Symposium 2025
Sixth Symposium of Southern Ontario Universities on “From Silos to Solidarity: Rethinking Languages and Literacies in Education through collaboration and care”
In a world that has increasingly become marked by tensions and divisions, breaking down silos and overcoming isolation is more important now than ever. Whether our work focuses on bridging boundaries, dismantling disciplinary silos, or fostering reciprocal relationships with others, a sense of belonging to the human community remains at the very core of all these endeavours, bringing us together in solidarity and resistance. The 6th Symposium of the Southern Ontario Universities invites scholars, students, and practitioners to share and critically reflect on the role and impact of collaboration and care within the field of languages and literacies in Education.
The Symposium of the Southern Ontario Universities will be in its sixth edition this year and is the result of ongoing collaborative efforts between different universities and post-secondary institutions in the region. The symposium seeks to continue building community not only between participating institutions but, more importantly, among students, faculty, practitioners and all those interested in language and literacies education. By creating a supportive environment for all participants, the symposium challenges traditional academic hierarchies, encouraging meaningful connections and learning from one another. Following traditions of previous years, the symposium will feature two keynote speakers, one from a local and one from an international context respectively, to further strengthen discussion and dialogue not only within Ontario but also beyond. As a new addition to this year’s symposium, there will be an initiative to specifically support first-time attendees through mentoring and pre-symposium workshops, aiming to demystify what it means to attend or present at an academic symposium.
We are excited to announce that the sixth Symposium of the Southern Ontario Universities will take place October 24-25, 2025 at Niagara College’s DJP Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and we invite you to submit contributions to one of the three different strands (presentations, roundtable discussion, poster presentations) in which participants will discuss new research avenues, including:
- bi-/multi-/trans-/plurilingualism in language education
- multiliteracies and multimodalities
- teachers’ and students’ agency
- mobility, migration and inclusion
- impact of language policies
- innovation in language teaching methodologies and assessment
- artificial intelligence in language education
- language acquisition and language use
- technology-assisted language learning and teaching
- online learning and distance education
- antiracism, decolonization and social justice in language education
- newcomer language education
- indigenous and heritage language education
The Symposium offers a valuable opportunity for scholars, including faculty members, graduate students, activists and practitioners, engaged in languages and literacies education to connect, share insights, and discuss their research. It serves as a platform to establish and expand opportunities for academic networking for future collaborations.
Now in its sixth edition, the Symposium is hosted by Niagara College’s Centre for Research in Education and is jointly organized by the Center for Educational Research on Languages and Literacies (CERLL) of OISE-University of Toronto and Niagara College. The University of Toronto at Mississauga, Western University, York University, the University of Waterloo and Glendon College are also major collaborators in this initiative. The Symposium provides a unique opportunity to further strengthen collaboration and cultivate community both within and across institutional boundaries. The hybrid format will once again allow for broader participation, welcoming both national and international audiences, as was successfully achieved in previous editions. With a diverse program featuring plenary sessions, presentations, roundtable discussions, poster sessions, and social events, the Symposium offers participants from Ontario and beyond an excellent opportunity to engage with the wider academic community in language and literacies education.
Plenary Speakers
Dr. Sarah Mercer is Professor of Foreign Language Teaching at the University of Graz, Austria, where she is Head of ELT methodology. Her research interests include all aspects of the psychology surrounding the foreign language learning experience. She is the author, co-author and co-editor of several books in this area. She has served as Principal Investigator on several funded research projects, has worked on the editorial board of various journals, is co-editor of Multilingual Matters’ Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching book series, is currently president of IAPLL, and is an ambassador for IATEFL.
Title of plenary: Language education is interdisciplinary: Exploring the example of the psychology of language learning and teaching
Language education is interdisciplinary. That is not contentious but a statement of fact. Our field has always drawn on multiple lenses to understand the complexity of our practices: applied linguistics, education, sociology, and psychology among others. In this talk, I will discuss the joys and challenges of working in such an interdisciplinary space drawing on the example of psychology of language learning and teaching (PLLT). I will explain my reasons for engaging with both complexity and ecological theory and how these align with interdisciplinary thinking. I will argue why I believe we need to spend more time seriously engaging with the psychology of language teachers if we wish to improve education systems. To conclude, I will reflect critically on future agendas that acknowledge and engage with the interdisciplinary complexity of language education.
