Learning a language is a lifelong journey. As we pass from early childhood through adolescence, adulthood, and into seniorhood, our voices evolve alongside our identities, experiences, and communicative needs. Teaching pronunciation therefore requires sensitivity to age, context, motivation, and the changing goals learners bring to the classroom.
With this in mind, PronSIG’s 2027 scholarship is inspired by our 2026 PCE theme ‘Lifelong voices: Teaching pronunciation from childhood to seniorhood’. We invite educators to explore how pronunciation teaching can support learners at different stages of their life, whether that be young learners just discovering their voices, teenagers shaping their identities, adults refining professional communication, or senior learners embracing new linguistic challenges.
In thinking about your interest in this area, maybe …
- you would like to explore the efficacy of different pronunciation teaching strategies across age groups in your context;
- you want to create, adapt and/or trial resources designed specifically for children, adolescents, adults, or senior learners and evaluate their impact;
- you wish to investigate how pronunciation teaching can better support learners’ communicative goals at different points in their lives.
If this resonates with your teaching context and curiosity, this scholarship offers an opportunity to explore how we can support lifelong voices in meaningful and research-informed ways and share your findings.
If this sounds like you, then apply for the 2027 IATEFL PronSIG Action Research Scholarship!
What we want:
We are inviting classroom-based action research proposals that expand our understanding of pronunciation teaching at any age. In line with the theme ‘Lifelong voices: Teaching pronunciation from childhood to seniorhood’, we are particularly interested in projects that explore how age shapes pronunciation learning and teaching in different contexts.
The word research can sound intimidating, but classroom-based action research is a practical and accessible form of professional development. It allows teachers to investigate questions that arise naturally in their own classrooms, reflect systematically on their practice, and contribute to our collective knowledge as a professional community.
You will receive support and mentoring to design and carry out a focused action research project related to your context, and to write an article sharing your findings in PronSIG’s journal, Speak Out!.
What you’ll need:
- An idea, question, or set of activities related to pronunciation teaching at a particular age / life stage (or across different ages).
- A classroom setting in which you can carry out your action research.
- The time and motivation to conduct a small-scale, manageable research project.
What you’ll receive:
- registration for the 2027 PronSIG Pre-Conference Event
- registration for the 2027 IATEFL Conference
- GBP 1000.00 towards your travel, accommodation and any other conference-related expenses
- A session to present your research at a future/upcoming PronSIG event.
- Support and mentoring to plan and complete your classroom-based action research project.
- Support and mentoring to publish your findings in PronSIG’s biannual journal Speak Out!.
- be an individual member of IATEFL and a member of PronSIG.
To qualify you must:
Access to the scholarship is a benefit of membership, and as such, we cannot accept proposals from those who are not part of the SIG.
To be considered you must submit:
- A research proposal via the PronSIG Google Form
- A confirmation of submission via your IATEFL dashboard
The submission deadline is Wednesday 17 June 2026, 4:00 pm (UK time). Early submissions are very welcome; late submissions will not be considered.
The result of your application will be emailed to you between 11 and 21 August 2026. Please do NOT contact the IATEFL Head Office about scholarship decisions; the Scholarship Committee will send everyone the results as soon as they are available.
Good luck!
IATEFL Scholarships
Each year IATEFL offers a great range of conference scholarships to enable teachers, trainers and other ELT professionals the opportunity to attend the IATEFL Annual Conference in the UK.
The scholarships are offered by IATEFL, by a range of IATEFL Special Interest Groups, and by a wide range of other scholarship sponsors: institutions, companies, groups and individuals.