Calendar of Events

Conference Information
2007	Event
December	Conference paper presentation TESOL, Rome, Italy.
Title of Paper:	ELLiE, an Introduction.
Presenters:	Lucilla Lopriore and Janet Enever.
Short summary:	This paper reported on a preliminary scoping study conducted by six members of the research team in 2006-07 and summarised the aims of the planned three year ELLiE research study.
2008	Event
January	Conference paper presentation ‘The Way Forward’, Bangalore, India.
Title of paper:	Early language learning in Europe.
Presenters:	Magdalena Szpotowicz, Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović, Janet Enever.
Short summary:	The paper drew on initial evidence from a scoping study sample of approximately 900 young beginners aged 6-8 years, reporting on children’s responses to early language learning within a socio-political European context which currently promotes both an earlier start and the development of a plurilingual citizenry. (see Outcomes & Publications page > for powerpoint presentation).
March	Conference paper presentation: American Association of Applied Linguistics, Washington, USA.
Title of paper:	Products and processes in early foreign language learning.
Presenters:	Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović & Stela Letica
Short summary:	The paper describes a study into early learning of English as a foreign language. Based on ELLiE project data collection, interactions of selected antecedent, process and product variables are used to interpret their role in early language learning.
April	Conference paper presentation ‘Early Learning of English’, Warsaw, Poland. Conference for language teachers organised by the National In-Service Teacher Training Centre and Embassy of the United States of America.
Title of paper:	Early Language Learning in Europe.
Presenter:	Magdalena Szpotowicz
Short summary:	The paper describes the ELLiE project and draws on initial evidence of the scoping study sample. It focuses on the role of contextual variables such as the teaching style and the immediate learning environment of the classroom.
June	Conference paper presentation ‘Leading World Learning’, Brighton, England.
Title of paper:	Researching primary language learners in Brighton, Warsaw, Rome, Barcelona, Zagreb, Umea and Nijmegen. What are the classroom realities?
Presenter:	Janet Enever.
Short summary:	The paper contextualised attitudinal development of early language learners in England within the wider framework of the ELLiE study. Data charted initial enthusiasm, a later decline and subsequent increase in attitudinal response over a 20 month period.
August	Conference paper presentation, Novosti Na Podrucju Poucevanja Tujih Jezikov in Medkulturnega in Medjezikovnega Uzavescanja na Godnji Stopnji, Ljubjana, Slovenia.
Title of paper:	Teaching English to YLs in Croatia: Insights from ELLiE.
Presenter:	Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović.
Short summary:	The focus of this presentation is on the ongoing research carried out within ELLiE (Early Language Learning in Europe) – a longitudinal multinational research project that Croatia is currently involved in together with six other European countries. The insights presented are based on findings of the first two years of investigating Croatian young EFL learners' attitudes and motivation and language development, as well as contextual variables operationalised at the levels of school setting and immediate language learning environment.
September	Conference poster presentation ‘EUROSLA’, Aix-en-Provence, France. Poster presentation, title: Learner Profiles from early language learning situations.
Poster contributors:	Elsa Tragant, Maria Rosa Torras, Carmen Muñoz, Eva Lindgren, Lucilla Lopriore & Gun Lundberg.
	Conference paper presentation: ‘EUROSLA’, Aix-en-Provence, France.
Title of paper:	Interaction of contextual and individual variables in instructed early SLA.
Presenters:	Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović, Magdalena Szpotowicz
Short Summary:	The paper focuses on a study carried out with 359 Polish and Croatian first grade (age 7-8 years) learners of English as L2. The study is part of a longitudinal multinational project (Early Language Learning in Europe - ELLiE). The aim of the study is to look into the interplay of contextual variables and individual learner differences as they impact on language learning outcomes. A mixed-method research approach was used. The data was gathered by means of questionnaires, interviews, classroom observation and language tests. On the basis of the obtained results an attempt at interpreting the interplay of the included variables and their relevance for instructed early second language learning outcomes is made (see powerpoint presentation > [126kb])
September	Conference paper presentation ‘British association of applied linguistics’ (BAAL)
Title of paper:	Tracing young learners’ foreign language development.
Presenters:	Gun Lundberg, Eva Lindgren
Short summary:	This presentation explored what variables, linguistic aspects and extra-linguistic information, contribute most to early FL learning in an attempt to gain a broader insight into young learners´ FL development.
