Tag: conference

Thomas François announced as speaker at MEGASKILLS Final Conference

Written by iread4skills on November 27, 2025. Posted in News.

We are pleased to announce that Thomas François, Team Leader of the UCLouvain team at iRead4Skills, will be a speaker at the final conference of our Horizon Europe sister project, MEGASKILLS, on 11 December 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.

Within iRead4Skills, Thomas plays a key role in the scientific coordination of UCLouvain’s activities, contributing his extensive experience in Applied Linguistics and Natural Language Processing to the development of innovative methods for assessing and supporting reading and writing.

As an Associate Professor at UCLouvain – Université catholique de Louvain, Thomas has dedicated his research to topics such as automatic assessment of textual readability, text simplification, efficient professional communication, and automatic classification of written productions. His academic and scientific career includes the ATALA Best PhD Thesis Award, B.A.E.F. and Fulbright scholarships, as well as more than 100 publications.

More recently, he led the scientific development of FIDELIA, an advanced AI-based system for assessing the writing component of the Test de Connaissance du Français (TCF).

Thomas’ participation in the MEGASKILLS final event underscores the natural collaboration between Horizon Europe sister projects working on aligned themes, such as the role of AI in developing key skills, learning, and assessment.

We are very proud to see our Team Leader representing iRead4Skills at this key moment and strengthening the scientific and strategic link between iRead4Skills and MEGASKILLS.

iRead4Skills presented at the 2nd Latin American Lexicography Conference

Written by iread4skills on October 8, 2025. Posted in News.

The 2nd Latin American Lexicography Conference took place in Caracas, Venezuela, organized by the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Lingüísticas y Literarias Andrés Bello and the Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador.

During the event, Xavier Blanco Escoda presented the communication “El diccionario español del proyecto iRead4Skills y sus usos para la enseñanza-aprendizaje del léxico”.

The presentation highlighted how the Spanish dictionary developed within iRead4Skills can be applied in vocabulary teaching and learning, illustrating the project’s contribution to innovative literacy and language education.

This participation reinforces the project’s international dimension and its commitment to fostering dialogue between European and Latin American research communities on linguistic resources and digital learning tools.

Congratulations to Xavier Blanco Escoda for representing the project and sharing the outcomes of our collaborative work at such a relevant event.

iRead4Skills participates in the EBSN 2025 Annual Conference

Written by iread4skills on June 6, 2025. Posted in News.

We are pleased to announce that the iRead4Skills project will be present at the European Basic Skills Network Annual Conference 2025, which will take place between 18 and 20 June in Brussels.

Under the theme ‘From Evidence to Action: Advancing Adult Basic Skills for Tackling Inequalities’, this landmark conference in the European adult education calendar will explore how the results of the OECD’s PIAAC survey can contribute to more inclusive lifelong learning strategies.

Our presentation will take place on Friday, 20 June, at 9:20 a.m., as part of Parallel Session R3.3 – AI-Enhanced Learning Environments for Skills Development. The presentation, entitled ‘iRead4Skills: Enhancing Literacy through Intelligent Tools’, will be given by Raquel Amaro, coordinator of the iRead4Skills project and professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of NOVA University Lisbon.

The event will take place at HOEK38 in Brussels. You can view the full programme and register via this link: https://conference.basicskills.eu/

This will be an excellent opportunity to present the results of the project, including a practical demonstration of our reading support tool.

INESC-ID Presents iRead4Skills at IberSPEECH 2024

Written by iread4skills on November 14, 2024. Posted in News.

The INESC-ID team recently participated in the IberSPEECH 2024 conference, held from November 11 to 13 in Aveiro, Portugal. This annual event, the seventh under the IberSPEECH name, brings together two major conferences: the XIII Jornadas en Tecnologías del Habla and the IX Iberian SLTech Workshop. IberSPEECH is renowned for promoting collaboration between industry and academia while advancing research in speech and language technologies focused on Iberian languages.

This year, Jorge Baptista contributed to the dialogue with a presentation titled, “Enhancing Adult Literacy Through Intelligent Text Complexity Evaluation.” The presentation describes the iRead4Skills project, which aims to support adult learners by developing an intelligent system that evaluates text complexity and recommends personalized reading materials in Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Through innovative technology and collaboration with various stakeholders, the project seeks to enhance literacy, inform policymakers, and promote lifelong learning across Europe.

IberSPEECH 2024 upheld its tradition of fostering open discussions and interactions among researchers, students, and industry professionals. Attendees were offered a broad range of activities over the three-day event, from technical paper presentations and keynote lectures to project showcases, laboratory demos, and discussion panels. Notably, the conference also celebrated recent advancements by awarding the best research papers and PhD theses.