Presentation Resources
Dr. Geoff Lawrence is an Associate Professor of English language education and Applied Linguistics at York University in Toronto. His research and publications focus on digital, intercultural, and plurilingual approaches in language and teacher education, with particular attention to technology integration, teacher beliefs, and pedagogical innovation. He has led or collaborated on projects examining digital approaches in community-based English language teaching (ELT), French language education, virtual exchange, and intercultural, plurilingual, action-oriented teaching/learning. His current work is investigating the integration of generative AI in post-secondary English for Academic Purposes. Geoff’s research is grounded in his teaching practice in ELT, TESOL, graduate applied linguistics, and is informed by his experiences as an educator and learner.
Title of Plenary: Reaffirming ‘Heart’ in Language Education: Critical Reflections on Affect, Agency and Community in Digital Teaching
This talk explores the human dimensions - affect, agency and community - at the core of language teaching and learning, which are increasingly complexified in today’s digital/AI-mediated learning environments. Drawing on 25 years of research and practice, I call for sustained critical engagement with emerging technologies to ensure that language education remains human-centred and responsive to the emotional, relational promise of ‘language’ learning.
Presentation Resources
Friday Session Speakers
- Pelin Irgin, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at Brock University, she/her
- Selçuk Emre Ergüt, PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto, he/him
- Funda Ölmez-Çaglar, Research Assistant Dr. at Akdeniz University, she/her
- Farahnaz Faez, Professor at Western University, she/her
- Michael Karas, Assistant Professor at Brock University, he/him
Title: Language Teacher Self-Efficacy and Its Predictors in Iranian EFL Contexts
- Leena Hosien, MA student at Brock University, she/her
- Michael Karas, Professor at Brock University, he/him
Title: Teacher Cognition in Pronunciation Instruction: A 25-Year Research Synthesis
- Sophie Horton, Undergraduate student at Brock University, she/her
- Michael Karas, Assistant Professor at Brock University, he/him
- Ron I. Thomson, Professor at Brock University, he/him
Title: Building our own benchmarks for success: Toward an LX-centric view of phatic communion
- Sarah Jones, PhD candidate at the University of Toronto (OISE), she/her
- Richard Martinez Loyola, PhD Student at Western University, he/him
- Petreshia Maria Joseph, PhD student at the English and Foreign Languages University-Hyderabad-India, she/her
- Elena Danilina, PhD candidate, OISE, University of Toronto, she/her
- Gianluca Baldo, Fellow Researcher (A) at University of Udine, he/him
Title: Beyond Assistance: AI as Catalyst for Co-Creation in L2 Writing
- Dana Di Pardo Léon-Henri, Associate Professor of English, University of Marie and Louis Pasteur, France, she/her
Title: Language as a valuable resource to learning: Exploring Afghan youth’s visual narratives of collage
- Mehdia Hassan, PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, she/her
Jennifer Chinenye Emelife, PhD Candidate at OISE, University of Toronto, she/her
Title: Mobilizing Pluriliteracies through Artifacts: Reading Workshops for Inclusive and Equitable Learning
- Alessia Corsi, Lecturer at Unviersitat de Barcelona, she/her
- Mireia Pérez-Peitx, Lecturer at Unviersitat de Barcelona, she/her
- Neus Frigolé, Adjunct professor at Unviersitat de Barcelona, she/her
- Anisha Chaurasia, PhD Research Scholar at The NIMS University of Rajasthan - India, she/her
- Jyoti Gour, PhD Research Scholar at The NIMS University of Rajasthan - India, she/her
Title: Border Languages: The Semiotics of Language on the Move in Refugee Poetry
- Dr. Oziomachukwu Akunna Ajemba, Lecturer at the Department of English Language and Literature, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State Nigeria, Lecturer I, she/her
- S M Sanzana Rahman, PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, she/her
Title: Using multiple lenses to investigate the complexity of innovation in language education
- Enrica Piccardo, Professor at the University of Toronto, she/her
- Ekaterina Prigaro PhD student at the University of Toronto, she/her
- José Luis Ortiz Soria PhD student at York University, he/him
- Miguel Sanchez Luna PhD student at McGill University, he/him
Title: Co-constructing Curricular Innovation: Tracing the Development of the AALE Digital Toolkit
Tatiana Fimognari, PhD student at the University of Toronto, she/her
S M Sanzana Rahman, PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto, she/her
Justin Taylor, PhD student at York University, he/him
