The ESPSIG (English for Specific Purposes Special Interest Group) and RESIG (Research Special Interest Group) of IATEFL are collaborating to host an online conference on Researching ESP: Approaches and Methods on Saturday 14th November, 2026.
The conference aims are to:
- Share good practice
- Collate ways of researching ESP pedagogy
- Create a space for thinking about ESP and research
- Encourage research collaboration
We open up the call for papers to teachers, practitioners and researchers to share research practices related to English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Academic Purposes (EAP), Occupational Purposes (EOP), Professional Purposes (EPP), Content Learning in Language (CLIL) and English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) or any other allied subject.
We welcome contributions that explore empirical research, theoretical insights, and methodological innovations. We welcome proposals on (but not limited to):
- Research methods in ESP
- Practitioner/teacher research/classroom-based research
- Research ethics and ESP (e.g. AI and digital tools; data ethics)
- Researcher and practitioner identity
- Social justice, inclusion and equity
We particularly welcome submissions from early career researchers, doctoral students and under-represented scholars.
Related publications
Introducing researching English for Specific Purposes. (2022). Woodrow, L.
Methodological Approaches in English for Specific Purposes: An Exploratory Systematic Review of Research Trends. (2025). Charef, S., & Tarik Bouguerba.
Updating the Landscape: A Systematic Review of Emerging Trends in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Research. (2025). Pomat, N.
Methods reported in ESP research articles: A comparative survey of two leading journals. (2014). Gollin-Kies, S.
Keynote speakers
Sin Wang Chong, University of St Andrews
Synthesising Research Evidence for ESP Practice
Professor Sin-Wang Chong is Founding Director of the Centre for International, Language and Teacher Education Research (CILTER), University of St Andrews. In a visiting capacity, he is Professor in Education at King’s College London. He edits three international journals: Research Synthesis in Applied Linguistics, Review of Education, and Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. Sin-Wang is a top 2% researcher in education since 2023 and a Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE.
Submissions
Abstracts for paper presentations (up to 200 words) should include title, author(s), affiliation, and contact information. Please also provide 3–5 keywords.
- Deadline for abstract submission: August 31st, 2026
- Notification of acceptance: September 20th, 2026
Selected contributions will also be encouraged to submit an article to our journal, Professional and Academic English.
Registration
Registrations open in September 2026 and will be advertised on the IATEFL website (https://www.iatefl.org/)
The conference fee is £20 for regular attendees and £10 for IATEFL Members.
Conference Organizers
The conference is organized in collaboration between the English for Specific Purposes Special Interest Group (ESPSIG) and the Research Special Interest Group (RESIG) of IATEFL. The organizing committee consists of Milena Tanasijevic (ESPSIG), Ernesto Vargas (RESIG), Blair Matthews (ESPSIG) and Sonja Przulj (ESPSIG).
For questions, please contact the organizing committee via [email protected].