Keynote Speakers
Prof. Yi Zhang
Northwestern Polytechnical University, China
Biography
Yi Zhang is Professor and Ph.D supervisor at School of Foreign Studies, Northwestern Polytechnical University. She has published 87 research articles and led 7 national projects. She was awarded the “National Award for Teaching Achievement” and holds various academic roles in China and Sweden.
Talk Title
Integrating Systemic Functional Linguistics and Digital Tools to Enhance Research Competence in EFL Learners
Abstract
It is not uncommon for Chinese English as a Foreign Languages (EFL) learners to face challenges in academic expression and research skills. This study addresses this gap by integrating Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) with modern technologies (including AI) into an academic presentation course. Drawing on SFL’s interpersonal, ideational, and textual functions, the course aims to cultivate cross-cultural communication, critical thinking, and structured academic output. Students engage in technology-enhanced activities aligned with Bloom’s taxonomy: from AI-assisted essay comparison and video summarization (knowledge/comprehension), through SPSS and online interview analysis (application/synthesis), to reflective journals and short video production (evaluation/creation). The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) measured outcomes among 140 students. Pre- to post-course comparisons showed significant overall improvement (p < 0.001), with notable differences in truth-seeking, self-confidence, inquisitiveness, and cognitive maturity. No significant differences were observed in open-mindedness, analyticity, or systematicity. The findings demonstrate that a blended SFL technology pedagogy effectively transforms passive language learning into active academic output, enhancing research competence and innovation in foreign language undergraduates.
Assoc. Prof. Dina Mehmedbegovic-Smith
University College London, UK
Biography
Dr Dina Mehmedbegovic-Smith is Associate Professor of Education and Applied Linguistics at University College London (UCL). Her research explores multilingualism, language policy and the cognitive and wellbeing benefits of language learning. Bridging education, neuroscience and social justice, Dina developed Healthy Linguistic Diet (HLD) – a framework that positions language learning as essential nourishment for the brain. As Founder and Director of Healthy Linguistic Diet Ltd, she works internationally across five continents with schools, universities and policymakers to promote inclusive, plurilingual education. Her HLD concept is endorsed in two key European Commission reports and has influenced language policy and teacher training initiatives across Europe. She has introduced three original concepts in applied linguistics: Healthy Linguistic Diet, Imported Bilingualism and Academic Monolingualism - each contributing to a deeper understanding of how languages shape cognition, identity and wellbeing. Her work continues to inspire global efforts toward more equitable and enriching approaches to language education.
Talk Title
Healthy Linguistic Diet: Sustaining Linguistic Diversity, Well-being and Plurilingual Futures
Abstract
Healthy Linguistic Diet (HLD) framework responds to the urgent need to sustain linguistic diversity while supporting well-being in contemporary multilingual societies. Developed through interdisciplinary research, HLD conceptualises language engagement as essential cognitive and social nourishment, positioning plurilingualism as central to lifelong development and meaningful participation.
In alignment with the aims of ICCLL 2026, this keynote foregrounds language learning as a key mechanism for sustaining linguistic diversity and enabling more inclusive forms of participation across cultural and linguistic contexts. HLD advances a pedagogical agenda that legitimises learners’ full linguistic repertoires, fosters academic plurilingualism and creates conditions for belonging and engagement.
Crucially, the framework is particularly significant in contexts where languages are vulnerable or endangered. HLD provides a lens for understanding processes of language shift and loss, while also identifying the role of education in supporting language maintenance, revitalisation and intergenerational transmission. It highlights how pedagogical and policy decisions can either sustain or erode linguistic diversity as a shared social and cultural resource.
By introducing the concept of linguistic and epistemic habitats, the framework further illuminates how environments enable or constrain the development and use of linguistic resources. The keynote will demonstrate how HLD can inform sustainable, well-being-oriented approaches to language learning that support both individual well-being and the vitality of diverse linguistic ecologies.