Southampton to host premier international conference on language in society

The Sociolinguistics Symposium 18 (SS18) will attract more than 600 delegates from around the world, to discuss research findings and debate issues concerning language in society.

Sociolinguistics is about the relationship between language and society. With the theme of ‘Negotiating transnational space and multilingual encounters', the conference will look at research into the relationship between language and society by examining the ways social structure is affected by verbal practices. Particular emphasis at the conference will be on the relationship between language and migration and the role of cities, and in particular port cities, to this relationship.

Professor Clare Mar-Molinero, Head of Modern Languages at the University of Southampton and Chair of the Local Organising Committee, comments: “We are very excited to host this prestigious conference here at Southampton. The connections between language and social organisation are multi-layered, dynamic and reflexive and they are accomplished at many different levels of language use. Language is so important in how it defines the ground for the ways parameters such as identity, community and culture are shaped.”

This is the first time that the University of Southampton has hosted the four-day Sociolinguistics Symposium, with the workshops and seminars taking place across the University’s Highfield campus.

For more information about SS18, please visit: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/ss18/

Listen to podcasts from SS18 here