Call for papers

International Conference on Multilingualism and Language Acquisition
9-10 March 2023, University of Helsinki

The research community Comparing and Contrasting Languages and Cultures (CoCoLaC) invites proposals for papers and posters to be presented at an international conference on Multilingualism and Language Acquisition at the University of Helsinki, 9–10 March 2023.

The purpose of this conference is to bring together researchers working on diverse language contact processes and phenomena in Germanic and Romance languages from the perspectives of language acquisition and societal multilingualism. In multilingual settings, the individuals, their grammars and their choices interact with the sociocultural practices and structures. Our aim is to promote discussion at the intersections of language acquisition and multilingualism, to foster diverse theoretical approaches, and to enhance knowledge exchange between researchers of different languages to reach a better understanding of language contact and change in multilingual situations.

 The conference will have two broad topics

  • New data and case studies of language acquisition and contacts in Europe and beyond 
  • Theoretical approaches to individual and societal multilingualism 

The conference languages are French, German, Italian, Spanish and English. If the paper is presented in a language other than English, we kindly ask speakers to provide either PowerPoint slides, handouts or a summary in English.

The conference is planned to be held in person at the University of Helsinki.

Invited speakers

  • Jason Rothman (UiT, The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø)
  • Cristina Flores (University of Minho in Braga)
  • Salla Kurhila (University of Helsinki)

Abstract proposals

Anonymized abstracts of 1,500 to 2,500 characters (including spaces and references) for either a section paper or a poster presentation in one of the conference languages are to be sent via EasyChair by 30 September 2022.

The scientific board will send notices of acceptance by the end of October 2022.

Key dates

  • Deadline for abstract submission: 30 September 2022
  • Notification of acceptance: 31 October 2022
  • Conference: 9–10 March 2023