Mission Statement
The International Association for Language Learning Technology (IALLT) is a professional organization whose members provide leadership in the development, integration, evaluation, and management of instructional technology for the teaching and learning of languages, literatures, and cultures. Its strong sense of community promotes the sharing of expertise in a variety of educational contexts. As a registered 501 (c)3 not-for-profit professional organization, IALLT welcomes tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses.
Who We Are
IALLT is a meeting ground for professionals with overlapping interests: language teachers, librarians, lawyers, architects, software developers, and others. We are a community of volunteers dedicated to providing students and teachers the best language methods and technologies possible.
History
The organization that became IALLT traces its history back to a period of great growth for the “language laboratory” and the need to share knowledge about how to run a lab effectively. In 1965, several university language lab directors, who had been meeting at the annual convention of the National Education Association (NEA) within the Department of Audio Visual Instruction, decided to create their own organization known as the National Association of Language Lab Directors (NALLD). For many years, NALLD continued to meet as part of larger NEA and Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT) conferences. By 1981, the membership had grown well beyond the borders of the United States, and the organization renamed itself the International Association for Learning Laboratories (IALL) to coincide with its first international conference held in Tokyo in partnership with the Language Laboratory Association of Japan; this joint Foreign Language Education and Technology (FLEAT) conference is planning its eighth meeting in Hawaii in 2025.
In 1989, under the presidency of Ruth Trometer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, IALL began hosting independent, biennial meetings on the campuses of its members. In 1991, in recognition of the growing importance of new technologies in language learning, IALL changed its name to the International Association for Language Learning Technologies (IALLT). In March of 2001, the organization was officially incorporated under this new name. For historical information on IALLT’s office bearers and the location of its biennial conferences since 1965, refer to the IALLT Past Presidents, Officers, and Conference Sites History document.
Throughout its evolution, the organization has emphasized the sharing of pedagogical and technical knowledge in an open community of like-minded professionals. For more information on the organization, have a look at our 50th Anniversary Blog.
Get Involved
IALLT is a professional organization constituted entirely by volunteers who carry out all IALLT activities. Volunteering to work on an IALLT committee or project is a great way to network with colleagues, develop professionally, and contribute to our profession. Any IALLT member could contribute to IALLT’s work. Would you like to work more closely with colleagues? Sign up!
Governance Documents
- The IALLT Articles of Incorporation establish the organization as a 501 (c)3 non-profit professional organization.
- The IALLT Bylaws describe the rights of individual members, as well as the composition and duties of the corporation’s Board of Directors.
- The IALLT Policies and Procedures Manual (PPM) outlines the regular conduct of IALLT business and provides detailed descriptions of all IALLT Board and Council positions. The PPM is periodically revised to reflect evolutionary changes in organizational policies and procedures.
- The IALLT Statement of Professional Responsibilities outlines the key roles and responsibilities of language technology professionals. Published in 2019, it is intended as a guide for staff and administration attempting to define responsibilities for the purposes of contract, salary, or other career-related negotiations.
- Scholarly Activities in CALL: Development, Pedagogical Innovations, and Research is a joint policy statement from 1999 issued by IALLT, the Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO), and the European Association for Computer-
Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL) to provide a clear understanding of the range and variety of CALL activities and a framework for evaluating projects in CALL.
