Call for Papers

18th International Pragmatics Conference

July 9-14, 2023

Pragmatics in aging: A better understanding of (a)typicality

Université Libre de Bruxelles(ULB)

Brussels, Belgium

Penal organized by Associate Professor Dr.Lihe Huang, Tongji University

With the increasingly severe worldwide aging trend, research on elders' communication and disorders in atypical interaction attracts growing attention. The 18th International Pragmatics Conference has its special theme “The shape of interaction: the pragmatics of (a)typicality”. Focusing on the shape of(a)typical interaction, studies on pragmatic behavior of the aging population include both academic values and practical implications. We seek to reinforce the pragmatics of (a)typicality by encouraging delegates to increase pragmatic insight into elders' language.

Change in linguistic performance is the direct and external manifestation of elders' physiological and pathological aging in daily life. Studies on language aging are essential for exploring (a)typical language and cognitive changes in the later stage of individuals. Currently, studies on aging discourse are multi-perspective, involving different approaches and practices. This panel focuses on the pragmatic issue of the typical language use of healthy elders and the atypical interaction of elders with mental diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, or other conditions. We expect linguists to show due responsibility when encountering the challenges in the context of global aging and provide the necessary and timely response for a better understanding of (a)typicality of pragmatics in aging.

The topics include but are not limited to:

1. description and elaboration of pragmatic features in the (a)typical aging process of elders

2. (a)typical interaction of face-saving, identity construction, (im)politeness in the interaction of elders’ daily life

3. analysis of elders’ interaction in (a)typical aging within the multimodal pragmatics framework

4. comparison of speech production between healthy elders and elders with dementia, especially between the elders speaking different mother tongues

5. narratives of (a)typical aging from the social pragmatics perspective

6. atypical linguistic detection technologies and pragmatic intervention methods for better interaction of elders

Paper Submissions:

Panel contributions can be submitted from 19 July 2022 until the deadline (open NOW!). Though it is the panel organizer(s) who take(s) active responsibility for the quality of the contributions to their panel (i.e. they decide what is accepted), abstracts should, for all panel contributions (including the ones invited by the organizer(s)) be submitted by the contributors separately by 1 November 2022. The acceptance of panel contribution entirely depends on its quality and relevance.

IPrA membership is required to submit an abstract and participate in the conference. For other details, please refer to: 

Call for Papers - International Pragmatics Association

Note:

After preliminary coordination, we have a first indication of the people who will present their work in this panel:

1. Lihe Huang, “How to Do Things with Words for Chinese Elders with Dementia: A Multimodal Perspective”

2. Deyu Zhou, “Noncompliance of Elders with Dementia Risk and Examiners’ Response in Clinical Cognitive Assessment”

3. Jingjing Yang, “An ERP study of metaphor comprehension mechanism of Chinese aMCI elders”

4. Rining Wei & Jing Wang, “Identity Construction of Healthy Older Adults in the Context of New Media: An Interpersonal Pragmatic Study”

Program Overview

Registration Website:

18th International Pragmatics Conference | Ex Ordo

Contact Information:

Associate Prof. Dr. Lihe Huang

Email: cranehlh@tongji.edu.cn