36.2179, Confs: Parameters of Language Staging (France)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-36-2179. Wed Jul 16 2025. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 36.2179, Confs: Parameters of Language Staging (France)

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Date: 16-Jul-2025
From: Cécile Viollain [cecile.viollain at gmail.com]
Subject: Parameters of Language Staging


Parameters of Language Staging
Short Title: PLS8
Theme: Forms, Functions, and Multimodal Dynamics of Staged Discourse

Date: 21-May-2026 - 22-May-2026
Location: Nanterre, France
Meeting URL: https://pls8.sciencesconf.org/

Linguistic Field(s): Discourse Analysis; General Linguistics;
Phonetics; Sociolinguistics; Text/Corpus Linguistics

Submission Deadline: 03-Oct-2025

This conference is part of a series of scientific events organized by
the GReMLIN research group at Paris Nanterre University, which aims to
advance the reflection on the parameters of meaning (re)construction,
conceived as a dynamic, context-bound activity involving multiple
levels of linguistic structure – morphosyntax, phonology, prosody,
gesture, semantics, and pragmatics.
This 8th edition addresses the staging of discourse and the forms and
functions of staged discourse, with a particular focus on
spoken/multimodal data.
Building on Bauman (1992), Coupland (2007), and Bell & Gibson (2011),
staged discourse is defined as discourse produced within the setting
of an oral/multimodal performance that is (partially) planned and/or
scripted, deliberately staged in front of an audience, and
characterized by embodied, interactive, and expressive dimensions.
Staged discourse may pursue various (and often overlapping) goals,
which may be informational, argumentative, persuasive, artistic,
stylistic, or aesthetic, among others. Types of staged discourse
include, but are not limited to:
 - Contemporary fictional dialogue (films, TV series, theatre
 - Entertainment discourse, such as stand-up comedy and talk shows
(reality shows, “edutainment”, etc.)
 - Political discourse
 - Legal pleadings
 - Advertising discourse on social media and TV/radio
 - News discourse on social media and TV/radio
 - Spoken academic discourse and its popularized forms (lectures,
conferences, TED-style talks, etc.)
 - Performed discourse in foreign language teaching and learning
contexts (drama sketches, role-plays, oral presentations, routines,
teacher-performed discourse, dramatization of the learning process for
didactic purposes, teacher’s self-staging, etc.)
 - Religious preaching (sermons)
 - Sung voice (versus spoken voice)
 - Slam poetry
A number of issues and research questions can be explored across
different types of staged discourse, whether in studies focusing on a
single type or from a comparative perspective, among which:
 - How do linguistic resources at different levels, such as syntax,
lexicon, phonology, prosody, and gesture, interact in shaping meaning
and interpersonal relations within staged discourse?
 - How are multiple and sometimes conflicting communicative goals
negotiated and realized through language in staged discourse?
 - How do speakers and their audiences co-construct staged discourse,
and how does the design of performances impact interaction, reception,
and perception (Bell 1984; Montini & Ranzato 2021)?
 - How do speakers balance naturalness and orchestration, and how does
staged discourse differ in use, forms, and/or functions from
spontaneous spoken interaction (Bednarek 2010, 2018; Bublitz 2017;
Jucker 2021)?
 - What role does the script play in staged discourse, and to what
extent do speakers rely on, interpret, or adapt scripted material when
performing an interaction (Duffy & Winchell 1989; Schlesinger 2008)?
 - How are staged performances evaluated as successful or failed, and
what (language-internal and -external) parameters influence these
judgments across different contexts?
Other questions may pertain more specifically to particular types of
staged discourse. As far as contemporary fictional dialogue and
entertainment discourse are concerned, sociolinguistic issues include
the potential stereotyping of certain identities through staging –
such as caricaturing communities and other social groups (Clark 2019,
Candea et al. 2019). Metareflection on language combined with humor
(e.g., parody) also raises important questions, to the extent that the
staging of the staging itself can reinforce or challenge stereotypes
(Coupland 2007). Another research avenue focuses on the promotion of
linguistic diversity and the transmission of cultural heritage and
identity through artistic or audiovisual productions (see Bednarek &
Syron 2022 for the case of Australian Aboriginal English lexis).
In relation to political but also academic and informational
discourse, one area of interest is the conversationalization and
informalization of speech, where speakers increasingly adopt
