Call for Papers

November 5–6, 2025

Universidade Aberta, Lisbon, Portugal

Online via Zoom / Lisbon Time Zone

Following the previous editions in 2018, 2021, and 2023, the EL@N research group (Online Language Teaching) of LE@D (Distance Education and eLearning Lab) and the Department of Humanities at Universidade Aberta will organize on November 5 and 6, 2025 the

4th International Congress on Innovation and Technology in Language Teaching (iTel2025)

This edition, while not excluding other areas, will focus primarily on the impact of artificial intelligence in personalizing the teaching and learning of languages and cultures in digital environments.

This international congress aims to bring together researchers, teachers, and students in the field of language and cultural education, whether in native or non-native contexts, who are dedicated to topics related to the teaching and learning of languages and cultures in virtual or digitally mediated contexts.

It aims to promote theoretical reflection as well as the sharing of practices and experiences on language and culture teaching and learning carried out in virtual environments or mediated by various digital technologies. As indicated by the subtitle, this 4th edition of the congress will also pay special attention to the potential of AI in personalizing the digital teaching and learning experience.

Organizing Committee (Universidade Aberta)

Coordination: Antonio Chenoll

• Adelina Castelo
• Ana Cristina Braz
• Âzar Renani
• Cristiana Vasconcelos Rodrigues
• Diana Marques
• Isabel Roboredo Seara
• Isabelle Simões Marques
• Jeffrey Scott Childs
• Katja Göttsche Clara
• Susana de Magalhães Oliveira

Scientific Committee

To be announced

Keynote Speakers

To be announced

Conference Themes

The 4th International Congress on Innovation and Technology in Language Teaching (iTel2025) will address the following thematic strands:

Main Theme

• Personalization of language teaching and learning through artificial intelligence (adaptive models; specific feedback; generative AI; recommendation algorithms; intelligent tutors; educational chatbots…);

Secondary Themes

• The future of language teaching in distance and online universities (new pedagogical models; impact of artificial intelligence; digital transformation in higher education; integration of immersive environments and mixed realities…)
• The role of culture in online language teaching (intercultural approaches; digital mediation of culture; teaching of linguistic variations; identity and belonging in virtual environments…)
• Challenges of asynchronous learning (time and autonomy management; strategies for active involvement and participation; feedback and formal, summative, continuous assessment; role of adaptive platforms…)
• Multimodality and digital skills in language teaching (use of videos, podcasts, and infographics; digital literacy for teachers and students; gamification and interactive resources; development of multiple literacies…)
• Motivation, engagement, and autonomy in online language learning (AI-based motivational strategies; gamification and personalized challenges; impact of personalization on engagement and retention; project-based and collaborative learning…)
• Other aspects (emerging approaches in language teaching; impact of new technologies and innovative methodologies; accessibility and digital inclusion; ethics and privacy in AI usage; teacher training for technology-mediated teaching…)

Submission Guidelines

Submission Formats

You may submit proposals in one of the following two formats:

Communication

• Duration: 15 minutes + 5 minutes for discussion
• Content: Must combine a theoretical framework and a pedagogical-practical component, with particular emphasis on the demonstration of results.

Workshop

• Duration: 25 minutes + 5 minutes for discussion
• Content: They may take the form of open classes, practical demonstrations of tools and resources, creation of activities or online practices, among others. Proposals should include a description of the objectives and topics addressed.

Submission information

Each proposal must include the following elements:

• Title of the communication or workshop
• Abstract: 250–300 words
• Keywords: 3 to 5 relevant keywords
• Bibliographic references: Up to 5 references
• Language: Proposals must be written in Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, or English

Anonymization Requirements

To ensure a fair and anonymous peer-review process, all submitted abstracts must be fully anonymized.

This means that:

• No identifying information (such as author names, institutional affiliation, or project references) should appear in the body of the abstract.
• Bibliographic references that could reveal the identity of the authors should be anonymized (e.g., by using “Author, Year” instead of full citation).

