The British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) is a learned society, based in the UK, which provides a forum for people interested in language and applied linguistics. BAAL organises regular meetings of its members at various venues in the UK, publishes conference proceedings, issues a regular newsletter and awards student scholarships. There is an elected Executive Committee (EC) that represents the interests of members. The current Chair is Professor Zhu Hua of UCL Institute of Education.