Language and languages in all their diversity are the focus of an international conference at Osnabrück University from August 26 to 29, 2026. “There are over 7,000 different languages worldwide, which, on the one hand, can differ enormously—such as Xhosa in South Africa and German—but at the same time all share similar structural principles. This is likely one reason why every child can acquire any language in the world as a native language,” says Prof. Dr. Alexander Bergs, a linguist at the Institute of English / American Studies at Osnabrück University and organizer of the event.
The 59th International Annual Conference of the Societas Linguistica Europaea focuses on precisely this linguistic diversity. Founded in Kiel in 1966, the SLE is one of the largest linguistic societies in the world. At the conference, which Bergs and colleagues from the School of Language and Literary Studies are organizing in collaboration with the society, approximately 550 international guests from over 25 countries will come to Osnabrück to explore linguistic issues and exchange views on the current state of research. The topics of the 19 workshops range from grammatical analysis, language typology, language acquisition, and historical linguistics to language as a tool of political propaganda and language in artificial intelligence, such as in ChatGPT and large language models.
“We have an enormous range of topics before us here", said Bergs. “This conference once again clearly demonstrates that linguistics—even among early-career researchers—is a highly sought-after discipline and has something to offer everyone, from theoretical linguistics—such as the problem of iconicity in sound systems—to direct applications, such as the question of early multilingualism. Of particular interest this year is the panel discussion on the topic ‘May contain (strong) language: linguistics at the intersection of free speech and verbal aggression,’ which addresses the highly topical question of whether and how free speech, on the one hand, and the verbal aggression that may result from it in all its possible forms, on the other, are compatible with one another. “How, for example, do we recognize subtle forms of linguistic manipulation so that we can protect ourselves from them as best as possible?”
“We are delighted to be guests at Osnabrück University this year", said Prof. Dr. Maria Koptjevskaja Tamm of Stockholm University and president of the Society. “Following Bremen and Leipzig, this is our third conference in Germany since 2006. The SLE brings together linguists not only from Europe but from around the world. Our members come from diverse backgrounds in terms of their languages and cultures, their research questions, and their perspectives—and, above all, they are at different stages of their careers, ranging from doctoral candidates to leading researchers to renowned emeritus professors. SLE conferences like this one in Osnabrück, with their warm and friendly atmosphere, provide an invaluable platform for academic and cultural exchange and collaboration.”
“We are delighted to welcome such a prestigious, large-scale international conference to our School of Language and Literary Studies at Osnabrück University,” explains Prof. Dr. Christina Noack, dean of the School of Language and Literary Studies at Osnabrück University. “It once again underscores the significant role that Osnabrück’s linguistics program plays both nationally and internationally. The Societas Linguistica Europaea has previously held conferences in well-known university cities such as Bologna, Helsinki, Athens, Leiden, and Leipzig, and these conferences have consistently garnered significant international attention. The fact that it is taking place in Osnabrück this year is not only a great honor for us. It underscores that Osnabrück’s research achievements in this field are widely recognized. This is an important signal for us.”
Further information for the media:
Prof. Dr. Alexander Bergs, Osnabrück
University, School of Language and Literary Studies
alexander.bergs@uos.de
