Explore Language Sciences at the Cambridge Festival!
16 March – 2 April 2026
Join us at the Cambridge Festival for a fascinating lineup of events exploring the many dimensions of Language Sciences. Discover cutting-edge research, from how bilingual brains process language, to the paradox of speech, and how identity drives language change.
You can browse the full programme and book events at Cambridge Festival 2026.
Here are a few Cambridge Language Sciences picks.
Brain, language and bilingualism
The Department of Psychology’s Brain, Language and Bilingualism lab will host an interactive stall demonstrating how the brain processes language and how bilingualism shapes cognition.
The paradox of speech: How evolutionary simplification made humans the most talkative primate (livestreamed event)
Join us for Professor Jacob Dunn’s Inaugural Professorial Lecture, in which he will explore why humans can speak in eloquent, complex sentences, while our closest primate relatives rely on just a handful of calls.
The paradox of speech: How evolutionary simplification made humans the most talkative primate (in-person event)
Join us for Professor Jacob Dunn’s Inaugural Professorial Lecture, in which he will explore why humans can speak in eloquent, complex sentences, while our closest primate relatives rely on just a handful of calls.
How identity drives language change
Dr Esther-Miriam Wagner will discuss how identity drives language change. We will investigate the most important factors of language change, how much we are all influenced by linguistic role models, why different generations sound different from one another and how social groups segregate by speaking in a particular way.
Jamigraphy: Writing as rhythm, movement and embodiment
Join artist and writer Alice Mazzilli and Cambridge Research Professor Pippa Steele for a jamigraphy workshop, exploring the rhythm of writing in response to live soundscapes.
Words That Wound: Exploring Online Offensive Language
The good side of social media is well known: creativity, fun and self-expression. But in our talk, based on our new book Words That Wound: Exploring Online Offensive Language, we focus on the other side: the everyday insults that people often come across online. We explore this through different levels of language analysis to better understand how offence works in digital spaces.
The philosophy of meaningful conversations
Human beings are social animals, and our brains are hardwired for conversation, but to what extent are these conversations meaningful and what makes them so? In this talk, philosopher and communications advisor Henrik Schøneberg will explore how philosophers have approached the topic of meaningful conversation, such as Socrates who walked the streets of Athens enjoying some of the deepest conversations on record, and Søren Kierkegaard who criticised the superficial nature of the conversational discourse of his time.
Invent your own language: Workshop
Ever wondered how languages such as Klingon, Na’vi or Dothraki are brought to life? Join linguist Dr Bettina Beinhoff for a hands-on workshop where you’ll explore the fascinating art of language creation.
Beyond LLMs: The advent of Gen-AI in educational paradigms
Explore how generative AI (Gen-AI) is transforming education beyond traditional large language models (LLMs): reshaping learning, teaching and creativity through adaptive, human-centred and data-driven approaches that redefine the future of knowledge and skill development.
In Other Wor(l)ds: Travelling through translation
In Other Wor(l)ds is a collaboration between the Cambridge research team for the EU project Cartography of the Political Novel in Europe (www.caponeu.eu), the Inter Alios choir of Churchill and Murray Edwards Colleges, Cambridge, directed by Dr Ewan Campbell, and the In Other Words project (www.inotherwordsbooks.co.uk/) of Tills Bookshop in Edinburgh.
Problem-solving? More like problem discovery! Using gamified conversational AI to support collaborative problem identification
This session introduces attendees to a new, interactive way of exploring complex challenges before jumping to solutions. Traditionally, problem-solving often assumes we already understand the problem, but in many industries, especially healthcare and public services, the real challenge is uncovering the right problem together.
We will demonstrate a gamified conversational AI tool that is designed to support teamwork, spark curiosity, and make collaborative problem identification faster, more engaging and more inclusive, even for those who are unfamiliar with AI.