On December 19, the Research Center for Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics and Gui Shichun Institute of Higher Languages hosted an academic seminar entitled "Development and Innovation of Applied Linguistics in the New Era and Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of Gui Shichun's Birthday". The conference was broadcast live on multiple network platforms in a way that combines offline and online, with more than 4000 online listeners. The seminar also commemorated the 90th anniversary of Mr. Gui Shichun's birth, and inherited and carried forward Mr. Gui Shichun's pioneering and innovative academic spirit.

Group photo of experts and scholars attending the meeting

Vice President Liu Jianda delivered a speech and hosted the premiere of the promotional film Gui Shichun, a Foreign Language Educator of the Generation. He pointed out that, in the context of the country's accelerated promotion of the "double first-class" construction in universities, foreign linguistics and applied linguistics are facing many new problems and challenges. It is necessary for a large number of applied linguistics researchers to maintain their determination, develop their strengths and complement their weaknesses, further refine the discipline direction, integrate internal and external resources, and effectively improve their core competitiveness and influence in an all-round way.

Ten famous foreign language experts and scholars in China delivered the keynote report of the conference, which covered the frontier trend, theoretical innovation, research methods, cross research, localization issues, international academic discourse, etc. of China's applied linguistics research in the new era. With the help of specific cases, Professor Shu Dingfang of Shanghai International Studies University pointed out that foreign language education and teaching related institutions and personnel need to be positioned accurately, perform their duties, coordinate with each other, and interact well in order to truly improve the quality of foreign language teaching. Professor Huang Guowen of South China Agricultural University discussed the theory and practice of applied linguistics from the perspective of diversity, and pointed out the importance of diversity in applied linguistics through ecological linguistics. Wen Xu, a professor of Southwest University, introduced the three logical principles of language evolution, namely, the principle of variation, the principle of heredity and the principle of natural selection, and explained the three principles with specific language facts. Liu Haitao, a professor of Zhejiang University, from Saussure, Wittgenstein, Firth and other relevant discussions, proposed the necessity and feasibility of constructing data driven applied linguistics, and introduced how to carry out data driven research in the three pillar areas of applied linguistics. Wen Qiufang, a professor of Beijing Foreign Studies University, reviewed the understanding of Chinese scholars on the internationalization of applied linguistics research in recent years, analyzed the current situation of academic international discourse power of applied linguistics in China, and put forward suggestions on improving international discourse power. Professor Wang Chuming of our university reviewed the three stages of development of language acquisition research, compared the views of language acquisition of the continuation and the superlanguage, discussed the important enlightenment of similar views on second language acquisition research, and answered the important question of "how to obtain the creativity of the language system within the framework of the continuation".

Wang Kefei, a professor of Beijing Foreign Studies University, introduced Mr. Gui Shichun's thoughts on applied linguistics, and pointed out in the report that the guidance of new technologies is the driving force for the development of applied linguistics and translatology, and the opening of new concepts is the reason for the change of emphasis of applied linguistics and translatology. Xu Jinfen, a professor of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, pointed out the shortcomings and reasons of the relevant research based on the cutting-edge research of international applied linguistics, then analyzed the empirical research of applied linguistics in China, and put forward suggestions for future research. Liu Jianda, vice president of our school, introduced the research and development purpose of the language proficiency scale, the ability framework, the determination of the description system, the establishment of the description corpus, the classification of descriptors, and the grading principles, and put forward suggestions for the construction of the special purpose foreign language proficiency scale in China. The report of He Lianzhen, a professor of Zhejiang University, involved the comprehensive use of multi-layer linear model and structural equation model, pointed out that English language ability is the main factor affecting the comprehensive writing performance of candidates, and analyzed the complex performance of comprehensive writing and its impact on construct validity.

The seminar also specially arranged a "round table forum for young and middle-aged scholars", where many young and middle-aged scholars and doctors made wonderful speeches combining their own applied linguistics research and thinking.

Professor Zhang Quan made a speech at the meeting

At the closing ceremony, Ran Yongping, the director of the liberal arts base and the president of Gui Shichun Institute of Higher Languages, summarized that the Research Center for Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics will continue to gather talents, concentrate on the spirit, make efforts to do a good job in the frontier research of linguistics and applied linguistics, and use innovative achievements to solve the practical problems of foreign language teaching and learning in China and serve the society.

The year 2020 marks the twentieth anniversary of the approval of our Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics Research Center as a key research base for humanities and social sciences under the Ministry of Education. This seminar was held to jointly explore the development and innovation of applied linguistics research in the new era, and promote the better development of applied linguistics research and foreign language education in China.