The 2011 Asian Literacy Conference (ALC2011) in conjunction with the 7th LITCON (International Conference on Literacy) and the 4th ILLC (International Language Learning Conference) was held from October 11 to 13 at the Berjaya Georgetown Hotel in Penang, Malaysia.
It was organized by the School of Languages, Literacies and Translation (Universiti Sains Malaysia), the International Literacy Research Unit (Universiti Sains Malaysia), the National Higher Education Research Institute of Malaysia, the International Reading Association, and the International Development in Asia Committee.
In today’s highly globalized world, complex issues have emerged in the field of language and literacy development. Over centuries, language and literacy education has provided mankind with the perspectives, approaches and pedagogies which have helped to shape knowledge, policies and worldviews across the globe.
It is therefore only reasonable to continue to persist in efforts to understand what language and literacy development really is in today’s context. In addition, there is also an urgent need to seek richer, more inclusive, and sustainable views as well as methodologies to sustain new contexts, new peoples, new identities, new cultures and practices, new modes of meaning, and of course, new media.
The conference, named "Language and Literacy in the Local and Global Contexts: Success Stories and Unfolding Narratives," aimed to provide an arena for interested parties to contribute their success stories and unfold narratives on their experiences in language and literacy education. It also aimed to provide an opportunity for discussion and critique on issues relating to language and literacy development in today’s increasingly borderless world.
The sub-themes of the conference included:
o Teachers, learners and literacy practices
o Language and literacy
o Sustainable education
o Sustainable digital literacy
o Inclusive research methodology
o Citizenship and values (innovative policies, intercultural communication, etc.)
The invited speakers and their presentation titles were:
o Mary Kalantzis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, New learning and new literacies
o Ng Seok Moi, University of Auckland, New Zealand, Retelling, an unfolding narrative
o Mohan Chinnappan, University of Wollongong, Australia, Numeracy and the development of a scientifically literate workforce in a borderless world
o Sakil Malik, International Reading Association, USA, Reading for all by 2020
o Maryann Manning, University of Alabama at Birmingham & International Reading Association, USA, Changing literacy: Don’t be a tourist
o Ryuko Kubota, University of British Columbia, Canada, Clinical approaches to language and culture: Teaching Japanese and other languages
o David Wray, University of Warwick, UK, Learners’ uses of mobile learning devices
o Bill Cope, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, Web writing: An introduction to the "Scholar" research and development project
o Jenny Lim, Corporate Social Investments (APAC), NOKIA Corporation, Mobile solutions in education and literacy
The following four books featuring selected papers from LITCON 2009 were also launched at the conference:
o Forging Unity Amidst Diversity: From the Classroom and Beyond
o Curriculum Development, Materials Design and Methodologies
o Teaching and Learning in Diverse Contexts: Issues and Approaches
o Teaching and Learning Language: Current Trends and Practices
*Selected papers in the current conference’s proceedings will be published in 2013
Approximately 160 papers were presented at the conference over the course of three days. More than 350 individuals, from Malaysia and 22 other countries worldwide, attended the ALC2011.
The December/January issue of Reading Today, the International Reading Association's member magazine, will contain more information about this exciting conference.
First Photo: The publication of three books from selected papers on literacy from the previous literacy conference in 2009 given to the Deputy Education Minister by the Deputy vice chancellor USM.
Second Photo: The signing of MOU by the vice chancellors on literacy and research activities between USM and Azad Research University Iran.
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