Author information, including names and affiliations, must only be provided in the submission form on the CMT platform, and not within the abstract itself.

Submissions that do not comply with this anonymization policy may be excluded from the review process.

Maximum Number of Contributions

The Congress, aligned with the philosophy of participation and equal opportunities, will accept up to two proposals per author.

Each proposal may have a maximum of three authors.

Where to submit

All proposals must be submitted via the Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit (CMT), an online platform for managing the peer-review process. Microsoft CMT has been kindly provided free of charge, including cloud services and technical support.

To submit your proposal, please access the following submission portal:

CMT submission link will be coming shortly

How to submit

Authors must create a CMT account (if they do not already have one) and follow the step-by-step instructions to complete their submission.

• Create an account in CMT: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/docs/help/general/account-creation.html
• Submit a paper: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/docs/help/author/author-submission-form.html

Author Guidelines

Languages of the Congress

iTel2025 is a multilingual conference. Proposals may be submitted in Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, or English.

The oral presentation must be delivered in the same language as the title and abstract of the proposal, as submitted.

Fees

In accordance with the philosophy of free and open access to knowledge, research, and universal access to culture, registration (with or without presentation) is free but mandatory trought this form: https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3JfRDCKhJqFs2do

Attendance

The event will take place entirely online, through the Zoom platform, and all sessions will follow the Lisbon time zone.

Plagiarism, and use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors are reminded that all proposals must be original and must not contain plagiarized content. If generative artificial intelligence tools are used to support the development of the submission (e.g., for language correction, idea generation, or content drafting), their use must be transparently acknowledged, with a clear explanation of how these tools contributed to the work.

Review and Evaluation

All submitted abstracts will be peer-reviewed via the CMT platform, based on the following criteria:

Publication

A selection of the works presented at the congress is expected to be published after a peer review process.

Important Dates

• Proposal submission deadline: September 1, 2025
• Notification of acceptance: October 1, 2025
• Registration deadline for presenters: October 19, 2025
• Registration deadline for non-presenters: November 1, 2025

Registration

In accordance with the philosophy of free and open access to knowledge, research, and universal access to culture, registration (with or without presentation) is free but mandatory thought the following link: https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3JfRDCKhJqFs2do

Contacts

For more information, please contact:

• elon.dh@uab.pt

Example Abstract for Communication

Teaching beginner learners of French through input‐based tasks: An approximate replication study

Authors (2017) published a study in the Canadian Modern Language Review reporting an experimental study that investigated the effect of input‐based tasks on the acquisition of vocabulary and markers of plurality by adolescent near‐beginner learners of L2 French. The present paper reports an approximate replication of the original study with the aim of confirming or disconfirming the results of the first study. The research questions of both studies addressed the receptive acquisition of new vocabulary and the receptive and productive acquisition of markers of plurality resulting from instruction using input‐based tasks. Both studies investigated year 9 near‐beginner learners of French. The teacher, the students’ usual classroom teacher, was the same in both studies. In the replication study, a new larger group of year 9 students were investigated, the length of the instruction was also increased, involving the development of additional input‐based tasks, and productive as well as receptive knowledge of the vocabulary items was assessed. The results of the two studies were compared. In both studies, the learners manifested receptive gains in vocabulary and the target structure. They failed to demonstrate statistically significant gains in production of the target structures although the effect of the instruction was sizable. In the replication study, the learners also manifested productive knowledge of the target vocabulary. The results of the replication study confirm and extend those of the original study. The teachers’ views about the role of input‐based tasks with near‐beginner learners remained constant in the two studies. The paper concludes with a discussion of the contribution that approximate replications can make to instructed second language acquisition research.

Keywords: Task‐Based Language Teaching, Replication Study, Input‐Based Tasks, L2 French, Adolescent Learners

[abstract by Rod Ellis & Rosemary Erlam, included in the abstract book of The Applied Linguistics Conference 2017 (ALANZ / ALAA / ALTAANZ), p. 124]

Acknowledgment

The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.