September	Conference paper presentation ‘British association of applied linguistics’ (BAAL)
Title of paper:	Why applied linguistics is not enough:Contemporary early foreign language learning policy in Europe.
Presenter:	Janet Enever
Short summary	This paper questioned why research in applied linguistics appears to have substantially failed to influence the growth of state policies for early foreign language learning across Europe. The paper drew on analysis of policy documents and data evidence from schools in the ELLiE study to identify a trend towards an integrated model of early foreign language learning. It was suggested that early language learning should now be viewed from a broader educational context than applied linguistics research has traditionally maintained.
October	Plenary conference presentation “Second Language Research Forum” (SLRF), University of Hawaii, Honolulu.
Title of presentation:	When context matters: age effects on second language learning.
Presenter:	Carmen Muñoz
Short summary:	This presentation analyses the variables that are crucial in the discussion of age effects in second language acquisition, and on the basis of the existing empirical evidence from classroom studies it is argued that the amount and quality of the input that learners receive have a significant bearing on the effects that age has on second language learning. References to the ELLiE study illustrate the need for research that looks at input and interaction within the classroom.
October	Plenary conference presentation The Second International OPTIMA Conference “Ideas for Quality in Language Education”, Bulgaria.
Title of paper:	A longitudinal study of early language learning in Europe: some preliminary results.
Presenter:	Lucilla Lopriore
Short summary:	Preliminary results of ELLiE, a study investigating the implementation of early languages learning policy in 7 European country contexts and its consequence for languages learning over time, are presented.
November	Conference paper presentation: ‘European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) Conference’, Ljubjana, Slovenia.
Title of paper:	What can realistically be achieved in state schools where relatively limited amounts of class time are available for foreign language learning?
Presenter:	Janet Enever
Short summary:	This paper discussed evidence of early attitudinal and motivational findings together with early evidence of linguistic outcomes from the ELLiE study. Initial findings indicated the importance both of encouraging the development of early positive attitudes and of not being over-ambitious in expectations of linguistic progress for young language learners where there is a quite limited amount of curriculum time for languages.
December	Plenary conference presentation ‘International Conference ‘Multilingualism: Cross-cultural Communications & language Acquisition’, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain.
Title of paper	Early foreign language learning in Europe
Plenary speaker:	Carmen Muñoz
Short summary	The talk focused on the recent changes in Spanish and European educational policies resulting in an earlier introduction of foreign languages in school. The first involved the introduction of a first foreign language in primary education (around age 8) instead of secondary education (around age 11). Outcomes were examined in the light of research findings from Catalonia (the BAF Project) and other European settings. The second, more recent change, involving an even earlier compulsory start age for foreign language usually at the beginning of primary education, drew on data from the ELLiE study in 7 European settings. Psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic and linguistic factors, such as self-perception of language aptitude, motivation, use of the language in the classroom and in the larger context, language distance and the bilingual or trilingual condition of learners were examined in the discussion.
2009	Event
March	Conference paper presentation: American Association of Applied Linguistics, (AAAL), Denver, Colorado.
Title of paper:	Learner behavior and learning outcomes: Insights from the YL classrooms.
Presenter:	Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović
Short summary	The author examines the relationship between young EFL learners' classroom behavior and their achievements. The study described is part of part of the Early Language Learning in Europe (ELLiE) project. The data was gathered by classroom observation, interviews, questionnaires and language tests. Results were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively, and findings are interpreted from a developmental perspective.
March	Conference paper presentation: American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL), Denver, Colorado.
Title of paper:	Development of young learners’ perception of foreign language learning and teaching
Presenter:	Lucilla Lopriore
Short summary	This contribution presented some of the emerging results of a longitudinal study on the development of learners’ perceptions of classroom activities, of the importance of FL learning and of their learning achievement. The paper reports on a sample of 49 Italian young learners of English (age: 6-7 years) drawn from eight primary classes. The participants’ perception of the importance of FL learning and of their own learning progress and achievement was elicited through oral interviews. Their self-assessment of English achievement was considered against their teacher’s assessment of their language aptitude and performance on end-of-year tests in English.
