African Language Teachers Association Conference

2026 CONFERENCE THEME

Reimagining African Language Pedagogy In the Digital Age

The 29th Annual Conference of the African Language Teachers Association (ALTA) is hosted by Princeton University in New Jersey, USA. The conference is an annual gathering of African language educators, researchers, students, and community partners to build African language pedagogy by sharing their research, experiences, and best classroom practices.

In the current digital environment, language technologies have grown exponentially, yet African languages remain underrepresented. To address this disparity, the theme for the 2026 ALTA conference is “Reimagining African Language Pedagogy in the Digital Age.” We welcome teachers, researchers, technologists, and community educators to share their work pertaining to African language teaching in the digital environment and the connected classroom. Submissions may focus on research, classroom practices, tools, datasets, or community collaborations. We especially encourage work centering on underrepresented languages, historical languages, and learner accessibility.

Schedule

Thursday

11:00 AM–5:00 PM

Conference Registration The Erdman Center, 20 Library Place, Princeton, NJ

1:00 PM–5:00 PM

Pre-Conference Workshop The Erdman Center, 20 Library Place, Princeton, NJ

5:30 PM-7:00 PM

Dinner The Erdman Center, 20 Library Place, Princeton, NJ

Friday

7:30AM-5:00PM

Conference Registration NALRC Outreach table Louis A. Simpson 144

7:30 AM–9:00 AM

Breakfast PIIRS Suite

9:00 AM–10:00 AM

Welcome to Princeton Julius Romo Rabinowitz Building 399 (JRR 399)

10:00 AM–11:00 AM

Keynote Address 1: Professor Ebenezer Ayesu The Digital Tongue: Reimagining African Languages Pedagogy in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution JRR 399

11:00 AM–11:15 AM

Short Break Outside JRR 399

11:15 AM–12:45 PM

Plenary 1: Shaping the Future of African Languages: The Role of Linguists, Instructors, and Technology JRR 399

12:45 PM–1:45 PM

Lunch PIIRS Suite

1:45 PM–3:15 PM

Parallel Session 1 Louis A. Simpson 144, JRR 399, JRR 101

3:15 PM–4:15 PM

Parallel Session 2 Louis A. Simpson 144, 161 PIIRS Suite, JRR 399

4:15 PM–4:30 PM

Coffee Break Outside JRR 399

4:30 PM–5:30 PM

Plenary 2 - ALTA Special Plenary B60 ABC LAS

6:00 PM–7:30 PM

Dinner PIIRS Suite

Saturday

7:30 AM–9:00 AM

Breakfast + Conference Registration PIIRS Suite

9:00 AM–10:30 AM

Parallel Session 3 JRR 101, JRR 198, JRR 217

10:30 AM–11:30 AM

Keynote Address 2: Dr Caroline Asiimwe Linguistic Inclusion in the Digital Ecology as a Catalyst for National and Regional Development: Lessons from the East African Community B60 ABC LAS

11:30 AM–1:00 PM

Parallel Session 4 JRR 101, JRR 198, JRR 217

1:00 PM–2:00 PM

Lunch B60 ABC LAS

2:00 PM–3:30 PM

Parallel session 5 - Language Specific Panels LAS 161, JRR 101, JRR198, JRR 217, JRR 201

3:30 PM–4:30 PM

Plenary 3: NALRC Special Plenary JRR 399

4:30 PM–5:30 PM

ALTA Business Meeting B60 ABC LAS

7:00 PM–10:00 PM

Banquet, Award Ceremony and Vote of Thanks Perel Atrium Julius Romo Rabinowitz Building

Full Schedule PDF

Hotels in the Area

It is the participants responsibility to secure lodging during the conference. Some options are:

Chauncey Hotel & Conference Center
660 Rosedale Road
Princeton, NJ 08541
(609) 921-3600
Approx. 3 miles from campus

Courtyard By Marriott Princeton
3815 US Route 1
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 716-9100
Approx. 3.5 miles from campus

Doubletree Hotel Princeton
4355 Route 1 at Ridge Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 452-2400
Approx. 5 miles from campus

Graduate Princeton
10 Chambers Street
Princeton, NJ
(609) 380-1457

Hyatt Regency Princeton
102 Carnegie Center
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 987-1234
Approx. 2.5 miles from campus

Nassau Inn
10 Palmer Sq E
Princeton, NJ 08542
(609) 921-7500
Approx. 0.5 miles from campus

Sonesta ES Suites Princeton
4375 US Route 1 South
Princeton, NJ 08540
609.951.0009
Approx. 5 miles from campus

The Westin Princeton
201 Village Boulevard
Princeton, NJ 08540
609.452.7900
Approx. 5 miles from the campus

We encourage you to reserve your room early, as availability is limited.

