8th International Language and development conference

The 8th International Language and Development Conference, is scheduled to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 23 to 25 June 2009. The conference has a strong focus on providing a forum for examining important issues related to language policy, language learning and language teaching in the context of the developing world and, in particular, from the perspective of policy makers, language and literacy educators, development professionals and donors. An event of such stature will be of interest to language and development institutions and specialists around the world.

The Conference is being hosted by British Council Bangladesh in partnership with the University Grants Commission (UGC), Institute of Education and Research, University of Dhaka, the Department for International Development (DFIDB), Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Principles of the Conference Series

Over the years, a set of principles have emerged to guide conference planning and organization. These are:

Whenever and wherever possible, the conference should be held in a developing country.

Conference themes and focus areas should encompass a broad understanding of Language and Development issues, both internationally and in the host country.

The conference should provide a forum for discussing change and contribute to the professional development of people involved.

Participation should be balanced among national and international delegates.

Strategies, including a flexible fee structure and a plan for attracting funding, should allow for maximum participation by delegates who would not otherwise be able to participate.

Previous conference organizers should be involved in the planning of subsequent conferences.

It is the prerogative of the current organizer to invite other co-organizers to be involved as they deem appropriate, and

Current organizers should have access to administrative documents and files, including budget details, mailing lists and results of evaluations, from previous conference hosts.

Trustees

The current group of trustees are listed here, along with the conference years in which they were co-organizers. They are:

Geoffrey Crewes (1995, 1997)

Tony Crooks (1995, 1997)

Netsanet Demewoz (2005)

Jamilya Gulyamova (2003)

Psyche Kennett (1999)

Paul Mahony (2001)

Simon Mills (2005)

William Savage (1993, 1995)

Martin Seviour (2003

Jonathan Shaw (1993, 1999)

Future conference organizers will be invited to be trustees. The trustees may also suggest other people to be involved in planning the conference series. These could be individuals who have an interest in the field or who have contributed to previous conferences.