The 8th Prescriptivism Conference will be hosted by Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and will take place at HOEK 38, in the city centre of Brussels, on 24-26 June 2026.
Building on the success of previous conferences held in Sheffield (2003), Ragusa (2006), Toronto (2009), Leiden (2013), Park City, Utah (2017), Vigo (2021), and Aix-en-Provence (2024), this edition continues the tradition of exploring prescriptivism in its many historical, cultural, and linguistic manifestations.
The theme of the 2026 conference is: Prescriptivism: Beyond Norms and Usage
With this theme, we aim to shift the focus beyond the conventional view of prescriptivism as the unidirectional imposition of norms on language use. Instead, we seek to foreground the dynamic interplay between norms and usage by attending to the roles of contexts, ideology, policy, and agency.
We welcome papers examining prescriptivism across languages and periods, and from a range of perspectives. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Prescriptivism and ideologies, agencies, and actors
- Prescriptivism and identity
- Prescriptivism and language planning
- Prescriptivism and standardization
- Prescriptivism and language teaching and pedagogy
- Prescriptivism and minority languages
- Prescriptivism in media, politics, and public discourse
- Methods and approaches to the study of prescriptivism
The conference plenary speakers are:
- Anne Curzan (University of Michigan)
Prescriptivism, Education, and the Public: Lessons Learned - Emma Humphries (Queen’s University Belfast)
From 19th-century letters to 21st-century social media: Strategies of critique and justification in language commentary on French - Linda Pillière (Aix-Marseille Université)
Prescriptivism through the back door: How standard language ideology is perpetuated in popular culture - Loreta Vaicekauskienė (Vilniaus universitetas)
The tyranny of the red pen: Prescriptivism and politics
We welcome proposals for individual papers and posters. Paper presentations will consist of a 20-minute talk followed by 10 minutes for discussion. Posters will be presented in a dedicated session during the conference.
Please submit an abstract with a maximum of 400 words (including title and references). At the top of your abstract, specify whether your submission is for a paper or a poster. Abstracts must be fully anonymized. Authors are allowed to submit two abstracts if at least one of them is co-authored.
Abstract submission is via EasyChair at https://easychair.org/conferences?conf=prescriptivism2026. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 December 2025.
For further updates and practical information, please visit: https://historicalsociolinguistics.be/prescriptivism2026
Organizing committee: Eline Lismont, Nelle Simonet & Rik Vosters
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