JSLS 2023 the 2nd Conference on Data Science and L2 Studies Successfully Held
data science and L2 studies
From November 3rd to 5th, 2023, the second JSLS (Journal of Second Language Studies) Conference on "Data Science and L2 Studies" chaired by Professor Shiyu Wu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University was successfully held at the School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Over 100 experts and scholars from around the world gathered to engage in lively discussions on the theme of "Data Science and Second Language Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence (AI)."
In recent years, the School of Foreign Languages at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has prioritized interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing the integration of foreign language studies with data science, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and language pathology, achieving significant outcomes. The conference brought together over a hundred participants from disciplines such as linguistics, translation, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and more.
The conference encompassed pre-conference workshops, keynote speeches, group discussions, round-table forums, and editor forums, addressing various cutting-edge issues. Notable presentations included "No more ‘context doesn’t matter’ in analyses of learner or varieties corpus data, please!" by Professor Stefan Th. Gries from the University of California, Santa Barbara, "Do large language models resemble humans in language use?" by Professor Zhenguang Cai from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, “Activity and Descriptivity as Indicators of Style Research: With Reference to Hongloumeng Translations” given by Dr. Kanglong Liu from The Hong Kong Polytechnice University, and "Open scholarship: State of play, future directions, and challenges for second language research" by Professor Emma Marsden from the University of York.
The six parallel group discussions covered topics such as speech perception, language processing and neuroscience, translation studies in the AI era, second language writing and testing and more. Professors and experts from across the country served as commentators, making the discussions vibrant. The parallel sessions showcased the impressive performances of emerging scholars.
A highlight of the conference was a dedicated space for poster presentations. The poster exhibition on the afternoon of November 4th covered a variety of themes, including second language literacy processing and AI-assisted second language acquisition.
The roundtable forum on "Opportunities and Challenges of Second Language Research in the AI Era" discussed the opportunities and challenges posed by AI technology to language learning and research. This demonstrated scholars' foresight and keen interest in the future of linguistic research in the AI era.
The editor forum focused on the "Responsibilities and Missions of Academic Journals in the AI Era." Editors from different journals shared their insights and experiences, discussing the importance and future directions of academic journals in the AI era.
Finally, the conference recognized outstanding papers and posters, encouraging the growth of young scholars in the academic community. It is hoped that this conference will serve as a new starting point for academic exchange, laying a solid foundation for future research and collaboration in the field.