Dr. Enrica Piccardo, Full Professor at the University of Toronto, she/her
- Joseph Dayag, Assistant Lecturer at Sultan Qaboos University, he/him
- Ally Zhou, Ph.D. (she/her) Florida Gulf Coast University/University Canada West
- Jill Cummings, Ph.D. (she/her) Adler University & ScoreGuides TESOL Program
Title: Investigating Multimodal Tasks in Asynchronous Online German Instruction
- Erica Swyers, PhD graduate from the University of Waterloo, she/her
- Donna Fenton, PhD student at Carleton University, She/Her
Title: A Plurilingual Turning of the Tide on Monolingual Institutional Policies
- Michael Koslowski, PhD, OISE/University of Toronto
Title: Centering Indigenous knowledge through Mother Tongue-Based Early Childhood Care and Education
- Pabitra Saha, PhD student at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi, India
Sandra Garbarino, Associate Professor at the University of Turin, she/her
Jane Karanassiou, PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto, she/her
- Ziyan (Albion) Liu, MEd student at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, the University of Toronto, he/him
Saturday Session Speakers
Katherine Rehner, Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga, she/her
John Ippolito, Associate Professor, York University, he/him
Title: What the language lacuna leaves room for: pragmatic approaches in engineering communication pedagogy
- Jennifer Walsh Marr, PhD candidate at OISE, lecturer at UBC, she/her
Title: Improving Computer Science Education for Multilingual Learners Through Translanguaging
- Madhav (Maddy) Ajayamohan, Undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Mississauga, he/him
- Rutwa Engineer, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga, she/her
- Rebeca Capanema, MA student in Applied Linguistics at Western University, she/her
Title: Multilingualism in Delhi Schools: Policy, Practice, and Pedagogical Shifts
- Vandana Singh, Ph.D. Scholar at the National Institute of Educational Planning & Administration (NIEPA), She/Her
Title: ChatGPT-3 Policy Development in Ontario Higher Education
- Le Chen, Independent Researcher, she/her/hers; Yihao Fang, Independent Researcher, he/him/his
- Zhe Chen, PhD student at the University of Toronto, she/her
- Emmanuelle Le Pichon-Vorstman, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, she/her
Dr. Sunaina Sharma Assistant Professor, (PhD, M.Ed., B. Ed.) Department of Educational Studies, Brock University, she/her
- Nawreen Akhter, PhD student at the University of Toronto, she/her
- Umme Kulsum,PhD student at the University of Toronto, she/her
Title: Counterstory: sometimes the witch deserves to be called queen.
- Stephanie Samboo, PhD graduate from the University of Waterloo; Associate Dean at Sheridan College, (she/her)
Title: Collaborating with Care: Perspectives from an Indigenous/Non-Indigenous Research Partnership
- Sonia Martin, PhD candidate at York University, she/her
- Kristi Talbot, Mohawk Language Consultant at Teach Native Culture, she/her
- Aivy Luo, MA graduate at York University, she/her
- Munise Gultekin, MA graduate at York University, she/her
Chuan Liu, PHD Candidate at Western University, he/him
Anwar Ahmed, Assistant Professor, UBC
Dr. Brian Morgan, York University
Poster Sessions
- Ifat Razzaque: Centering Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in School Leaders’ Everyday Work: An Examination of Secondary School Leadership Practices in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
- Xin An: Reframing Yi Language Education: Policy Tensions, Cultural Identity, and Educational Equity in China
- Shiva Farahmand & Shima Farahmand & Dr. Stephen Bahry: Reframing EAP and IELTS Preparation through Explicit Lexical and Morphological Instruction: A Collaborative and Context-Responsive Approach in Iranian Higher Education
- Michelly Peixoto & Dr. Shawna-Kaye Tucker: Context Matters: Developing a Literacy Assessment for Caribbean Learners
- Julie D'Ippolito: Who are our French Teachers? Examining Language Teacher Identity and Career in the Face of a French as a Second Language Teacher Shortage
- Etze Giousouf & Zeinep Koumtzou: Creating Inclusive English Language Classrooms for Visually Impaired Children: Language Acquisition and Pedagogical Strategies
- Aisha Umar Adamu: Evolving Pathways to Foundational Literacy: TaRL Africa's Learning Language from Familiar to Formal(L2F2) Approach
- Leanne Hill: Teaching on Two Stages: Exploring Austrian CLIL Music Teachers’ Practices in Plurimodal Learning Spaces
- Anna Konar: From Isolation to Integration: Enhancing Francophone Postsecondary Access in Hamilton through Policy, Technology, and Inclusion
- Ivonne Londono: The Power of the Other: Intercultural Sensitivity as a Tool for Human Connection in the Spanish class.
