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FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS & WORKSHOPS

2026 ALASA CONFERENCE
07-10 July 2026
Midlands State University, Gweru Campus, Zimbabwe

PROPOSED THEME

AI TOOLS, LANGUAGE DOCUMENTATION AND IDENTITIES IN THE DECADE OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES

Background

The proclamation of the UNESCO Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032) endorses the need for urgent commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity and promote the rights of Indigenous people at a global scale. In this context, the 27th ALASA Conference invites participants to engage in discussions on the theme AI Tools, Language Documentation, and Identities in the Decade of Indigenous Languages.

This Conference provides a platform for delegates to engage in meaningful dialogue on how AI presents both transformative opportunities and complexities relating to language documentation, policy and ethics issues, identity, multilingual applications, literature, applied linguistics and digital heritage.

Sub-themes

Include (but are not confined to) the following areas:

1. AI and Language Documentation

  • • AI technologies and documentation of Indigenous languages
  • • Culture and machine translation
  • • Oral heritage and digital archiving
  • • Terminology development and AI
  • • AI and the revitalisation of endangered languages
  • • Ethics and AI in language research
  • • Language modelling

2. Language, Culture and Identity

  • • Language technologies and cultural identity
  • • Language, education and technology
  • • Language and the media
  • • Onomastics
  • • Language and disability
  • • Language, gender and identity
  • • Language and spirituality

3. Multimodal and Multilingual AI Applications

  • • Sign Language and AI integration
  • • Language editing techniques
  • • Indigenous languages and animations
  • • Voice recognition and speech synthesis
  • • Digital games and indigenous oral literature

4. Language Policy, Rights and Education

  • • Language policy and planning in Africa
  • • Deaf-blind and assistive technologies
  • • Sign language and health
  • • Linguistic imperialism
  • • Indigenous Linguistic rights

5. Digital Humanities

  • • Digital humanities and inclusive pedagogies
  • • Intersectionality and the digital humanities
  • • Digital archives, corpora, glossaries, and term banks
  • • Digital humanities and the preservation of marginalised voices
  • • Human Language Technology (HLT) and Indigenous language dictionaries
  • • Indigenous languages and social media
  • • AI and digital media platforms

6. General Linguistics

  • • Phonetics and phonology
  • • Morphology, syntax, and morphosyntax
  • • Semantics and pragmatics
  • • Translanguaging and codeswitching

7. Literature

  • • Literature in African languages
  • • Colonial and postcolonial literature in Africa
  • • Conflict and post-conflict narratives
  • • Literary theories and African literature
  • • Oral tradition and storytelling
  • • Literary activism and social justice

SUBMISSION DATES

Abstract Submission

Deadline: Tuesday, 1 March 2026

Abstracts for workshops and papers

Acceptance Notification

Notification: 31 March 2026

Final notification of acceptance of abstracts

Submission Email: alasa2026@msu.ac.zw

GUIDELINES TO AUTHORS/PRESENTERS

Abstract Requirements

  • Papers: 150-200 words
  • Workshops: 250-400 words

Required Information

  • • Full title of the paper
  • • Title, full names and surname
  • • Institutional affiliation
  • • Email address
  • • Name of corresponding author (if multiple authors)
  • • Telephone (cell/mobile or office)
  • • Fax Number
  • • Postal address and postal code

Presentation Format

Oral Presentations:

20 minutes talk + 10 minutes for questions/discussions

Workshops:

60 minutes allocation with minimum of two authors

REGISTRATION WITH AUTOMATIC MEMBERSHIP

For Students

Early Bird Registration

$140

or equivalence in rands at prevailing bank rate

Inclusive of book voucher + R300 ALASA membership fee

Closes: Tuesday, 31 March 2026

Registration after 31 March 2026

$155

or equivalence in rands at prevailing bank rate

Inclusive of book voucher + R300 ALASA membership fee

For the purposes of the conference, a student is a person who has registered for a Master's or Doctoral degree at a recognised institution of higher learning

For Non-Students

Early Bird Registration

$250

or equivalence in rands at prevailing bank rate

Inclusive of book voucher + R300 ALASA membership fee

Closes: Monday, 31 March 2026

Registration after 31 March 2026

$265

or equivalence in rands at prevailing bank rate

Inclusive of book voucher + R300 ALASA membership fee

Important Notes:

  • • No refunds. Substitutes are welcome at no extra cost (if it is a student for a student or a non-student for a non-student)
  • • If membership for 2025 had already been paid, please send proof of payment to: alasa2026@msu.ac.zw

Travel, accommodation, subsistence, etc. related to delegates' participation in the conference must be covered by the delegates or their institutions, regardless of the abstract acceptance. ALASA and its conference organisers are not liable and hold no responsibility for any of these costs.

Ready to Submit Your Abstract?

Join us in advancing linguistic research and AI applications in the Decade of Indigenous Languages

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