Boston University Conference on Language Development Call for Submission

BUCLD is turning 50 years old! We hope you will join us in November to celebrate this incredible milestone.

We are pleased to announce that the student-run annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (BUCLD) will be held on November 6-9, 2025.
 
We are honored to have Dr. Jean Berko Gleason as our keynote presenter for BUCLD 50.  
 
We have also planned some exciting events to commemorate this anniversary:
 
A film presentation that recounts the past 50 years of BUCLD, including stories from behind the scenes and interviews with members of our community.

• A curated exhibit that displays written memories, pictures, videos, and artifacts.
• A celebratory banquet on Saturday evening for interested attendees.
• Invited symposia that reflect on our progress as a field and chart a course for the next 50 years of research.
• Commemorative swag, merchandise, and so much more! 
   
  The BUCLD 50 organizing committee would love your thoughts and contributions: If you are interested in helping our team or have ideas to share with us, please reach out to us by sending an email to langconf@bu.edu. 
   

*****CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS******

Conference submission details:
BUCLD 50 will also feature regular talks and poster sessions. There are two kinds of submissions: Abstracts for 20-minute talks or posters, and proposals for symposia that address the special topics described below.
 
Instructions for submitting a Special Symposium to commemorate BUCLD 50: 
To commemorate our 50th anniversary, we are seeking 1000-word proposals for 90-minute symposia of two kinds: retrospective or prospective. Retrospective proposals should reflect on how language development research has grown over the years and where we have made substantial progress. Prospective proposals should address evidence of how the field is currently changing and discuss how the field is likely to continue evolving. Prospective symposia could focus on new methods afforded by technology, inclusion of expanded and more diverse populations in research, theory building, or other areas of likely growth.
 
All proposals should include a list of participants, topics, format, and at least one organizer. Send submissions to langconf@bu.edu with the title "BUCLD 50 Special Symposium" in the subject line. All submissions are due June 1, 2025 by midnight anywhere on Earth. Symposia decisions will be made in July.
 
Instructions for submitting an abstract: 
We are seeking 500-word abstracts for 20-minute talks and posters. Submissions that present work related to language acquisition from any theoretical perspective will be fully considered. Abstracts are limited to 500 words and must not exceed two pages. A suggested format and style for abstracts is available here. Please submit your abstracts starting on April 1, 2025 using this submission portal on our website. All submissions are due June 1, 2025 by midnight anywhere on Earth.