Conference Theme: Leading in Uncertain Times: Bridging Pedagogy, Research, and Advocacy
To state the obvious, higher education is witnessing unprecedented changes to socio-political structures that impact language education in the U.S. As language educators navigating constant change, we are asked to address several critical issues, including enrollment declines and retention issues, changes to general education and language requirements, reduced access to international education, loss of funding models, and societal skepticism of the value of language learning, to name just a few.
At the same time, as educational leaders, we have agency in how we respond to these challenges. Leading in these uncertain times calls us to work together to develop creative, imaginative solutions that support and strengthen post-secondary language programs. What does creative, transformational leadership in language education look like? How do we advocate together and reach different constituents? And how do we collaborate with others to build strong, beautiful, vibrant programs that inspire teachers and learners?
We welcome proposals for 20-minute presentations from colleagues teaching all languages at all ranks (including language program directors/coordinators/supervisors, tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty, instructors, and graduate students). Both practice-oriented and research-oriented proposals are welcome. Practice-oriented papers should be grounded in theoretical frameworks and/or empirical research, and research-oriented papers should offer practical implications of relevance to language programs in post-secondary settings. Strong preference will be given to proposals focused on languages other than English.
New in 2026: Virtual Poster Presentations. Graduate students and early career colleagues (<3 years in the field) are encouraged to submit virtual posters for a special session during the conference. More information about the format of the poster session will be sent to accepted poster presenters. Poster sessions will also exclusively be eligible for a new SOLPHE Early Career Poster Award at the conference this year!
Proposals (including posters) must fall under one of two strands:
Strand 1: Language Teaching and Learning - Topics that fit this strand include, but are not limited to:
Pedagogical practices and approaches (e.g., task-based language teaching, multiliteracies and genre-based pedagogies, experiential learning, etc.)
Content-based instruction (e.g., language for specific purposes, languages across the curriculum, language-content integration)
Assessment of instructional outcomes
Teaching for diversity, inclusion, equity, access, and social justice
Intercultural competence and communication
Students’ and instructors’ perceptions of pedagogical practices
Technology integration
Strand 2: Language Program Administration - Topics that fit this strand include, but are not limited to:
Advocacy for language education
Student recruitment and retention
Mission, vision, and objectives of language programs
Curriculum development and revision
Selection and development of instructional materials
Course placement assessments, procedures, and practices
Program evaluation and articulation
Supervision, mentoring, and professional development of graduate student instructors (GSIs) or Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs)
Supervision, mentoring, and professional development of non-GSI/GTA educator colleagues
Evaluation and professional development of language program directors
Contextual factors (e.g., small programs, less commonly taught languages, multi-section programs, multi-language departments)
Language pedagogy/applied linguistics seminars (e.g., the “teaching methods” course)
Training future language program administrators
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
You may submit only one proposal as lead presenter. You may be listed as a co-presenter on one additional proposal. All proposals must be written in English.
In addition to providing the name(s) and affiliation(s) of each presenter, your submission must also include an uploaded file with the following elements:
- a title (15 words maximum)
- an abstract (300 words maximum)
- a 50-word summary to be included in the program
Important: The file you upload must not contain any personally identifying information; if it does, your submission will not be considered.
Only proposals submitted through EasyAbs on July 15, 2026 by 11:59 PM (Central Time) will be considered. If you do not already have an EasyAbs account, you will need to create one before submitting your proposal on the submission site for SOLPHE 2026.
KEY DATES:
Submissions due: July 15, 2026
Notification of acceptance/rejection: August 15, 2026
Registration opens: August 15, 2026