April	ELLiE Mid-Project Seminar, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Seminar presentations	Invited audience of European research experts met to review research, critique evidence and recommend future steering
Presenters	ELLiE research team
June	Conference paper presentation. European Association for Language Testing and Assessment (EALTA), Finland
Title of paper:	Assessing young learners´ progress in a longitudinal study: valuing learners´ perception
Presenter:	Lucilla Lopriore
Short summary	This contribution presents some preliminary results from the ELLiE study commenced in 2006. In the presentation the author discussed the findings in terms of the observed changes of the Italian cohort composed by 163 young learners, of their FL development and of their perceptions during the first two years of the study. In order to investigate young learners’ development of their aural and oral skills, different quantitative as well as qualitative instruments have been used: classroom observations, teachers’ interviews and questionnaires, learners’ self-assessment, analysis of country specific documents and materials, and specific listening and speaking tasks. All the listed measures were applied in both years (grades 1 and 2) that the participants were followed.
June	Round Table event,: Empirical Studies in English Applied Linguistics. University of Pécs, Hungary
Title of paper	Attitudinal aspects of early EFL learning
Presenters:	Dr.Lucilla Lopriore and Prof. Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović
Short summary:	Drawing on data from Italy and Croatia, the talk focused on results of a study into young EFL learners’ attitudes to classroom activities, language learning, language teaching and to themselves as language learners. Attitudinal aspects of early EFL learning were analysed from the following three perspectives: the relationship of attitudes to learning outcomes, the development of attitudes from Year 1 to Year 2 and comparison of attitudes of young learners from the two country contexts. The results suggest that young EFL learners’ attitudes change with time. Also, the relationship between attitudes and language learning achievement showed interesting patterns in the two observed years.
August	Symposium event: European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction conference (EARLI), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Colloquium titles:	i. Challenges in researching young foreign language learners' attitudes and motivation. ii. Challenges of data collection in multinational studies: insights into young learners’ aural comprehension processes iii. Effects of foreign language exposure on young learners’ vocabulary production. iv. Young learners' oral production: contextual and teacher factors. Symposium event followed by discussion chaired by Dr Ron Oostdam.
Presenters:	ELLiE team
Short summary	See Outcomes & Publications for the PDF >
August	EARLI Symposium , Amsterdam, Netherlands
Title of presentation	Constructing Transnational Research: ELLiE Research Design
Presenter	Janet Enever
Short summary	See Outcomes & Publications for the PDF >
September	BAAL conference, Newcastle, UK.
Title of paper:	“The impact of out-of-school language exposure on early language learning” Contributor to colloquium event led by Paula Kalaja and Anne Pitkänen-Huhta, Jyvaskyla University, Finland.
Presenter:	Gun Lundberg
Short summary:	The paper focused on young learners of foreign languages across Europe, drawing on data from the ELLiE study. It considered the effects of different contextual factors both in and out of the foreign language classroom on young learners´ foreign language development.
September	European Commission, Multilingualism Policy Unit: Conference on Early Language Learning for Children of Pre-School Age
ELLiE representation	Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović– presenter on young learner special needs Magdalena Szpotowicz – Polish national representative. Other members of ELLiE team – invited delegates
Short summary	European launch of publicity campaign aiming to raise awareness of all aspects related to early foreign language learning for children of pre-school age in Europe. Campaign managed by Piccolingo, Barcelona. http://www.piccolingo.eu/recursos/ELLiE_Piccolingo.pdf >
October	Universidad de Santiago de Chile and Universidad de Valparaíso (Chile)
Paper title:	Ventajas y retos de una introducción temprana del inglés
Presenter:	Prof Carmen Muñoz
Short summary	This talk discusses the motivations behind an early introduction of a foreign language and the evidence from research. It then examines the conditions for a successful implementation of early language learning and teaching and examines the challenges found in international experiences.
November	Multiplying Voices, TESOL Italy Conference, Rome.
Title of poster presentation:	ELLiE: a longitudinal study on aspects of early EFL learning
Presenter:	Dr Lucilla Lopriore
Short summary:	This paper presented some of the emerging results of the ELLiE study focusing on those factors that might play a role in the development of learners’ perceptions of their achievements in foreign language learning and their responses in terms of linguistic self-confidence in schooled contexts. Some preliminary results relating young EFL learners’ attitudes to classroom activities, language learning, language teaching and to themselves as language learners were illustrated.
2010	Event
Forthcoming
January	Symposium 'English? Sure enough!', English teachers’ conference - primary and secondary education, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Title of presentation	Research aims, Set-up and first results of the ELLiE project
Presenter	Evelien Krikhaar
March	American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL), Atlanta, USA:
Title of presentation	Colloqium: Contexts and practices in learning and using languages: implications for research and pedagogies: The impact of out-of-school language exposure on early language learning
Presenters	Dr Eva Lindgren and Gun Lundberg