Ethnography and Pedagogical Alternatives

• Methods of ethnographic research: description of the method, types of fieldwork, data collection tools, types of data (linguistic, informational, behavioral, etc.), data processing tools, processes, strategies, challenges, skills required for data collection (human, sociological, technical, IT, organizational), sharing experiences, relevance in the educational field...Existing and to-be-created archives: how to involve the population in data collection? How to organize work at the local level?

• Pedagogical alternatives: contribution of ethnographic research to classroom management (traditional pedagogical principles, indigenous knowledge transmission techniques, culturally appropriate pedagogy, etc.). Proposals for approaches and methods or sharing inspiring experiences.

Contextualization, literacy, and development of teaching resources

• Innovative learning methods inspired by context (writing, the role of speaking and orality, spelling, coding and decoding…), design of educational textbooks, variations and terminology choices.
• How can linguistic and cultural learning be connected?

Contextualization, multilingual education, and circulation of knowledge

• From types of knowledge to teaching/learning content, specialized terminologies and lexicons (technolects), linguistic transfer and skill transfer, oral tradition and production of learning content, production of an endogenous African knowledge on schooling.
• What knowledge should be taught? Limits of contextualization (depending on disciplines, for example)

Language and educational policies

• Sociolinguistic data, language planning and curricula, analysis of official instructions, critical inventory of practices in different countries, suggestions for the future, teacher training…

Teacher Training

• Knowing that teacher training lies at the crossroads of complex dynamics, between national educational policies, international standards, and local realities, this discussion will focus on how an ethnographic approach can contribute to the renewal of teaching practices and their support. Thus, at a time when more and more educational reforms advocate, in line with UNESCO's recommendations, the use of African languages as languages of instruction (Ouane & Glanz, 2011), to what extent does teacher training allow educators to become aware of the ideological weight of a monolingual vision of language learning? Similarly, how are these practitioners supported in the face of unequal access to educational resources depending on the context? What role does the question of the status and consideration of bi- or multilingual speech play or could play in training? What strategies are being developed, and how much flexibility is there in training to locally adapt school curricula to the linguistic needs of students?
• Contributions that show how the ethnographic approach helps identify the verbal resources of students and teachers as a teaching tool supporting the development of multilingual literacy practices and empowerment through education—particularly, though not exclusively, through a better understanding of oneself and one's languages (Maurer, 2010; De Oliveira & Westerlund, 2023)—will be particularly valued. In the same vein, it will be asked whether this approach and these practices influence the evolution of teachers’ professional stance, and whether research in this area is—or would benefit from being—integrated into teacher and teacher trainer education, or even peer-to-peer training (Chatry-Komarek, 2010).

Lancement de l’appel : 1^er décembre 2025

Date limite de soumission des propositions :  16 février 2026

Notification aux auteurs : 15 avril 2026

Ouverture des inscriptions : 04 mai 2026

Fermeture des inscriptions : Anticipée : 03 juillet 2026 ; tardive : 04 septembre 2026

Dates du colloque : du 04 au 06 novembre 2026

A l’issue du colloque, une sélection d’articles donnera lieu à la publication d’un ouvrage aux Presses de l’observatoire du plurilinguisme en Afrique (POPA). À cette phase, des résumés trilingues français - langue africaine - anglais seront requis.

• Location: Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis, Senegal
• Registration for the conference is mandatory for all presenters as well as for anyone wishing to attend the conference. Registration includes access to the conference, coffee breaks, and lunch. It does not include accommodation. Additional fees may be required for optional activities (dinners, tours, etc.).
• Registration fees:
o Faculty members and researchers: Early registration: 40,000 FCFA (60 euros); Late registration: 50,000 FCFA (80 euros)
o Faculty members and researchers who are OPA members: 35,000 FCFA (55 euros)
o Doctoral students: Early registration: 20,000 FCFA (30 euros); Late registration: 25,000 FCFA (40 euros)

You can find all practical information on the conference website. For any questions, please write to us at: colloqueopa2026@ugb.edu.sn

APPEL_COLLOQUE_DE_SL_VF_1.pdf