Xavier Blanco (UAB) Presents Innovative Lexicon at JILC24 Conference

Written by iread4skills on October 22, 2024. Posted in News.

Xavier Blanco (UAB) has presented a paper entitled “Basic Dictionary of Spanish for the iREad4Skills Project” at the Jornadas Internacionales Complutenses de Lexicografía: diccionarios y didáctica (Facultad de Filología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 21 and 22 October 2024).

On the one hand, this dictionary serves as the basis for a model for analysing textual complexity (developed using natural language processing techniques and, at the same time, with the active cooperation of its end users, both teachers and students). On the other hand, it constitutes the starting point for the introduction of a set of metalinguistic notions aimed at reinforcing teacher training with a view to teaching vocabulary.

This is a brand new lexicon for levels A1, A2 and B1 of Spanish (Common European Framework of Reference). The dictionary has been conceived as a dynamic resource to improve the learner’s linguistic skills, which also implies the transmission of a certain metalinguistic training.

EBSN Conference in Valladolid Highlights iRead4Skills Project

Written by iread4skills on July 9, 2024. Posted in News.

The European Basic Skills Network (EBSN) Conference in Valladolid, June 26th – 28th, showcased a dynamic range of presentations and discussions, with a notable highlight being the introduction of the iRead4Skills project by Raquel Amaro from NOVA University Lisbon. This conference served as a key platform for sharing innovative solutions aimed at improving basic skills and literacy across Europe.

The EBSN Conference brought together a diverse group of professionals, including educators, researchers, and policymakers, all focused on enhancing adult learning and literacy.

Raquel Amaro, the coordinator of the iRead4Skills project, delivered a compelling presentation that captivated the audience. Her talk, titled “iRead4Skills: Merging Technology and Culture for Basic Skills Development,” emphasized the innovative approach of using technology to enhance reading skills among adults.

Amaro outlined the main objectives of iRead4Skills, which include providing an open-access intelligent system that evaluates text complexity and suggests appropriate readings based on the user’s literacy level. This system is designed to assist trainers and text producers in creating or adapting texts to match the appropriate level of complexity for learners.

Key Features and Benefits

Intelligent Text Evaluation: The system analyzes the complexity of texts and offers suitable reading materials tailored to individual literacy levels.
Multilingual Support: iRead4Skills operates in French, Portuguese, and Spanish, making it accessible to a broad audience.
Support for Trainers and Educators: By providing tools to create or adapt educational materials, the project supports educators in delivering more effective instruction.

Future Directions Looking ahead, iRead4Skills aims to expand its reach and impact by:

Scaling to Different Languages and Domains: The project’s adaptability ensures it can meet diverse educational needs.
Enhancing Job Market Flexibility: By improving literacy skills, the project supports workers in adapting to the changing job market.
Promoting Well-being through Literacy: Access to knowledge and culture enhances societal well-being and promotes lifelong learning.

The EBSN Conference in Valladolid was a significant event, highlighting the progress and potential of the iRead4Skills project. Raquel Amaro’s presentation reaffirmed the importance of merging technology and culture to develop fundamental skills, paving the way for a more inclusive and literate Europe.

iRead4Skills Shines in Oxford: Literacy Support Innovations Showcased at International Conference

Written by iread4skills on March 28, 2024. Posted in News.

At a landmark event for the academic community and education professionals, the 10th International Conference of New Findings in Humanities and Social Sciences, held at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, was highlighted by the announcement of two significant works developed within the iRead4Skills project.

Ricardo Monteiro and Michell Moutinho, researchers from NOVA FCSH – CLUNL, presented the study titled “Textual Complexity Descriptors for Low Literacy Adults: A New Set Created for the iRead4Skills Project”. This work represents a significant step in making literacy support more accessible and effective for adults with low literacy, leveraging the innovative work carried out through the iRead4Skills project.

In an equally highlighted moment of the conference, Maria Leonor Reis, also a researcher at iRead4Skills (NOVA FCSH – CLUNL), presented the paper “Towards Intelligent Literacy Support: Building the iRead4Skills European Portuguese Corpus”. The presentation marks a significant milestone in the journey to enhance literacy support through technology.

Both works demonstrate the iRead4Skills project’s commitment to leading by example in integrating technology into literacy support, highlighting the crucial role of educational research and innovation. The iRead4Skills team extends a special thank you to the conference’s Scientific Committee for recognizing the importance of their work and providing the platform to share their findings.

These advancements are a testament to the iRead4Skills team’s ongoing effort to make education more inclusive and accessible to all.