Submitted by Richard Arlett on Tue, 22/07/2025 - 14:06
We are pleased to announce that five workshops have been awarded funding in the latest round of the Workshop Fund. More details will be available on the Language Sciences website closer to the workshop dates.
The following two workshops are funded directly through the Language Science budget:
Sociolinguistic Variation in Ancient Languages. Towards Third-Wave approaches and beyond (SVAL)
Conveners: Sólveig Hilmarsdóttir (Classics) and Dr Dalia Pratali Maffei (Ghent University)
This workshop aims to explore how Third Wave sociolinguistic approaches can enhance the study of ancient languages. While historical sociolinguistics has traditionally relied on First and Second Wave methodologies, Third Wave frameworks offer new perspectives by focusing on indexicality, stylistic variation, and the social meaning of linguistic choices. The programme will feature three invited speakers alongside a broad range of contributors ensuring diverse representation of topics, languages, and methodologies.
Further details can be found here: https://svalconference.wordpress.com
Role of Representation in Computational Phonology
Conveners: Yury Makarov, Professor Bert Vaux (Theoretical and Applied Linguistics) and Dr Andrew Lamont (UCL)
This satellite workshop, co-located with the Old-World Conference in Phonology (OCP), invites talks on the role of representation in computational phonology. It aims to build bridges between narrowly computational approaches and more traditional approaches to phonology and foster productive work across different disciplinary approaches.
An additional three workshops are funded through our AI-deas project, run in collaboration with AI@Cam, “Improving language equity and inclusion through AI.”
Critical Frontiers in Hate Speech and AI Research
Conveners: Dr Petre Breazu and Professor Napoleon Katsos (Theoretical and Applied Linguistics)
This workshop will bring together scholars, industry experts, and policy stakeholders to critically examine how hate speech is defined, detected, and normalised in the digital age, with particular emphasis on the promises and pitfalls of AI-based moderation. It will include three thematic panels: Algorithms and the (In)Visibility of Hate; Discourse, Normalisation, and Platformed Hate; and Global Perspectives and Justice-Oriented AI - alongside keynote lectures, panel presentations, an interactive Q&A session; and a practical demonstration of the Nutcracker semi-supervised detection tool by the University of Granada team.
Toward a more ecological investigation of bilingualism: current challenges and (AI-based) solutions
Conveners: Dr Margreet Vogelzang and Dr Chrysoula (Lina) Vassiliu (Theoretical and Applied Linguistics)
This workshop will explore how psycholinguistic research, particularly on bilingualism, could become more ecologically valid, inclusive, and replicable, and how artificial intelligence (AI) might support this. Rather than offering a fixed toolkit, the event is designed as a forum for dialogue between researchers in language sciences and AI. It will examine current challenges in bilingualism research, especially limitations of existing paradigms and categorical operationalizations of bilingualism; and highlight AI methods with potential applications in psycholinguistics and bilingualism research. Attendees will gain insight into current methodological challenges in bilingualism research, exposure to emerging AI tools and their potential applications, opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration, and a chance to help shape future research directions and partnerships.
Individualised Language Learning
Conveners: Professor Brechtje Post (Theoretical and Applied Linguistics) and Dr Mirjana Bozic (Psychology)
Held in July 2025, the workshop brought together stakeholders and impact partners as continuation of the AI@Cam funded project: Individualised Language Learning.
About the Workshop Fund
The Language Sciences Workshop Fund was launched in March 2022 and offers funding for the organisation and delivery of interdisciplinary workshops on any relevant topic to researchers in language sciences. Please visit the Workshop Fund page for more information.