Curtin University successfully hosted the 25th Sociolinguistics Symposium (SS25) from June 24 to 27, marking the first time this prestigious event was held in Australia. Our Bentley campus welcomed leading experts in human communication from around the globe with more than 510 delegates attending in-person and online to discuss ideas and exchange research findings on the relationship between language and society.

Themed ‘Ordinariness and Innovation: Linguistic diversity and disparity,’ the Symposium featured approximately 450 presentations across all areas of sociolinguistics. Leading the way in diversity, equity and inclusion, the conference showcased six Auslan interpreted keynote lectures on topics including Indigenous educational spaces, language modalities, linguistic entrepreneurship and more.

Dr Robyn Ober, a Mamu/Djirribal woman from Far North Queensland and Lead Researcher at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, delivered the opening keynote lecture. Her presentation, “Slipping and sliding through Aboriginal English: Taking the ordinary to create extraordinary Indigenous educational spaces,” marked significant Indigenous representation at a major linguistics conference.

The participation of more than 20 international Early Career Researchers (ECR) and Global South scholars was made possible through equity grants funded by Curtin’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research office in partnership with the Forrest Research Foundation. These researchers and scholars also had the opportunity to network with the keynote speakers and other ECRs at a pre-conference social hosted by the Forrest Research Foundation.

Thank you and congratulations to the SS25 Committee from the Faculty of Humanities: Professor Sender Dovchin (co-Chair), Associate Professor Lisa Lim (co-Chair), Professor Rhonda Oliver, Dr Ana Tankosić and Dr Eldin Milak, as well as all involved in the success of the conference.

Additional support came from Curtin’s School of Education, Edinburgh University Press, John Benjamins, Routledge, Business Events Perth and the previous conference SS24. Read more on the SS25 website or in the pre-event media release.

SS25 organising committee and keynote speakers (L-R): Associate Professor Lisa Lim, Dean International and SS25 co-Chair; Professor Zhu Hua, University College London; Professor Rhonda Oliver, School of Education; Professor Annelies Kusters, Heriot-Watt University; Dr Eldin Milak, School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry; Professor Peter De Costa, Michigan State University; Dr Ana Tankosić, Faculty of Humanities; Dr Robyn Ober, Batchelor Institute; Professor Ana Deumert, University of Cape Town; Professor Sari Pietikäinen, University of Jyväskylä; Professor Sender Dovchin, School of Education and SS25 co-Chair.
50 ECR delegates and the keynote speakers from the SS25 at the Forrest Research Foundation ECR event at Wonil Hotel, with Associate Professor Lisa Lim and Forrest Research Foundation Director, Dr James Arvanitakis (fifth and fourth from left); Professor Sender Dovchin (second from right); and organising committee members (left of picture, L-R) Dr Eldin Milak and Dr Ana Tankosić.