Call for Proposals: Up to 4 Travel/Accommodation Fellowshipsfor Participating Scholars

Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 5, 2010.
Seminar Dates: Monday June 7 – Friday June 11, 2010.
More details can be found at www.uiowa.edu/obermann/L3 or flyer

The acquisition of a third language (L3) or more in adulthood, otherwise labeled successive multilingualism, sits at the forefront of current international linguistic inquiry for many scientific and practical reasons. Within the cognitive science study of language acquisition, adult multilingualism embodies an understudied instance of language learning that is essential for a more complete understanding of the human capacity for language. Its study provides a unique perspective that allows an exploration of theoretical issues that have yet to be fully explicated in studies to date. On the more practical side, in an age of increasing globalization, knowledge of multiple languages is necessary even in societies where socalled monolingualism has prevailed in recent times. Since recent estimates have indicated that up to twothirds of the world’s population is at least bilingual, studies on multilingualism are needed now more than ever before.

The seminar invites applications from scholars in all related fields, including but not limited to linguistics, applied linguistics, language pedagogy and education, psychology, and sociology. Participants selected from this call will join a team of invited international scholars, at various stages in their careers, representing a wide range of approaches.