Many Paths to Language (MPaL) 2026
This 3-day conference focuses on meaningful differences in the way children acquire language. It will explore (a) multiple sources of variation in early language development, including: children’s linguistic and cultural environments, their cognitive maturation, and the structural properties of the languages they are acquiring, alongside (b) the implications of this variation for the mechanisms that drive and support native language acquisition, given the overall robustness of learning in the face of this variability.
Invited speakers
Allison Fitch (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Title and abstract are coming soon.
Amanda Seidl (University of Delaware)
Title and abstract are coming soon.
Symposium Acquisition Sketch Projects
The Acquisition Sketch Project is an initiative that aims at increasing knowledge about the acquisition of understudied languages The symposium will highlight a handful of sketches—some complete and others still in progress. Therefore, we encourage those working on acquisition sketches to apply for this special session. Please submit for this special session via the normal submission page; you will be able to indicate that you’d like your abstract to be considered for the acquisition sketch special session.
Pre-conference workshop
Developmental Language Disorder: On Tuesday October 27th, 2026 there will be a pre-conference workshop, featuring studies on early predictors of Developmental Language Disorder, organized by the Radboud TOS fonds (see website).
Abstract submission
The call for abstracts is open now. The deadline for abstract submission is Friday May 15th at midnight (anywhere in the world). Authors will be notified of presentation decisions by Friday July 17, 2026. To submit follow this link.
Venue
The conference (28-30th October) and the pre-conference workshop (27th October) will take place at the Max Planck Institute in Nijmegen, the Netherlands and online.
Prizes / Travel awards
Information to follow soon.
Registration
Registration for both conference and pre-conference workshop will open on Friday July 17, 2026 and close at midnight (anywhere in the world) on Friday October 9th.
Both in-person and online participation is possible but in-person places are limited, so please register early. There will be a small registration fee of Eur 50 this time for in-person participation to help cover costs.
If you require access accommodations (e.g. breastfeeding room, materials in large font, a quiet space etc.) please register by Saturday August 29, 2026 to give us time to help you with your preparations. Note that you are welcome to bring children, and we will provide a suitable room for children in our babylab, but we cannot provide staff to supervise the children.
Hotels in Nijmegen fill up quickly during local conferences. Please make sure to reserve your bookings early. A list with hotels can be found here. Other cities with good train connections to Nijmegen are Arnhem or Elst (approx. 20 minutes).
Abdel Elouatiq, Caroline Rowland, Eleni Zimianiti, Ilse van den Dobbelsteen, Imme Lammertink, Joyce van Zwet, Marisa Casillas, Paula Rubio Fernandez, Shoba Meera, Tineke Snijders, Yayun Zhang
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