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Dear colleagues, </div>
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Please find below the details of a very interesting looking conference coming up at the Université de Mons (Belgium). Some of the key facts: </div>
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<div dir="ltr" role="presentation">Conference dates: June 18-19, 2026</div>
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<div dir="ltr" role="presentation">Extended submission deadline: January 15, 2026</div>
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<div dir="ltr" role="presentation">Keynote speakers: Lou Harvey (University of Leeds), Maite Puigdevall Serralvo (Univeristat Oberta de Catalunya)</div>
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<div dir="ltr" role="presentation">Contact (and send abstract submissions to): Camille Marvin, camille.marvin@umons.ac.be </div>
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Happy new year and all the best,</div>
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James</div>
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<b>The Politics of Intercomprehension (Université de Mons, Belgium), June 18-19, 2026</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Studies of language acquisition, language education and other contexts of multilingualism present intercomprehension as the phenomenon of understanding, or being understood,
through different modes of communication (Grandgeorge: 2020, p. 14). It is a transdisciplinary and “polyhedral concept” (Popescu: 2015, p. 183): researchers employ distinct formulations, but all play with the (inter)action of understanding in contexts of difference.
This has real political stakes, though they have not always been acknowledged. What does it mean to understand a message, as it relates to power and recognition? What does it mean to understand a person, or to understand each other? Is understanding always
necessary? And when (and for whom) is it a privilege? The aim of this two-day conference is to tug at the ideological threads woven into intercomprehension and unfasten it from its purely linguistic interpretation to achieve a transdisciplinary understanding.
We hope that this gathering of different academic and activist perspectives will engender a more inclusive framing of the concept.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In the Global North, linguistic intercomprehension is understood as the process of an interlocutor
understanding unknown languages within the same linguistic family as their primarily used languages (Melo-Pfeifer: 2015). It has been lauded as a practice subversive to monolingual norms and aligned with European values (Clua: 2007; Dzik: 2019; Meiẞner: 2011),
without much contextualization of the colonial ontology underpinning European frameworks of multilingualism and multiculturalism. Projects of minority language revitalization have increasingly promoted intercomprehension as a tool for democratic collaboration,
but its consequences for linguistically-isolated communities (e.g. Euskera in Euskal Herria, which does not belong to the same linguistic family as neighboring minority languages) has not been explored. What are the benefits and limitations to such practices?
How does increased technological intervention transform these practices? Furthermore, we invite contributions that critically explore how politics of intercomprehension are enacted for vulnerable groups, particularly when understanding and intelligibility
are transformed into responsibilities rather than rights. For instance, situations of migration and (im)mobility offer unique contexts to further understand how intercomprehension happens when people are mixed together or forced apart (Faulstich-Orellana and
Rodríguez-Minkoff: 2016).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">With this conference we aspire to highlight contexts of communication often neglected by hearing
academics, such as those explored in Deaf Studies and Disability Studies. Intercomprehension is often characterized as an inherent element of communication in deaf communities (Zeshan: 2015), an idea which scholars have critically examined (see Bagga-Gupta:
2019; De Meulder et al.: 2019; Moriarty Harrelson: 2019; Moriarty Harrelson and Kusters: 2021). Studies such as these navigate the relation between intercomprehension and intersubjectivity as tools to analyze how people create shared understanding (Gillespie
& Cornish: 2009; Heasman & Gillespie: 2019). Research on neurodivergence illuminates the topic of intercomprehension and how language users ‘queer’ ableist notions of languaging and understanding (Walker: 2015). It is essential to include such perspectives
in our discussions so that hearing and neurotypical academics do not perpetuate ableism, audism and oralism through their work and theorizations of comprehension and intelligibility (Bauman: 2004; O’Connell: 2021; Rajagopalan: 2010).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We also invite participants to analyze the relationships between intercomprehension and different
conceptualizations of multilingualism. Of particular interest is the moral and ideological work that surrounds this intersection. For example, does the application of intercomprehension practices signify a more democratic future for language users, or are
its liberatory aspects overstated, as Jürgen Jaspers warned with translanguaging (2018)? Moreover, the ontological limits of linguistic intercomprehension seem to be restrained to human multilingualism. How can the “animal turn” in sociolinguistics (Cornips:
2025) contribute to theorizing intercomprehension as a distributed and emergent property between sociomaterial actors, human and non-human?</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This conference welcomes creative approaches to questions such as these to understand the political