interactional features and colloquial styles drawn from everyday
conversation to foster authenticity and proximity with their audiences
(Clayman & Heritage 2002; Fairclough 2003; Fetzer & Weizman 2006). A
second key aspect concerns the dramatization of politics, both in its
contemporary forms and over time. This includes the transformation of
political actors into entertainers (Schütz 1995; Loeb 2017),
particularly in English-speaking countries where they are increasingly
expected to display charisma and humor in order to engage diverse
audiences. Such shifts raise questions about the blending of
entertainment and political functions and the evolving norms of
authenticity, authority, credibility, and persuasion in the public
sphere (Hall et al. 2016).
As for Foreign Language (FL) and/or Second Language (SL) speech, the
successes and challenges of staged discourse in class (e.g.,
role-plays, drama sketches, and expository presentations) deserve
closer examination. Indeed, one can wonder whether and how these
activities may enhance the communicative competence of FL/SL learners
(Stinson & Winston 2011; Belliveau & Kim 2013). Questions also arise
with respect to how teachers build their classroom personae, what
routines underpin their performances, what didactic purposes motivate
them, and how these routines shape the interaction with learners
(Heller & Grøver 2022; Nesi 2023). Another important area involves the
management of linguistic insecurity in classroom settings (Horwitz et
al. 1986), both for learners and teachers, particularly those who are
not language specialists but teach their subject in English (CLIL/EMI)
or other languages (Dalton-Puffer 2009; Dalton-Puffer &
Bauer-Marschallinger 2023; Lee et al. 2023). What linguistic features
betray such insecurity, and what strategies do learners and teachers
rely on to overcome it? Such insecurity, or on the contrary
(over-)confidence in one’s linguistic skills, can also be investigated
outside of the classroom. For instance, focusing on speakers who use
English as a Global language (Crystal 2003) for a variety of purposes
within the context of international communication can shed light on
differential linguistic power dynamics and speakers’ contrasting
linguistic statuses (e.g., the Trump-Zelensky clash in the Oval
Office).
Finally, this scientific event also offers an opportunity to
characterize and analyze underexplored types of staged discourse, such
as religious preaching (e.g., GOD TV), slam poetry (Vorger 2011), and
sung voice versus spoken voice, particularly from a phonostylistic and
sociolinguistic perspective (Trudgill 1983). Analyses of such genres
can offer unique insights into how speakers construct identity,
connect with audiences, and navigate social norms through language in
performance settings that blend communication with ritual and artistic
practice.
We welcome contributions from a variety of theoretical and
methodological frameworks, including pragmatics, discourse analysis,
sociolinguistics, multimodal analysis, interactional linguistics, and
FL/SL teaching and learning. While GReMLIN’s primary expertise is
English, we also welcome studies focused on other languages, which may
or may not adopt a comparative perspective. We encourage research
based on corpus data that can provide valuable empirical insights into
the features and functions of staged discourse across different
contexts.
For a complete list of references, please visit the conference
website.
Submission Guidelines:
We invite the submission of oral presentations via
pls8.sciencesconf.org (this page), which means that you'll have to use
your account, or create an account if you don't have one, in order to
submit your abstract online.
The official languages of the conference are English and French.
Allotted time for oral talks: 20 minutes + 10 minutes for discussion
Abstracts should be 1-A4-page-long with 1 extra page for references,
tables, and figures. Please use the abstract template provided and
anonymize references that are likely to identify the author(s).
Important Dates:
Submission deadline: October 3rd, 2025
Notification of acceptance: November 17th, 2025
Scientific Committee:
Maria Candea, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, France
Hugo Chatellier, Université Paris Nanterre, France
Catherine Chauvin, Université de Lorraine, France
Romain Delhem, Université Paris Nanterre, France
Isabelle Gaudy-Campbell, Université de Lorraine, France
Laura Goudet, Université de Rouen, France
Nadine Herry-Bénit, Université Paris Nanterre, France
Bérangère Lafiandra, Université Paris Nanterre, France
Agnès Leroux, Université Paris Nanterre, France
Martine Sekali, Université Paris Nanterre, France
Adam Wilson, Université de Lorraine, France
Organization Committee:
Olivier Divin
Pascale Manoïlov
Sophie Raineri
Cécile Viollain
& l’équipe du GReMLIN



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