telephone for inquiry: + 86-13089311996 (Speak to Ms. Xian)