SLASaLT Workshop 2024

Welcome to the Second Language Acquisition with Speech and Language Technologies (SLASaLT) Workshop.

Learning a foreign language with the assistance of technological tools is a multidisciplinary research field. This workshop aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform where people can share multi-perspective views of the topic, learn about each other’s needs and specialities and bridge disciplinary boundaries. We are bringing together people from various fields, such as language teaching and learning, education, computer science, and industry partners. This will give us all the chance to explore the characteristics and needs of this interdisciplinary field, as well as to identify potential research directions and methods. We aim to foster long-term collaboration between practitioners in different fields and even a user-centred ecosystem of Second Language Acquisition with Speech and Language Technologies.

Topics to discuss include but are not limited to:

• applying and assessing SLTs in a language educational context,
• developing SLTs to facilitate learning speaking and reading skills,
• collaborations between researchers and language assessment organisations in the development of SLTs.
• exploring the principles, methods, theories, and challenges involved in building meaningful SLAs with SLT ecosystems.

Whether you are a language student or a curious traveller, learning a foreign language with speech and language technologies has become more common. Examples include interactive language learning apps that offer immersive experiences, virtual language exchange platforms connecting learners worldwide, and speech recognition software facilitating pronunciation practice. With effective use of the appropriate tools, language learning could be fun, individualised and efficient. The development of such tools involves not only computer engineers but also educators and users. In this workshop, we take a user-centred approach to share the development, application and assessment of technological tools for Second Language Acquisition.

The workshop is open to students, researchers, and professionals who are interested in second language acquisition using speech and language technologies. We encourage participants from different backgrounds to attend. The workshop is not only a place for sharing and discussion but also a platform for meeting like-minded individuals and seeking interdisciplinary collaboration. Participants can take part in the workshop in person or online.

This one-day workshop contains two parts.

The morning session will focus on networking and talks. First, participants will get to know each other at the welcome session. Then, the speakers will share their work in two oral sessions.

After lunch, the afternoon session will be organised around a design activity. Participants are encouraged to form an interdisciplinary team and discuss the given design task. The task provides a tangible yet open approach by which participants can identify the most relevant issues, questions, priorities, concepts and methods. The expected outcome is not about a concrete design but rather a vision. At the end of the design activity, each group can present their visions and show how and if the different perspectives can be combined at the plenary discussion session.

We encourage in-person participants to register before 11 June so we can accommodate your dietary needs.

For more details and the tentative schedule, visit the workshop website.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Mappin Court, Mappin Court, Sheffield City Centre, United Kingdom