Conferences

Information

The 29th International Conference of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics (PAAL 2025)

Date: August 20-21, 2025

  • Theme: New Frontiers in Language Education and Applied Linguistics
  • Venue: Academic Building 3, Hongo-Bunkyo Campus, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan

Access Map

Access

Nearest Stations

  • Ochanomizu Station of JR Chuo Line/ Chuo-Sobu Line
  • Ochanomizu Station of Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
  • Shin-Ochanomizu Station of Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line
  • Suidobashi Station of Toei Subway Mita Line
  • Suidobashi Station of JR Chuo-Sobu Line

Keynote Speaker

  • Keynote Speaker: Yasuhiro Shirai
    Professor, Department of Cognitive Science
    Case Western Reserve University

    Title: Semantic Bias in the Acquisition of Tense-Aspect Morphology: Universals?

    Abstract:
    This talk outlines the current state of the Aspect Hypothesis (Andersen & Shirai, 1994; Shirai & Andersen, 1995), which predicts that learners are strongly influenced by lexical aspect in acquiring tense and aspect markers in L1 and L2; namely, past perfective markers are associated with telic verbs (achievements and accomplishments) while general imperfective markers are associated with atelic verbs (states and activities) and progressive markers with activity verbs. Although there has been a general agreement on this association pattern as a universal tendency (e.g., Shirai, Slobin, & Weist, 1998; Andersen & Shirai, 1994; Shirai, 2009), explanations for these tendencies are still controversial. I will argue that the cases that go against the predicted tendencies—namely, Japanese (Shirai, 1998) and Inuktitut (Swift, 2004) in L1 and Japanese (Ishida, 2004) and Russian (Whitehead Martelle & Shirai, 2024) in L2—support the input-based explanation (i.e., the Distributional Bias Hypothesis, Andersen, 1993).

    More about Professor Shirai:

    Faculty Profile at Case Western Reserve University
    Connectionism and Language Acquisition (book link) 

Program | Updated 25.08.14

Conference Book | Updated 25.08.14

For Presenters

Oral Presentations

  • 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for Q & A
  • The available connector on the projector in the classroom is HDMI.
  • You are required to use a Windows PC provided on-site (Mac or Linux PCs are not available), so please make sure to bring a USB drive containing your presentation file.
  • If you happen to be a Mac user, you may use your Mac. However, please ensure that it has an HDMI port or bring a USB-C to HDMI adapter.

Poster Presentations

  • 90 minutes for Q & A
  • The poster panel is approximately 180cm high and 90cm wide.
  • You can use the pins that are provided by the conference organizer.

Registration for PAAL 2025

Conference Fee

We accept payment in U.S. dollars only. Thank you for your understanding.

Lunch Guide Map

 

The Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics welcomes abstract submissions in all areas of applied
linguistics (broadly defined), including but not limited to the topics below. We particularly encourage submissions
that align with this year's theme, “New Frontiers in Language Education and Applied Linguistics.”

  • Topics:
    Second Language Acquisition,
    Language Acquisition,
    TESOL,
    Language and Culture,
    Pedagogy (Language/Literature),
    Theoretical Linguistics,
    Text Analysis,
    Language & Technology,
    Psycholinguistics/Neurolinguistics,
    Language Testing,
    Sociolinguistics,
    Language Policy and Planning,
    World Englishes/ELF,
    Phonetics/Phonology,
    Motivation

Submission Guidelines

  • The word count of your abstract should be 300 words or fewer.
  • Write your abstract using the abstract template.
  • All presenters, including co-presenters, are required to be PAAL members before the deadline for early-bird
    registration, which is July 31, 2025. If you are a regular PAAL member, please ensure that your 2025 annual membership is valid before the registration deadline.
  • The abstracts will undergo double-blind peer-review and, if accepted, will be included in the 2025 PAAL
    International Conference Book.
  • Abstracts should be submitted to: https://forms.gle/BvfkELtdo1cyHJwG9

Important dates

  • Deadline for abstract submission: May 31, 2025, at 23:59 (GMT +9)
    → June 7, 2025, at 23:59 (GMT +9)
  • Notification of acceptance: June 15, 2025
  • Deadline for early-bird registration: July 31, 2025
  • Deadline for regular registration: August 15, 2025

Presentation Format

Accepted submissions will be scheduled for a presentation using one of the following presentation modes.

  • Oral presentation: 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for Q & A
  • Student oral presentation: 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for Q & A
    ⇒All presenters in this category are automatically qualified to be candidates for the “PAAL Excellent
    Graduate Student Presentation Award.”
  • Poster presentation: 90 minutes for Q & A
  • Please note that if the presenter does not show up, no certificate will be issued.

Further information on the conference

  • Please check the PAAL website for any updates: https://www.paaljapan.org/
  • For any questions, please send us an email at: office@paaljapan.org

 

Conferences