Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to announce that the 51st Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (BUCLD 51) will be held on November 5-8, 2026.
We are honored to announce the keynote and plenary speakers for BUCLD 51:
Keynote: Prof. Jesse Snedeker (Harvard University, Department of Psychology)
Plenary: Prof. Kathryn Schuler (University of Pennsylvania, Department of Linguistics)
SPECIAL TOPIC FOR BUCLD 51: "Acquiring Rules"
Beginning with BUCLD 51, we are adding a new annual feature: a special topic. Each year, the special topic will be selected by our invited plenary speaker, who will also join the conference organizing committee as a visiting faculty advisor. We hope this new feature will highlight exceptional work in particular domains of language acquisition research and create new opportunities for conversation across subfields.
This year's inaugural special topic is entitled "Acquiring Rules" and focuses on how children acquire rules and generalizations in language. We invite work from any domain or at their interfaces, including phonology, morphology, syntax, and variation. Contributions to this special topic may address how children acquire and/or represent linguistic structure, and may explore the theories and mechanisms underlying this process from any theoretical perspective.
CALL FOR GENERAL AND TOPIC-RELATED SUBMISSIONS:
We welcome abstracts for 20-minute talks and posters related to language acquisition from any theoretical perspective. We encourage submissions related to the special topic for 2026: Acquiring Rules.
Abstracts are limited to 500 words and must not exceed two pages. A suggested format and style for abstracts is available on our website. If your work aligns with the special topic, please check the box in the submission form.
Deadline: Please submit your abstracts using the submission portal on our website. All submissions are due June 15, 2026, by midnight anywhere on Earth. Abstract decisions will be made by the end of July.
Submissions: https://www.bu.edu/bucld/calls/abstract-submission/
CALL FOR SYMPOSIUM PROPOSALS:
We are soliciting 1,000-word proposals for 90-minute symposium slots for BUCLD 51. We strongly encourage submissions on the special topic, but proposals on any topic likely to be of broad interest to conference attendees are welcome. Proposals should include a list of the participants, topics, and format, and should name at least one organizer.
Please send submissions to langconf(a)bu.edu<mailto:langconf@bu.edu> with "Symposium proposal" in the subject line. Please indicate at the top of your email whether the proposal aligns with the special topic.
Deadline: All symposium proposal submissions must be received by June 15, 2026, by midnight anywhere on Earth. Symposium decisions will be made by the end of July.
Further information
General conference information: http://www.bu.edu/bucld
Questions: langconf(a)bu.edu<mailto:langconf@bu.edu>
Best regards,
The BUCLD 51 Organizing Committee
