2026 ICC-Languages Conference: Multilingualism and Migrant Integration in Adult Language Education - Practices, Challenges and Opportunities
Zürich, Switzerland
Organization: ICC-the International Language Association
The 33rd annual conference of ICC–the International Language Association – will take place in Zürich, Switzerland, from 8 to 10 May 2026.
The conference serves as a platform for the exchange of innovative ideas, the dissemination of research findings and discussions on the challenges and opportunities in language education. Scholars and practitioners will gather to explore the conference theme, fostering discourse on language teaching and learning.
Multilingualism and Migrant Integration in Adult Language Education: Practices, Challenges and Opportunities
Building on UNESCO’s Languages Matter: Global Guidance on Multilingual Education (2025), the conference will examine how multilingualism shapes adult language learning and lifelong education, addressing classroom practice, workplace learning, teacher development and innovation. These educational dimensions are closely connected to broader social and economic realities: across Europe, persistent labour shortages and the growing demand for upskilling have made the integration of migrants and refugees into the workforce a priority. In this context, language proficiency is often the decisive step that allows individuals to access further training and employment opportunities. Switzerland’s multilingual environment, with German, French, Italian and Romansh, provides a particularly relevant setting in which to examine how inclusive approaches to adult language education can support participation, integration and employability.
Thematic Areas for Discussion
- Classroom practices and strategies
- Literacy and lifelong learning opportunities
- Linguistic and cultural practices in heritage language contexts
- Workplace language learning and professional communication
Inclusion, Integration and Participation
Language education and professional integration for migrants and refugees
Practical cases and lessons learned from integration programmes
Barriers and limits in multilingual provision and professional integration
Pedagogies fostering belonging and participation
Innovation, Teacher Development and Policy
AI and digital tools for multilingual education
Teacher training, professional development and practitioner perspectives
Assessment in multilingual adult education
Comparative and international policy frameworks
Labour market trends and their impact on language teaching
Recognition of prior, non-formal and informal learning
Intercultural Communication and Mediation
Developing intercultural competence in language learners
?Challenges and opportunities in cross-cultural communication
Mediation as a tool for fostering inclusion in multilingual and multicultural settings
Technology-supported mediation practices in professional and educational contexts
Adult Learning in Multilingual Contexts
Developing intercultural competence in language learners
Challenges and opportunities in cross-cultural communication
Mediation as a tool for fostering inclusion in multilingual and multicultural settings
Technology-supported mediation practices in professional and educational contexts
Keynote Speaker
Terry Lamb, Professor of Languages and Interdisciplinary Pedagogy
University of Westminster, UK
Further details, including the abstract submission form, guidelines, and updates, are available on the conference webpage.
https://icc-languages.eu/conferences/2026-conference-switzerland/
ICC-Languages Team