37.2721, Confs: 4th EBSULING International Language-centred Interdisciplinary Conference 2026 (Nigeria)

Fri Aug 21 10:05:02 UTC 2026

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-2721. Fri Aug 21 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.2721, Confs: 4th EBSULING International Language-centred Interdisciplinary Conference 2026 (Nigeria)

Moderator: Steven Moran (linguist at linguistlist.org)
Managing Editor: Valeriia Vyshnevetska
Team: Helen Aristar-Dry, Daniel Swanson
Jobs: jobs at linguistlist.org | Conferences: callconf at linguistlist.org | Pubs: pubs at linguistlist.org

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org

Editor for this issue: Valeriia Vyshnevetska <valeriia at linguistlist.org>

================================================================

Date: 21-Aug-2026
From: Dr. Jeremiah Anene Nwankwegu [jeremiah.nwankwegu at ebsu.edu.ng]
Subject: 4th EBSULING International Language-centred Interdisciplinary Conference 2026

4th EBSULING International Language-centred Interdisciplinary
Conference 2026
Short Title: 4TH EBSULING 2026
Theme: Language, Communication, and Society in an Era of Disruptive
Technologies

Date: 04-Nov-2026 - 07-Nov-2026
Location: Abakaliki, Nigeria
Contact: Dr Edith Ada Anyanwu
Contact Email: ebsulings.conf at ebsu.edu.ng

Linguistic Field(s): Computational Linguistics; Discourse Analysis;
General Linguistics; Linguistic Theories
Subject Language(s): English (eng, stan1293)
                     Hausa (hau, haus1257)
                     Igbo (ibo, nucl1417)
                     Nigerian Pidgin (pcm, nige1257)
                     Yoruba (yor, yoru1245)

Submission Deadline: 30-Sep-2026

Concept:
Human society is passing through a period of rapid technological
change. Artificial intelligence, social media, machine learning,
automated translation, digital publishing, virtual communication and
other emerging technologies are changing how people communicate,
learn, work, create knowledge and relate with one another. These
technologies are also changing the ways languages are used, taught,
documented, translated and preserved.
Language is at the centre of these changes. New technologies depend
heavily on language for human–machine interaction, while people
increasingly use digital platforms to create new forms of expression,
identity and social relationships. Artificial intelligence can now
generate texts, translate languages, imitate human conversation and
process large amounts of linguistic information. At the same time,
digital communication is producing new language practices involving
shortened forms, emojis, memes, multimodal texts, code-switching and
other emerging forms of expression.
These developments present important opportunities. Digital
technologies can support language teaching and learning, documentation
of endangered languages, translation, research, knowledge production
and wider access to information. They can give greater visibility to
indigenous languages and cultures and provide new tools for
researchers in linguistics, literature, communication, humanities,
education and related disciplines.
However, technological change also presents serious challenges. Many
indigenous and less-resourced languages remain poorly represented in
digital technologies and artificial intelligence systems. The growing
use of AI raises questions about authorship, originality, academic
integrity, intellectual property and the future of human creativity.
Social media and other digital platforms have also increased the speed
at which misinformation, hate speech, harmful narratives and
manipulated information can circulate across societies.
These transformations extend beyond technology itself. Language and
communication continue to play important roles in governance,
security, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, education, health,
religion, climate action, environmental sustainability and social
development. Understanding contemporary society therefore requires
greater interaction between linguistics and other fields concerned
with human communication, culture and social life.
It is against this background that the Department of Languages &
Linguistics, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, convenes the 4th
EBSULING International Conference 2026, with the theme “Language,
Communication, and Society in an Era of Disruptive Technologies.”
The conference adopts a language-centred interdisciplinary approach.
It brings together scholars, researchers, teachers, students,
professionals, writers, journalists, translators, technology
practitioners and other stakeholders to examine the changing
relationships among language, communication, technology and society.
The conference particularly seeks to provide a platform for
established and emerging scholars to share research, develop
interdisciplinary collaborations and discuss how linguistic and
humanistic scholarship can respond to technological and social change.
It also provides an opportunity to examine how African and other
less-resourced languages can participate meaningfully in emerging
digital environments rather than remain at the margins of global
technological development.
The conference welcomes theoretical, empirical, applied and
interdisciplinary contributions. While disruptive technologies provide
the immediate context of the conference, papers need not be restricted
to technology. Contributions addressing language structure, linguistic
theory, literature, discourse, communication, culture and other areas
relevant to the broad conference tracks are equally welcome.
Ultimately, EBSULING 2026 seeks to strengthen conversations between
language scholarship and the wider society and to encourage research
that responds meaningfully to the opportunities and challenges of a
rapidly changing world.
Conference Tracks / Sub-themes:
1.      AI, Language, and Digital Humanities
2.      Literature, Culture, and Emerging Futures
3.      Media, Misinformation, and Digital Communication
4.      Indigenous Languages and Technological Inclusion
5.      Language, Security, Conflict, and Peacebuilding
6.      Education, Digital Literacy, and Knowledge Production
7.      Translation, Multilingualism, and Global Communication
8.      Language Policy, Governance, and Development
9.      Language, Identity, Culture, and Social Change
10.     Climate, Sustainability, and Environmental Communication
11.     Language Structure and Linguistic Theory
12.     Discourse, Pragmatics, and Interaction
13.     Media, Journalism, and Public Communication
14.     Language, Cognition, and Human–Machine Interaction
15.     Language, Health, Religion, and Human Well-Being
The listed tracks are indicative rather than restrictive. Papers
addressing other language-centred and relevant interdisciplinary
issues are welcome.
The Local Organising Committee of the 4th EBSULING International
Conference 2026 invites scholars, researchers, postgraduate students
and professionals to submit abstracts of original papers for
presentation at the conference.
Submissions may address any of the conference tracks or other topics
relevant to the general theme and interdisciplinary orientation of the
conference.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

********************** LINGUIST List Support ***********************
Please consider donating to the Linguist List, a U.S. 501(c)(3) not for profit organization:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=87C2AXTVC4PP8

LINGUIST List is supported by the following publishers:

Australian Linguistics Society https://als.asn.au/Home

Bloomsbury Publishing http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/

Cambridge University Press http://www.cambridge.org/linguistics

Cascadilla Press http://www.cascadilla.com/

De Gruyter Brill https://www.degruyterbrill.com/?changeLang=en

Edinburgh University Press http://www.edinburghuniversitypress.com

European Language Resources Association (ELRA) http://www.elra.info

John Benjamins http://www.benjamins.com/

Language Science Press http://langsci-press.org

Lincom GmbH https://lincom-shop.eu/

MDPI Languages https://www.mdpi.com/journal/languages

MIT Press http://mitpress.mit.edu/

Multilingual Matters http://www.multilingual-matters.com/

Narr Francke Attempto Verlag GmbH + Co. KG http://www.narr.de/

Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics / Landelijke (LOT) http://www.lotpublications.nl/

Peter Lang AG http://www.peterlang.com

SIL International Publications http://www.sil.org/resources/publications

----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-37-2721
----------------------------------------------------------