Getting to Princeton

NJ Transit (Most Common)
• Follow signs to the AirTrain inside the Arrivals Hall.
• Buy your NJ Transit ticket at the kiosks before boarding.
• Take the AirTrain to the Newark Liberty Airport NJ Transit Station.
• Board an NJ Transit Northeast Corridor Line train toward Trenton.
    • Travel time to Princeton Junction: ~45 minutes.
• At Princeton Junction, transfer to:
    • The Dinky shuttle train to Princeton University,
• A local bus, or
    • Uber/Lyft to your hotel.

Rideshare
• Uber/Lyft directly from EWR to Princeton.
    • Travel time: 45–60 minutes depending on traffic.

JFK AirTrain + LIRR + NJ Transit (Fastest Public Transit)
• Take the JFK AirTrain to Jamaica Station.
• Purchase a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) ticket.
• Board the LIRR to New York Penn Station (~20 minutes).
• At Penn Station, buy an NJ Transit ticket for the Northeast Corridor Line toward Trenton.
• Ride NJ Transit to Princeton Junction (~60–75 minutes).
• Transfer to the Dinky, bus, or Uber/Lyft to reach Princeton.

JFK AirTrain + Subway + NJ Transit (Cheaper, Slower)
• AirTrain → Jamaica Station → E train to 34 St–Penn Station → NJ Transit to Princeton Junction.

Rideshare
• Uber/Lyft or private car from JFK to Princeton.
• Travel time: 1 hr 15 min to 2 hrs depending on traffic.

Amtrak to Trenton
• Amtrak has limited service to Princeton Junction.
• Book your Amtrak ticket to Trenton Transit Center.
• At Trenton:
    • Buy an NJ Transit ticket.
    • Buy an NJ Transit ticket.Board a New York–bound NJ Transit train.
    • Buy an NJ Transit ticket.Ride 10–15 minutes to Princeton Junction.
• From Princeton Junction:
    • Buy an NJ Transit ticket.Take the Dinky, bus, or Uber/Lyft to Princeton.

Rideshare
• Uber/Lyft directly from Trenton Transit Center to Princeton is also an option.

More Info

FAQ

The conference will cover a variety of topics related to African language pedagogy, including African language research and publication, classroom practices and curriculum design, digital learning opportunities and challenges, community engagement, language and culture preservation, study sbroad and the global classroom, and specific languages: Amharic, Akan/Twi, Swahili, isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Siswati, Yoruba, Wolof, and Somali, and others.

Absolutely! Presenting is not required to participate in the ALTA Conference. Attendees are welcome to join the sessions, workshops, and discussions to learn, connect, and gain insights into the latest trends in language instruction. Whether you're presenting or simply attending, there is plenty to explore and take away from this experience.

No, attending all days is not required. You’re welcome to participate in as much or as little of the conference as suits your schedule. Each day offers unique sessions and networking opportunities, so whether you join for one day or all, you’ll find valuable insights and connections.

Registration details are available on the Registration page.

We recommend subscribing to our newsletter and following us on social media to receive the latest updates on the conference, including schedules, speaker announcements, and session details. Important information will also be posted on our conference website.

Upload Your Presentation Slides

Please upload your slides if you are presenting using the link below:
Slide Upload Form

What to Upload
    • PDF or PowerPoint (PPTX)
    • Final version
    • One file per presentation

Deadlines
    • Please submit your slides for Thursday 4/9 by Wednesday 4/8 6pm EST.
    • Please submit your slides for Friday 4/10 by Thursday 4/8 6pm EST.
    • Please submit your slides for Saturday 4/11 by Thursday 4/8 6pm EST.

Your Session Information
You will be asked to select your Session Code (e.g., Panel 1, Plenary 2, Roundtable 1). This helps us route your file to the correct room and volunteer team. Please check the conference program for your session code.