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AZCALL Conference 2025

The AZCALL conference is organized by the Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Club at Arizona State University, a student-led organization that promotes the exploration and application of technology in language learning and teaching.

AZCALL is a one-day conference held each year that brings together computer-assisted language learning enthusiasts from around the state and region to share ideas, network, and receive valuable feedback on scholarly research, academic papers, and major conference presentations that are in progress or preparation. This year's AZCALL Conference theme is Beyond Borders: Innovating Language Learning with Technology.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Lara Bryfonski

Georgetown University

Lara Bryfonski is an applied linguist and associate professor at Georgetown University where she conducts research on second language acquisition and language teaching. She has published and presented her research on a variety of topics in applied linguistics, including task-based language teaching (TBLT), teacher training, corrective feedback, language learning and technology, materials development, and methods for second language research. She is PI of a STARTALK program on TBLT that supports teachers and learners of critical languages. Dr. Bryfonski is a credentialed English as a second/foreign language teacher and has taught students from preschool to adulthood in a variety of contexts in the U.S. and abroad. She is passionate about supporting novice language teachers and has worked with NGOs, public and private schools, governmental and financial organizations, and universities to provide research-based training in language teaching. Her 2024 book, co-authored with Alison Mackey, The Art and Science of Language Teaching is available now from Cambridge University Press.

Keynote Talk

Tasks, tools, and teachers: What’s new and next for technology-mediated TBLT?

Given the explosive growth of technology in the second language (L2) classroom, as well as exponential changes to education with the advent of AI, there has been growing interest in the integration of technology with research-based teaching approaches like task-based language teaching (TBLT). TBLT is founded on the idea that tasks should be useful for learners and associated with some need to use their target language (Long,2005: Gilabert & Malicka, forthcoming). Given the prevalence of technology in our day-to-day lives, and especially in the post-COVID world where digitally-mediated communication and language teaching have become even more prevalent (e.g., Kohnke & Moorhouse, 2022), it is critical to examine the interplay between technology and tasks. This talk will explore the current state of the research on technology-mediated TBLT (TMTBLT) highlighting meta-analytic findings, innovative new tools, and challenges for language teachers and teacher educators. The talk will begin with a brief introduction to TBLT and the various frameworks that have been proposed for integrating technology into task-based programs (Smith & González-Lloret, 2021). Next, we will examine current methodological and research trends (Kim & Namkung, 2024; Plonsky & Kim, 2016), including the results of a recent meta-analysis (Bryfonski et al., in press) of 106 tech-mediated TBLT studies. Then, we will hone in on newer technologies like virtual reality (Taguchi &Zhao, 2025) and AI (Timpe-Laughlin et al., 2023), and explore how they are being used to support task-based learning, teaching, and research. The talk will conclude by considering how language teachers and teacher educators can navigate the evolving landscape of technology and tasks, and what support is needed to do so.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Danielle McNamara

Arizona State University

Dr. Danielle S. McNamara is a Professor of Psychology and the Executive Director of the Learning Engineering Institute at Arizona State University. A leading expert in cognitive science, learning sciences, and artificial intelligence in education, Dr. McNamara has developed widely used intelligent tutoring systems—including iSTART and Writing Pal—that integrate natural language processing with cognitive strategy instruction. Her work spans reading comprehension, writing, self-regulated learning, and automated text analysis, with a particular focus on designing tools that adapt to learner needs. At the Learning Engineering Institute, she leads interdisciplinary teams to build scalable, data-informed technologies that support learning across domains, populations, and languages.

Keynote Talk

Literacy Beyond Borders: AI-Powered Learning Tools for Language and Literacy Development

In this plenary talk, Dr. Danielle McNamara will explore how artificial intelligence, natural language processing (NLP), and the learning sciences can be harnessed to support literacy and language learning across contexts, domains, and linguistic boundaries. Drawing on three decades of interdisciplinary research, she will showcase intelligent tutoring systems developed by her team—such as iSTART and Writing Pal—which offer game-based, strategy-focused practice in reading comprehension and writing. These tools exemplify how cognitive science and NLP can work in tandem to foster learners’ metacognitive skills through interactive dialogue and scaffolded feedback. She and her team at the ASU Learning Engineering Institute (LEI) are currently building the next generation of AI-empowered technologies to support literacy, writing, foreign language practice, and just-in-time feedback. These new tools continue a longstanding commitment to data-driven personalization, grounded in research from learning sciences, and guided by principles of learning engineering. This talk will highlight the design principles and empirical foundations underlying these innovations, with particular attention to how they can support diverse learners and promote equitable access to language learning and literacy. By emphasizing strategies, adaptability, and learner interactions, Dr. McNamara illustrates how technology-enhanced instruction can advance literacy and language development beyond traditional borders—disciplinary, linguistic, and geographical.

Post Conference Workshop

Facilitated by Dr. Lara Bryfonski

How to Develop Technology-Mediated Tasks: Best Practices for Researchers and Teachers

Given the modern-day ubiquity of technology, it is essential to continue to investigate its applicability to a variety of second language (L2) instructional contexts. Task-based language teaching (TBLT) prioritizes the kinds of needs-based, meaning-focused interactions, negotiations, and feedback shown to drive second language acquisition (Keck et al., 2006; Mackey & Goo, 2007). Given TBLT’s focus on learners’ real-world needs, many of which these days require the use of technology, it is critical for researchers and teachers to be able to develop tasks that successfully integrate technological elements. The workshop will begin with an interactive survey where participants will have the chance to ask and respond to common questions regarding TBLT and learners’ needs, with a focus on common real-world tasks that involve technology. Then, there will be an introduction to key concepts in TBLT and a rationale for integrating technology into task- based instruction. Afterward, participants will have the chance to create their own technology-integrated task for teaching or research purposes. They will do this by selecting an existing (non-tech mediated) task to adapt from the TBLT Language Learning Task Bank (https://tblt.indiana.edu/index.html) and integrating a technology element. Using our adapted tasks, we will co-create a framework of best-practices for integrating technology into TBLT tasks. The workshop will conclude by returning to the questions from the introduction survey to address any outstanding issues and generate ideas for future directions in TMTBLT.

Conference Sponsors

Conference Schedule

Program Schedule AZCALL 2025.pdf

Post Conference Social Event

Shady Park Directions.pdf

AZCALL 2025 Social Gathering

To continue the conversations sparked throughout the day, we invite all AZCALL attendees to join us for a post-conference social event from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Shady Park (26 E University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281). Just a 5-minute walk from the ASU Tempe campus, this informal gathering offers a relaxed setting for networking, exchanging ideas, and connecting with colleagues across institutions. This informal event provides an opportunity for continued intellectual exchange and collegial networking in a relaxed setting; complimentary appetizers will be provided.

Inside AZCALL 2025: Highlights and Opportunities

azcall video.mp4

AZCALL 2024 Conference Recap

Technology in Language Teaching and Learning: Insights and Innovations from the 11th AZCALL 2024 Conference

Written by Marlene Tovar and Mohamed Almahdi, Ph.D. Candidates, Arizona State University
Published in TESOL's On Call Newsletter, March 2025
👉 Read the full conference recap here

Previous Conferences

Browse past conferences and view asynchronous presentations from 2014 to 2024 in the AZCALL History tab

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