24 & 25 March 2025
Bilingualism Matters Symposium 2025 (CALL FOR PROPOSALS EXTENDED UNTIL 30th SEPTEMBER 2024)
The Bilingualism Matters Symposium (BMS) is an interdisciplinary conference organised by Bilingualism Matters. It is open to researchers as well as practitioners, irrespective of their affiliation with Bilingualism Matters. The BMS aims to stimulate a productive dialogue between researchers in different academic disciplines and practitioners in different sectors of society. BMS will take place in Edinburgh from March 24-25, 2025.
BMS25 is a hybrid conference. The main focus will be on in-person presentations but online participation and discussion will be possible.
The BMS25 plenary speakers are:
The affiliated programme of events includes a language-focused mini tour of Scotland; a conference dinner, a Bilingualism Matters training and networking event with Prof Antonella Sorace and a master class with study visits on “Heritage language policy and practice in Scotland” with Prof Rob Dunbar.
The upcoming Bilingualism Matters Symposium (BMS) intends to bring scholars and practitioners together around the theme of heritage and minority languages. Contributions are welcome from different perspectives pertaining to:
All methodological and theoretical approaches are welcome.
Besides soliciting submissions from researchers, we specifically encourage the submission of classroom studies, small and large community projects, best practice examples, and experience-based reports from practitioners. A practitioner is defined as any individual working only outside academic institutions (e.g. teachers, policymakers, speech-language therapists).
Different submission and review criteria apply for researchers and practitioners (see guidelines below).
Our panel of expert reviewers will choose abstracts based on the following criteria:
Our panel of expert reviewers will choose abstracts based on the following criteria:
Notification of acceptance: 31st October 2024
Registration open: 20th June 2024
Conference date: 24th & 25th March 2025
Group discounts are available for online participation only.
Bursaries covering fees and accommodation for two nights may become available. Please contact us if you are interested at bms@bilingualism-matters.org
Subject to the availability of relevant submissions, conference organisers will make the utmost effort to provide relevant sign language interpretation. Please contact bms@bilingualism-matters.org to discuss your requirements.
The conference will take place in Edinburgh (John McIntyre Conference Centre, University of Edinburgh), while virtual attendance will be available via ZOOM. The training event will take place across different locations in Edinburgh.
Please note, authors considering publishing in the conference proceedings will be required to provide a full paper by May 2025.
Anna Balas
Frances Blanchette
Francesca Foppolo
Georgia Fotiadou
Beatrice Giustolisi
Tihana Kras
Katarzyna Przybycien
Tanja Rinker
Antonella Sorace
Zvjezdana Vrzic
All questions about submissions should be emailed to: bms@bilingualism-matters.org