Soveltavan kielentutkimuksen 31. kesäkoulu: Multidisciplinary Perspectives to Language Learning

Vuoden 2013 soveltavan kielentutkimuksen kesäkoulu keskittyi toisen ja vieraan kielen oppimiseen ja erityisesti oppimisen ongelmiin. Tapahtuma tarjosi tilaisuuden oppimisen tutkijoille, kielenopettajille ja erityisopettajille kokoontua yhteen vaihtamaan ajatuksia kielenoppisesta ja sen ongelmista sekä esittelemään alan uusinta tutkimusta.

Konferenssin kutsutut esitelmöitsijät olivat:

Dosentti Åsa Wengelin, Göteborgin yliopisto
Professori Mikko Aro, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Professori Esther Geva, Toronton yliopisto

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Welcome to the 31st Summer School of Applied Language Studies in Jyväskylä, Finland. This year’s theme is Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Language Learning. The conference program consists of plenary talks, panel discussions, poster presentations and workshops.

Plenary speakers and their topics:

  • Docent Åsa Wengelin, Gothenburg University, Sweden: ”Writing processes in writers with and without language difficulties”
  • Professor Mikko Aro, University of Jyväskylä: ”The role of linguistic skills in learning disabilities”
  • Professor Esther Geva, University of Toronto, Canada: “Diagnosing learning disabilities in L2 learners – challenges and research based solutions”

The plenary speakers will also run a workshop related to the topic of their talk.

The 2013 Summer School will focus on second and foreign language learning and on problems in learning languages, in particular. Problems in second / foreign language learning have thus far received little attention in research, and, therefore, considerably less is known about them compared to difficulties in mathematics or first language literacy, for example.

The Summer School is organized and planned as a collaborative effort of people working within Jyväskylä Language Campus and by two research projects (funded by the Academy of Finland) at the University of Jyväskylä in particular: DIALUKI – Diagnosing Reading and Writing in a Second or Foreign Language and TOPLING – Paths in Second Language Acquisition. The projects aim at increasing our understanding of both normal language development and problems in development of Finnish-speaking learners of English and Swedish and migrant (especially Russian-speaking) learners of Finnish as a second language. For more information about the projects, see DIALUKI and TOPLING.

The Summer School combines Finnish and international expertise in applied linguistics, mother tongue and foreign language education, special education, and psychology.

The Summer School is aimed at all foreign and second language professionals who wish to deepen their expertise in questions addressed at the conference: academic researchers, graduate and PhD students, language teachers, and special education teachers.

Organizing committee:

Professor Ari Huhta (conference chair, Centre for Applied Language Studies)
Professor Maisa Martin (co-chair, Department of Languages)
Pirjo Lehtonen (scientific secretary, Department of Languages)
Jaana Alila (scientific secretary, Department of Languages)
Riikka Ullakonoja (Centre for Applied Language Studies)
Teija Natri (University Language Centre)
Liisa Kallio (University Language Centre)
Taru-Maija Heilala-Rasimov (finances, Faculty of Humanities)