Edmonton Symposium 2026
Creating Ripples – Teaching, Learning, and Care
Symposium Date: Friday, May 22, 2026
Location: University of Alberta, Edmonton
Our field is navigating a time of complex change. Across Alberta and beyond, many colleagues are facing job insecurity or have lost positions as programs close. Immigration policies continue to shift.
Support for EDI initiatives is being challenged. Globally, the geopolitical landscape feels unstable and uncertain. In an industry already sensitive to political and economic shifts, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed — even powerless. And yet, many of us remain deeply committed to our students and our profession.
This year, we are drawing inspiration from something simple: ripples in water. Water adapts without losing its essence. It can be gentle, or powerful. It sustains life, fosters growth, and moves forward rather than stagnating. Ripples remind us that meaningful change often begins with small, intentional actions — in our classrooms, in our conversations, and in our communities. We may not control every current of change, but we do have influence within our own spheres.
The 2026 Edmonton Symposium will be a space to reconnect in person, rebuild networks, and feel empowered. A space to share what we are learning. A space to care — for our learners, for our profession, and for ourselves.
We hope you will join us on Friday, May 22nd at the University of Alberta as we gather to teach, to learn, and to create ripples together.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The symposium will highlight practices that create positive ripples across our field—whether through innovative pedagogy, inclusive teaching practices, emerging technologies, community engagement, or research that informs our work.
We invite proposals that share ideas, practical strategies, innovations, and research that contribute to the evolving landscape of English language teaching and learning.
We encourage proposals from:
- classroom instructors
- researchers
- program administrators
- graduate students
- community organizations
Whether you are sharing classroom practices, innovative ideas, or research, your work contributes to the ripples of change shaping language education today.
To submit a proposal please fill out this Google Form before April 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM. The call will not be extended beyond this date to give reviewers sufficient time to select the best presentations.
All proposals will be blind reviewed by two members of the programming committee based on:
- relevance to the ATEAL community
- connections to practice, theory, policy, or research
- clarity of session plan and outcomes
- quality of the abstract
Decisions will be communicated via email on May 1st, 2026.
Important dates
Call for Proposals Opens: March 24, 2026
Submissions close: April 14, 2026
Notification of Acceptance: May 1, 2026
Symposium Date: May 22, 2026
Thank you for your interest in the 2026 ATEAL Edmonton Symposium. We’re looking forward to your presentations!
Your support and generosity make events like this possible.
We look forward to creating ripples together.
Warmly,
Barbara Edmondson & Sofia Elgueta
ATEAL Edmonton Symposium 2026
Venue & Location Information
University of Alberta, Education Buildings: 11210 87 Ave NW.