Submission Deadline: 30 May 2026
PAMLA 2026 : 12-15 November 2026
Seattle, USA
Bilingualism and multilingualism are natural phenomena that have been extensively studied globally. However, monolingualism has been used as a standard to characterize and define bilingualism and multilingualism in linguistic research, leading to a distorted perception of these phenomena. This perspective is rapidly becoming obsolete due to the proliferation of multidisciplinary research. This session welcomes diverse perspectives on bilinguals and multilinguals from conceptual, theoretical, and practical/applicable viewpoints. We encourage attempts to elucidate why bilinguals are not simply a combination of two monolinguals. Even two bilinguals are not identical, let alone bilinguals as a group of two monolinguals. We welcome explorations of the diverse social lives and interactions of bilinguals, as well as the intricate challenges of defining and describing bilinguals, examining their process and outcomes of bilingualism, their verbal interactions, and language organization in the brain. The role of social and political bilingualism would also be of particular interest, considering its interactions with individual bilingualism and global bilingualism, particularly in relation to language endangerment and language death.
Other central concepts, such as individuals’ bilingual language attitudes, choices, and consequences, further distinguish bilinguals from monolinguals. Language acquisition is a complex process influenced by both innate biological and social factors; these dimensions will also be considered in this session, along with the educational implications of bilingualism on academic performance. The linguistic and cognitive consequences of individual, societal, and political bilingualism will also be of interest to this session.
This session will encourage contributions from various sociolinguistic, psycho-sociolinguistic, pragmatic-conversational, educational, planning-oriented, and sociopolitical perspectives.
Contact: Gabriel Rei-Doval,