• December 2- 4 2009: First combined conference for the the Applied Linguistics Associations of New Zealand and Australia
• July 12- 16 2010: Hui on Māori Literacy within Māori Medium Education and bi-lingual units in English Medium Education
• July 26- 30: ‘Critical Link 6′ Interpreting in a Changing Landscape conference.

The Applied Linguistics Associations of New Zealand and Australia (ALANZ and ALAA) are pleased to announce that their first combined conference will be held in Auckland from December 2- 4 2009 at AUT University. The theme of the conference is ‘Participation and acquisition: Exploring these metaphors in Applied Linguistics’. Keynote speakers include: Lourdes Ortega (University of Hawaii at Manoa), Cathie Elder (University of Melbourne), Tim McNamara (University of Melbourne), Gary Barkhuizen (University of Auckland). The draft programme will be available on the ALANZ website from October 2009. For further information contact Professor John Bitchener (ph.0064 9 921 9999 ext 7830).

A hui on Māori Literacy within Māori Medium Education and bi-lingual units in English Medium Education will be held at Tangatarua Marae, Waiaraiki Polytechnic, Rotorua from July 12- 16 2010. Hui participants will have the opportunity to hear Cathy Rau – one of New Zealand’s foremost experts in the field of Māori medium literacy; participate in reading, writing and oral language workshops; engage with keynote speakers; and interact with current classroom practitioners. The early bird cost for the noho marae is $410, while noho ki wāhi kē is $335.00. The cost after 28 May 2010 is $510 / $435. Registrations close on 11 June 2010. For more information and to register online go to the TRCC website, email or phone them (0800 872 211).

The ‘Critical Link 6′ Interpreting in a Changing Landscape conference will be held on July 26- 30 2010 with the aim of bringing together representatives from all spheres of the public service interpreting community, and to examine the role of interpreters in the world. The conference will be held at Aston University (Languages and Social Sciences) in Birmingham UK, and aims to explore the political, legal, human rights, transnational, economic, socio-cultural, and sociolinguistic aspects of public service or community interpreting. The deadline for submissions of abstracts and proposals is October 31 2009. Visit the website for Aston University to download a call for papers or make an online submission.