8th International Conference on Chinese as a Second Language Research
May 30, 2025 – June 1, 2025
Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania
CASLAR is a biennial conference with the goal to bring together scholars from all over the world whose research focuses on the acquisition, development and use of Chinese as a second language to survey available knowledge in the field, exchange ideas and initiate research projects. The conference is a part of the CASLAR movement that aims to transform a field from a primarily experienced-and practice-based discipline into a discipline based on and supported by research and theory. The first CASLAR conference was held at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China in 2010, the second one was in Taipei, Taiwan in 2012, the third conference was held in Parma, Italy in 2014, CASLAR-4 was held at East China Normal University, China in 2016, CASLAR-5 was held at University of Hong Kong, China in 2018, CASLAR -6 was held in Washington, DC, USA and CASLAR-7 was hosted by Peking University, Beijing, China. Another means supporting the CASLAR movement is a bilingual journal Chinese as a Second Language Research 漢語作為第二語言研究 published by De Gruyter Mouton; Berlin/New York. Copies of the journal will be available at the conference. Website of the journal: http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/caslar
In Memory of Professor István Kecskés (1947- 2025)
With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Professor István Kecskés, who, after more than three months of medical treatment, passed away at 21:01 (China Standard Time) on February 24, 2025, at the General Hospital in Shanghai, China. István Kecskés was born on September 20, 1947, in Miskolc, Hungary. He earned his PhD in comparative linguistics from Kossuth University (now Debrecen University) in 1977 and an academic degree from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1986. He had been living and working in the US since 1989 Prof. Kecskés was a distinguished scholar, visionary leader, and dedicated educator whose contributions to linguistics, multilingualism, and intercultural communication leave an enduring legacy. He held numerous esteemed fellowships and honorary titles, reflecting his global impact on academia. He was a Distinguished Professor at the State University of New York, University at Albany, and served as President of the American Pragmatics Association (AMPRA). He was also appointed Honorary Professor at the School of International Chinese Studies, Institute of Global Chinese Language Teacher Education at East China Normal University.
Since 2013, he had also been a Distinguished Research Professor at National Research Tomsk State University and held visiting professorships at institutions such as Monash University, the University of Messina, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, and Brigham Young University. His scholarship earned him prestigious fellowships, including residencies at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Research Center, the Mitteleuropa Foundation, and Duke University’s Humanities Computing Center.
A true pioneer in language research, Professor Kecskés launched the Chinese as a Second Language Research (CASLAR) project in 2010. The first step was the international conference held in Hangzhou, followed by the launch of the bilingual CASLAR journal in 2011, published by De Gruyter. In 2014, the CASLAR Association was established at the University of Parma (Italy) to foster academic dialogue and research collaboration. Thanks to Professor Kecskés’ tireless efforts, CASLAR has become a global reference point, uniting conferences, publications, and a research network to build a strong theoretical foundation for Chinese language teaching.
Beyond CASLAR, he was also the Editor-in-chief of the journal Intercultural Pragmatics (De Gruyter), and the founder and co-director of the Barcelona Summer School on Bi- and Multilingualism, the Sorbonne-Paris– SUNY Albany graduate student symposium series, and the Intercultural Pragmatics and Communication conference series. These initiatives have provided vital platforms for scholars worldwide to engage in meaningful academic discourse.
Professor Kecskés’ legacy endures through his extensive publications, innovative theories, and dedication to bridging linguistic and cultural divides. His work significantly shaped the study of language use in global contexts, contributing to research on English as a lingua franca and intercultural pragmatics, with publications such as English as a Lingua Franca: The Pragmatic Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Intercultural Pragmatics (Oxford University Press, 2013) and, co-authored with his beloved wife
Tünde Papp, Foreign Language and Mother Tongue (Taylor & Francis, 2000). He also edited influential volumes such as The Cambridge Handbook of Intercultural Pragmatics (2022), Common Ground in First Language and Intercultural Interaction (De Gruyter Mouton, 2023), and Key Issues in Chinese as a Second Language Research (Routledge, 2017), among many other books, articles, and chapters.
His intellectual curiosity, mentorship, and generosity in sharing knowledge inspired countless students and colleagues. His passing is a profound loss to the academic community, but his legacy will live on through the scholars, institutions, and research initiatives he nurtured.
We would like to thank all the Chinese friends for the support and assistance provided during Prof. Kecskés’ hospitalization.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
With deepest sympathy,
Anqi Ding, Lizhen Peng, Carlotta Sparvoli
This conference will offer keynote speeches, breakout sessions, panel presentations, poster presentations, workshops, publisher exhibitions, etc. to promote collaboration, provide new knowledge, support peer-to-peer learning, and deepen communications between researchers and Chinese language practitioners at all levels.
The conference is organized by Chinese as a Second Language Research (CASLAR) Association and Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania
Conference Co-Chairs
- Distinguished Professor Istvan Kecskes, Chairman of CASLAR, Editor-in-Chief of Intercultural Pragmatics and the CASLAR journal, State University of New York, Albany, USA.
-Mihaela Gheorghe, linguistics professor, Vice-Rector of Transilvania University of Brașov, senior researcher at the Romanian Academy „Iorgu Iordan” Linguistics Institute.
-Adrian Lacatus, Dean of the Faculty of Letters, Transilvania University of Brașov, associate professor of Comparative Literature, vice-president of the Romanian Association of Comparative Literature.
Confirmed Plenary Speakers
-Hang Zhang (George Washington University, USA)
-Anqi Ding (East China Normal University, Shanghai, China)
-Carlotta Sparvoli (Ca'Foscari University Venice, Italy)