and ideological contours of a multilingual future based in intercomprehension.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Submission guidelines:</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Extended deadline for submissions: January 15th, 2026</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We aim to offer a space and occasion for transdisciplinary collaboration, and invite contributions
from scholars, educators, activists, artists and students in the form of 20 minute presentations. These presentations can be traditional research papers but we remain open to other more interactive and creative formats.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The conference is linguistically flexible: we invite the inclusion of other languages, but request
that at least one element of the presentation (e.g. visual, spoken) be presented in English. Sign language interpreting services will be available for deaf participants.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Submissions for contributions should include an abstract or proposal written in English, of no
more than 400 words. Please include the title of your presentation, as well as contributor details (full name, pronouns if desired, email address, affiliations). A reference list is not required.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If you plan to propose a presentation of more than one author/presenter, only one submission is
required, but please include the details of all presenters. Please send your submission to camille.marvin@umons.ac.be. You will receive confirmation of your abstract's reception and will be notified of acceptance by the end of January 2026.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">-- </p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Dr James Hawkey</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Associate Professor in Linguistics and Catalan Studies</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Director of Catalan Studies</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">School of Modern Languages</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">University of Bristol</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Tel: </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 120, 215);"><u><a href="tel:+441174552631" data-outlook-id="ecad67c5-a05e-4340-b76b-e013f7b37034" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">+44 (0)117 455
2631</a></u></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">My pronouns are he/him</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Sign up to my office hours </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: blue; background-color: rgb(243, 242, 241);"><u><a href="https://uob-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/jh14265_bristol_ac_uk/EdY_OIA3Zd1Oi2IqYlDyiIcB2WzlrODvWc5K5r_rZD0MXA?e=h4wSsX" data-outlook-id="57406a67-bdba-43cc-bca4-7ec42c7e3246" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img src="cid:image001.png@01DC224F.06F73FA0" alt="docx icon" id="Picture_x0020_1" width="15" height="15" style="width: 0.1666in; height: 0.1666in; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> here</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Chair of the International Association for the Study of Spanish in Society</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Co-editor-in-chief of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"><u><a href="https://www.degruyterbrill.com/journal/key/soci/html?lang=en&srsltid=AfmBOorjUq4W2RaaKQC2_9cLGA68M2lU9b3HnjrH1-Z4Fe0SrZYfKwLD" data-outlook-id="9df2ac6c-5a01-4f48-8e23-26c74189d7d9" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Sociolinguistica</a></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Recent publications: </span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Hawkey, J. and Jiménez-Salcedo, J. 2026.
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"><u><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2025.2573917" data-outlook-id="2cdf2317-ba5c-4531-9f98-6b0ee63a427a" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">‘The development and use of multilingual
repertoires in bilingual classrooms: Between policy and practice in the </a></u><i><u><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2025.2573917" data-outlook-id="fa707849-5227-4eb3-9785-15733efdfbca" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Escola Andorrana</a></u></i><u><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2025.2573917" data-outlook-id="9ea9e24d-6b9e-4625-ad67-e81e5c05515d" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">’</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">,
<i>International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism</i> 29, 46-64.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Hawkey, J. 2024. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"><u><a href="https://revistes.eapc.gencat.cat/index.php/rld/article/view/4182/5437" data-outlook-id="c8d650fd-81cb-4123-ae5f-66a0c3ebab8d" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">‘La
política lingüística i les experiències d’integració de les persones amb orígens migratoris: el cas de la comunitat portuguesa a Andorra’</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">,
<i>Revista de Llengua i Dret / Journal of Language and Law </i>81, 51-68.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Hawkey, J. 2023. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);"><u><a href="https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.21012.haw" data-outlook-id="5c6b974b-f886-40b9-a0f9-c411e3d1c325" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">‘Variation
in Andorran Spanish past perfectives: Insights from the Portuguese Diaspora’</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">,
<i>Spanish in Context</i> 20, 154-177.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0cm; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </p>
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