37.3000, Confs: 41st International LAUD Symposium (Germany)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-3000. Fri Sep 18 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.3000, Confs: 41st International LAUD Symposium (Germany)

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Date: 17-Sep-2026
From: Frank Polzenhagen [laud2027 at projects.rptu.de]
Subject: 41st International LAUD Symposium


41st International LAUD Symposium
Short Title: LAUD 2027
Theme: Lexicography: Current Trends and Topics in Dictionary-Making

Date: 30-Aug-2027 - 02-Sep-2027
Location: Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
Contact: Frank Polzenhagen
Contact Email: laud2027 at projects.rptu.de
Meeting URL:
https://ksw.rptu.de/abt/anglistik/forschung-projekte/current-projects/41st-international-laud-symposium

Linguistic Field(s): Lexicography

Submission Deadline: 15-Oct-2026

The 41st International LAUD-Symposium explores the evolving landscape
of dictionary-making, with a focus on English lexicography. Over the
last years, this field has experienced fundamental changes. First and
foremost, there is an ongoing shift among users towards online rather
than traditional print dictionaries. Here, established dictionaries
compete with and are challenged by alternative platforms and AI-tools
that more often than not do not meet the high standards of modern
lexicography. At the same time, the online format allows for rapid
updates, offers fascinating new dimensions of cross-referencing and
provides a wide outreach as well as fast access. The current revision
of the OED is a prime example of these opportunities. The global
expansion of Englishes and the growing demand for inclusive language
documentation present further challenges and prospects for
lexicographic work. Dictionary design keeps evolving, e.g. with the
representation of encyclopaedic and (cultural-)conceptual information
and the use of multimodal features. Last but not least, the rapid
development of AI-tools poses the question of their fruitful and sound
application in dictionary-making. The LAUD-Symposium addresses such
challenges and opportunities for current and future lexicography.
Keynote Speakers:
 - Robert Lew (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland / Editor of
the International Journal of Lexicography) -- confirmed
 - Thapelo J. Otlogetswe (University of Botswana) -- confirmation
pending
 - Danica Salazar (OED Executive Editor for World Englishes) --
confirmed
 - Hans-Georg Wolf (University of Potsdam, Germany) -- confirmed
We invite abstract submissions for the following core themes of the
conference:
1. Lexicographic Description of L2-Varieties of English
This section focuses on the documentation of institutionalised Second
Language (L2) varieties of English. While some of these varieties have
received substantial lexicographic coverage (e.g., Indian English,
Nigerian English), many others have not been documented in
dictionaries so far. Potential topics for contributions include:
- L2-dictionaries of English in progress.
- Methods for identifying and validating variety-specific lexis (e.g.,
neologisms, loan words, semantic shifts).
- Balancing endonormative stabilisation with global intelligibility in
dictionary entries.
- The politics of representation: Who decides what constitutes a
lexicalised L2 item?
2. Representation of Cultural Conceptualisations in Dictionaries of
English
Language encodes unique cultural worldviews and cognitive schemas.
This section investigates how dictionaries can better capture
culture-specific conceptualisations and make their systematicity
explicit. Contributions are invited on topics such as:
- Lexicographic frameworks for capturing cultural metaphors, blends
and categories.
- The role of encyclopaedic notes and usage labels in explaining
culturally grounded vocabulary.
- Empirical studies on how users decode culture-specific information
in dictionaries.
3. Lexicographic Description of Under-Resourced Languages through
Multilingual Dictionaries Involving English
Multilingual dictionaries involving English can serve as tools for
language revitalisation and documentation. This track addresses
practical and theoretical aspects of this work, e.g.:
- Strategies for building bidirectional bilingual or multilingual
dictionaries for endangered languages.
- Community-based lexicography: Collaborating with native speakers on
language documentation.
4. English Dictionaries in the Educational Context
Dictionaries are fundamental to language learning and academic
literacy. This section explores how pedagogical lexicography can adapt
to modern learners, e.g.:
- Designing pedagogical dictionaries for specific purposes and groups
of learners.
- The integration of lexicographic tools into Second Language
Acquisition (SLA) curricula.
- Empirical studies examining how students interact with dictionaries.
- The role of dictionaries in fostering autonomous learning and
digital literacy.
5. Lexicography and Developments in AI
The rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative artificial
intelligence is transforming how dictionaries are compiled and used.
This section looks to the future of the discipline, e.g.:
- Using AI and LLMs to automate sense differentiation, definition
drafting and example extraction.
- The reliability of AI in generating lexicographic data for
low-resource environments.
6. Visualisation of meaning in dictionaries
Online formats and the use of AI tools facilitate the integration of
imagery into dictionary entries. This section explores dual/multiple
coding and the selection and use of different types of visual
representation in general and specialised dictionaries (e.g. idioms
dictionaries).
- The arrangement of text and imagery within a dictionary entry and
its effect on the comprehension, disambiguation, retention and
subsequent use of the lexical item.
- The effects of different types of visual representation (e.g.
photographs, realistic digital images, cartoons, diagrams, short
animations/videos).
- In the case of metaphorical expressions and idioms: The choice
between representing the literal scene, the figurative meaning or both
(i.e. blending).
Submission Guidelines:
Abstract length: 300–500 words (excluding references)
Format: PDF
Presentation formats: 25 minutes + 10 minutes discussion
Please send your submission to laud2027 at projects.rptu.de by 15 October
2026.



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