The 2^ndGDUFS Forum on Applied Linguisticsisorganized by National Key Research Centre for Linguistics & Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China. The Forum will start in the morning of 8 December 2012 and close in the afternoon of 9 December 2012. Preceding the Forum, on 7 December, two workshops will take place as follows:

Call for Papers

The Forum invites proposals for presentation that are related to policy, research, and theory from all areas of applied linguistics research. Paper proposals should not have been previously published. All submissions will be reviewed anonymously by the scientific committee and evaluated in terms of originality, clarity, significance of findings and conclusions.

Plenary Speakers

²J. Charles Alderson，Lancaster University (UK)

Exploring and understanding diagnostic testing.

Diagnostic language testing has until recently been largely ignored by language test developers and language testing researchers, who have concentrated on high-stakes proficiency tests like TOEFL iBT, IELTS or the Pearson Test of English Academic. However, now there are some signs of an emerging interest in developing diagnostic tests. Unfortunately, what are claimed to be diagnostic tests are often little more than placement tests, and are rarely based on a theory of language learning, or a theory of diagnosis. However, tests should be specifically developed for their purpose, which in this case is not placement or proficiency, but detailed diagnosis ofthe cognitive and linguistic features which predict a learner's strengths and weaknesses in language abilities.

This presentation describes the results of DIALUKI,a series of studies exploring a range of potential diagnostic measures, longitudinal investigations of L2 reading and writing development as well as intervention studies teaching morphological awareness, extensive reading, vocabulary development and writing ability.

I present details of the various instruments being used to assess reading and writing in L1 and L2, as well as other linguistic and cognitive variables, learners’ motivation and their backgrounds. Except for the motivation and background questionnaires, all instruments were administered in informants' first language (Finnish or Russian) as well as their second language (English or Finnish), in order to examine their applicability for L2 diagnosis.

The presentation will close with a discussion of the implications of the results of the DIALUKI project for the design of diagnostic tests of second or foreign language reading and writing.

²Shichun Gui，Guangdong University of Foreign Studies;Huizhong, Yang,Shanghai Jiao Tong University

China -- A Case Study of Critical Testing

China is the homeland of critical testing as well as service examination system. As a political tool, Ke’ju had undergone a process of 1300 years of stage-setting, flourishing, and perishing as a consequence of different political considerations, but the political and social issues that perplexed Ke’ju continues to affect testing and examination in present-day China. The study tries to look at the Entrance Examination to Higher Education(EEHE) in terms of Equality，Fairness and Openness, the three principled pillars of modern testing and examination in China, with special emphasis on the social roots of dominant ideologies, de-standardization, and conflict between the academics and the administration.

Presentation

Individual Papers will be allocated 30 minutes – 20 minutes for presentation and 10 for discussion.

Format of Proposals

Proposals should consist of

²a title

²an abstract (maximum 500 words)

²author’s name

²affiliation(s)

²email address.

All proposals should be submitted toapgdufs2012@126.com

Important Dates

31 August 2012：deadline for all submissions

30 September 2012：notification of acceptance

21 October 2012:deadline for online registration

7 December 2012：workshops

8-9 December 2012：conference

Working Languages

English and Chinese

Publication of Papers

A selection of papers presented at the 2^ndGDUFS Forum on Applied Linguistics will be included in the proceeding book.