Previous Conferences

In 2024 there was no ASFLA conference.

ASFLA 2023

was held at the University of Wollongong – Wednesday 22nd-Friday 24th November

Convenor: Shoshana Dreyfus

The conference theme was: Celebrating semiosis

Plenary speakers:

  • Helen Caple, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • Tuomo Hiippala, University of Helsinki, Finland
  • Jane Torr, Macquarie University, Australia
  • Emilia Djonov, Macquarie University, Australia
  • Ken Tann, University of Queensland, Australia
  • Yaegan Doran, Australian Catholic University, Australia

ASFLA 2022

was held at Macquarie University, Sydney – Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th September.

Convenor: Cassi Liardet

The conference theme was: Renewal and Resilience: Making Meaning in a Changing World

Plenary speakers:

  • Eszter Szenes, Central European University, Austria/Norwich University, USA
    • Michele Zappavigna, University of New South Wales, Australia
    • Alison Moore, University of Wollongong, Australia

ASFLA 2021

was held in hybrid mode at the University of Queensland, from Wednesday 29 September to Friday 1 October.

Conveners: Kate Power, Ken Tann

The conference theme was: Impact: Research, Education, Industry.

Plenary speakers:

• Neda Karimi, University of New South Wales
• Shoshana Dreyfus, University of Wollongong
• Theo van Leeuwen, University of Southern Denmark
• Jim Martin, University of Sydney
• Bronwyn M Parkin, University of Adelaide

In 2020 there was no ASFLA conference.

ASFLA 2019

was held at the University of Sydney, from Wednesday 2nd October to Friday 4th October, with a pre-conference institute from Monday 30th September to Tuesday 1st October. Conveners: Yaegan Doran, Eszter Szenes, Alex Garcia, Dorothy Economou

The conference theme was: Making connections: Looking out, looking in, looking forward

Plenary speakers:

  • Annabelle Lukin (Macquarie University)
  • Michele Zappavigna (UNSW)
  • David Rose (University of Sydney)

Keynote speakers included:

  • Margarita Vidal (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile & The University of Sydney)
  • Mira Kim (UNSW)
  • Dongbing Zhang (Mus) (University of Sydney)
  • Elizabeth A. Thomson (Charles Sturt University)
  • Anna Crane (University of Sydney)
  • Ken Tann (University of Queensland)
  • Neda Karimi (Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research)
  • Yufei He (University of Sydney)

ASFLA 2018

was held in Adelaide at the University of South Australia, City West Campus, from 26 to 28 September, with a pre-conference institute on 25 September.
The conference theme was: Community, Capital and Culture: Celebrating SFL
Plenary and Keynote speakers included:
• Jing Hao, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Meg Gerbard, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• Lucy Macnaught, Auckland University of Technology
• Kay O’Halloran, Curtin University
• Sue Hood, University of Sydney
• Shoshana Dreyfus, Wollongong University
• Jess Scott, University of Adelaide
• Bronwyn Parkin/Helen Harper, University of Adelaide/University of New England
• Erika Matruglio, Wollongong University
• Bev Derewianka, Wollongong University
• Sally Humprey, Australian Catholic University
• Michele Zappavigna, University of New South Wales
• Monika Bednarek, University of Sydney
• Helen Caple, University of New South Wales

2017

There was no ASFLA conference in 2017 as the 44th International Systemic Functional Congress was held in Wollongong that year. The proceedings from ISFC 44 can be found here.

ASFLA 2016

was held in Sydney at the North Sydney campus of the Australian Catholic University (ACU) from 27 to 29 September, with a pre-conference institue on 26 September.
The Conference theme was: Language as social power: 20th century beginnings, 21st century futures
Plenary speakers included:
• Mariana Achugar, Carnegie Mellon University
• Suzie Eggins, University of Technology, Sydney
• Peter Freebody, University of Sydney
• Jenny Hammond, University of Technology, Sydney
• Jim Martin, University of Sydney

ASFLA 2015

was held in Brisbane at the University of Queensland from the 29th September to 1st October, with a pre-conference institute on the 28th September.
The conference theme was: Linguistics, Literacy & Verbal Art: Inheritances and Developments.
Plenary speakers included:
• Mary Macken-Horarik, University of New England
• David Butt, Macquarie University
• David Kellogg, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, South Korea
• Sally Humphrey, Australian Catholic University
• Rosemary Huisman, University of Sydney
• Susan Hood, University of Technology, Sydney
• Len Unsworth, Australian Catholic University

ASFLA 2014

was held in Sydney at the University of New South Wales, UNSW, from September 30-October 2, with a pre-conference Institute on the 29th September.
The conference theme was: New Texts, New Challenges
Plenary speakers included:
• Susan Feez
• Kristina Love
• Theo van Leeuwen
• Annabelle Lukin
• Robert McMurtrie
• Kay O’Halloran
• Geoff Williams

ASFLA 2014

was held in Melbourne at the Australian Catholic University from October 1-3, with a pre-conference institute on the 30th September.
The conference theme was: Seizing the Moment
Plenary speakers included:
• Peter White
• Mary Macken-Horarik
• Frances Christie
• John Polias
• Brian Dare
• Pauline Jones
• Dorothy Economou

2012

There was no ASFLA conference in 2012 as the 39th International Systemic Functional Congress was held in Sydney that year. The proceedings from ISFC 39 can be found here.

ASFLA 2011

was held in Armidale, NSW, at the University of New England from September 21-23, with a pre-conference institute on September 20.
The conference theme was: Language, Knowledge, Justice: New Contexts, New Questions
Plenary speakers included:
• Len Unsworth
• Jim Martin
• Karl Maton
• Michele Zappavigna

ASFLA 2010

was held in Adelaide from September 27 to October 1, with a pre-conference institute September 27-28. The conference theme was: Reading Recent Developments in SFL: Theory and Practice

ASFLA 2009

was held in Brisbane. The conference theme was: Practising Theory: Expanding Understandings of Language, Literature and Literacy

2008

There was no ASFLA conference in 2008 as the 35th International Systemic Functional Congress was held at Macquarie University, in Sydney that year.

ASFLA 2007

was held at the University of Wollongong from June 29 to July 1. The conference theme was: Bridging Discourses

The proceedings from ASLFA 2007 can be found here.

ASFLA 2006

was held at the University of New England, Armidale, from 27 to 29 September. The theme of the conference was Multimodal Texts & Multiliteracies: Semiotic Theory and Practical Pedagogy

2005

There was no ASFLA conference in 2005 as the 32nd International Systemic Functional Congress was held at the University of Sydney that year.

ASFLA 2004

was held at the University of Wollongong.

ASFLA 2003

was held at the Education Development Centre in Adelaide. The conference theme was: Traversing Boundaries: SF Theory in New Contexts

ASFLA 2002

was held at Macquarie University. The conference theme was: Exploring Semantics

ASFLA 2001

was held at the University of Sydney.

2000

There was no ASFLA conference in 2000 as the 27th International Systemic Functional Congress was held at the University of Melbourne that year.

ASFLA 1999

was held at the University of Queensland.

ASFLA 1998

was held at The University of Adelaide

ASFLA 1997

was held at the University of Wollongong

1996

There was no ASFLA conference in 2000 as the 23rd International Systemic Functional Congress was held at the University of Technology, Sydney that year.

ASFLA 1995

The inaugural ASFLA conference was held at the University of Melbourne. The conference was convened by the first ASFLA President Frances Christie along with her colleague Kristina Love. The conference theme was: Language, Pedagogy and Schooling