Conference
LLRC conference 2026: Language teacher research
- Date
- Friday 5 June 2026
- Time
- Address
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- 005, 147, 148
Research into second language (L2) teaching, learning and acquisition, can be extremely valuable for the development of quality language education. Yet, sometimes research can seem far removed from practice, or does not reach or address the ‘real’ questions of those to whom it could mean most: teachers and students. Unless, of course, they are the ones doing the research.
With this in mind, the 2026 LLRC conference focuses on language teacher research, a type of research that is inherently positioned within the teaching context it investigates. Keynote speaker Dr Darío Banegas of the University of Edinburgh will share with us his insights from and regarding teachers’ action research, and the programme will place research by teachers in the spotlight.
Call for abstracts
On June 5th, 2026, the LLRC will organize a one-day conference through and on language teacher research. We welcome research by all types of teachers: from initial language teachers to experienced language teachers, from BA to PhD-research, from action research, educational design projects, and on all kinds of topics, as long as the researcher focuses on their own practice. In addition, we welcome presentations (research and good practice) that have language teacher research as topic.
LLRC will evaluate research abstracts using the usual criteria for research presentations (clear rationale leading to relevant research questions, rigidity of research methods, and clarity of style). We also ask all presenters to (briefly) reflect on the role of teachers in education research.
Deadline for abstract submission: February 15th, 2026.
Keynote: Small studies, big insights: The power of language teacher research
Abstract
What motivates practitioners to undertake language teacher research? Why do mentors, teacher educators, and researchers advocate for it? Language teacher research is often understood as inquiry conducted by teachers, for teachers: it supports informed decision-making, strengthens professional judgment, and helps improve classroom practice. Although many projects are small in scale (for example, one teacher working with one class), the insights generated can extend beyond a single setting, contributing to wider professional knowledge and dialogue. In this talk, I will share illustrative examples of language teacher research from diverse contexts and use them to reflect on the approach’s distinctive features, its practical and professional benefits, persistent challenges (including time, ethics, and recognition), and strategies for dissemination to different communities. You will be invited to identify a question from your own classroom and consider a feasible way to investigate it. The aim is not only to showcase teacher research, but to offer practical starting points —how to turn everyday classroom questions into doable research, gather useful evidence with minimal burden, and share findings in ways that matter locally.
Bio
Darío Luis Banegas Senior Lecturer in Language Education at the Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, where he is also Director of Postgraduate Research. He leads a master’s course on second language curriculum development. His main interests are: CLIL, action research, social justice, and pre-service language teacher education.
Contact information
If you have any questions, please send an email to llrc@hum.leidenuniv.nl.