- Jayamini Ratnayake: Survey on Technology-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching in Sri Lankan Classrooms
Roundtable Discussions
- Ziyan (Albion) Liu: Plurilingual Task-Based Language Teaching: Fostering English Proficiency for Plurilingual Young Learners in Macao’s ESL Classrooms
- María Victoria Cantero-Romero & Salud María Jiménez-Zafra: “Exploring the Use of Google Gemini to Level Written Expression in Spanish as a Foreign Language: In Search of the Right Prompt.”
- Tiziana Lorenzet: Online Roundtable: Later-Life Language Learning: towards a Senior-friendly Methodology. A Mixed Methods Research Study.
- S. Nivetha & Dr. Mirza Jahanzeb Beg: Culturally Responsive AI in English Language Learning: Toward Ethical and Personalized Pedagogies
- Mitali Patle: Mother Tongue vs English as Medium of Instruction: Critical Analysis of Educational Policies in India
- Fernanda Carra-Salsberg & Olga Makinina: From Silos to Solidarity in Language Learning: Sharing Praxis in the Age of AI
- Plamen S. Kushkiev:Language Learners as Active Collaborators: Fostering Adult Educators’ AI Literacy Skills
- José Luis Ortiz: Examining the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Post-Secondary English Language Education
- Nawreen Akhter: Generative AI and Translingual Practices in Multilingual Classrooms: Implications for Equity and Inclusion
- Justin C. Taylor: Solidarity, Subversion, and the Potential of Queer Language Pedagogy
- Michelly Peixoto: Beyond Deafness-as-Deficit: Social Factors in Literacy Development among d/Deaf Students
- Nadia Maqbool & Dr. Gordon Martell: Motivators of Reconciliation: A Self-Determination Theory Case Study on First-Generation Immigrants to Canada
- Nyein Mya: The case for Treaty Education in LINC ESL and newcomer education
- Dominique Scheffel-Dunand & Stephanie Arnott & Laura Ambrosio & Marie-Claude Dansereau: Dismantling intra-university silos in favour of collaboration and care
- Ana Kanza Tariq: Pakistani Migrant Students Negotiating Science and Mathematics Literacy in Canadian Classrooms
- Giulia Guadagni: Learning in the Loop. Navigating Plurilingualism and Adaptive Learning with Generative AI.
- Jingjing Xing & Lingyao Shu: Language Remix: A Serious Game for Translingual Writing and Code-Meshing in EAP Classrooms
Mercedes Veselka: Redefining Relevant: Expanding Literacies in Adult Literacy and Language Education
Committees
- Ana García-Allén (Western University)
- Le Chen (Western University)
- Giacomo Folinazzo (Niagara College)
- Hang-Sun Kim (University of Toronto)
- Ibtissem Knouzi (York University)
- Geoff Lawrence (York University)
- Faith Marcel (Niagara College)
- Ashley Moore (OISE)
- Enrica Piccardo (OISE)
- Barbara Schmenk (University of Waterloo)
- Ji-young Shin (UTM)
- Shelley K. Taylor (Western University)
- Yasuyo Tomita (University of Toronto)
- Shawna-Kaye Tucker (OISE)
- Marlon Valencia (Glendon College)
- Zhaozhe Wang (UTM)
- Aisha Adebayo (OISE)
- Giacomo Folinazzo (Niagara College)
- Umme Kulsum (OISE)
- Lisa Lackner (OISE)
- Faith Marcel (Niagara College)
- Asad Iqbal (OISE)
- Enrica Piccardo (OISE)
- Shaden Attia
- Nataliya Borkovska
- Mahdi Ghadamgahi
- Sarah Jones
- Mayo Kawaguchi
- Michael Koslowski
- Richard Martinez Loyola
- Alexis Skopelitis
Presented By
The Symposium 2025 is being presented by the the Centre for Research in Education at Niagara College and the Centre for Educational Research in Languages and Literacies (CERLL) at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. This event is a collaboration with the Department of Languages and Cultures, the Faculty of Education at Western University, the Graduate Program in Linguistics & Applied Linguistics at the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York University, the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies at the University of Waterloo, the Language Department at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
