Undergraduate ENGL Conference PolyU-CALLS 2023 a Resounding Success

Organised by the Department of English and Communication (ENGL), the first-ever PolyU Undergraduate Conference on Applied Linguistics and Language Studies (PolyU-CALLS) was held on Saturday, 4 March 2023. Over 100 students from PolyU and other universities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area participated, showcasing undergraduate student research in Applied Linguistics and Communication. The Conference featured plenary speeches by ENGL faculty members Professor Dennis Tay and Dr Anne Schluter and research presentations by undergraduate students on topics that included language and social media, the linguistic landscape and urban spaces, next-generation workplaces, and language and European studies.

The organisers of PolyU-CALLS 2023 were thrilled with the level of engagement and energy at the event, with attendees including faculty, postgraduate students and undergraduate students. A post-conference survey received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with attendees praising the content and organisation of the conference.

PolyU-CALLS reflects ENGL’s increasing focus on undergraduate student research. "We saw a need for an event that was tailored to students' research interests, especially those who are completing their Capstone or Final Year projects. We hope that the conference will inspire Applied Linguistics and Communication students in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to get involved in language-based research more actively and spearhead their own original research studies," said Professor Eric Friginal, Head of ENGL.

The Department recognises the outstanding presenters whose work went above and beyond in demonstrating research excellence. After evaluating both abstract submissions and the presentations themselves, ENGL would like to announce the following PolyU-CALLS 2023 award winners:

• Best PolyU-CALLS presentation: Ashima Shukla from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Best ENGL presentation: Nok Lam Wong from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Best non-ENGL presentation: Sum Wai Li from Hong Kong Baptist University

The level of student participation at PolyU-CALLS 2023 highlights an appetite for more student-oriented conferences in Applied Linguistics and Language Studies. Dr Max Diaz, ENGL Undergraduate Programme Leader, stated that "It's exciting to see students getting exposure to new research topics, receiving feedback on their studies, and experiencing an authentic academic conference. We're already planning next year's conference and hope to make it bigger and better." With its first chapter having come to a successful close, students and ENGL are already looking forward to PolyU-CALLS 2024.