CALL FOR PAPERS

The 30th International Conference on Yue Dialects will be held on December 18-19, 2026 at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), which is jointly organized by the T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre, CUHK and the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, CUHK, co-organized by the Hong Kong Base of the Joint Research Institute for International Communication of Language and Culture of the Ministry of Education and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Chinese, and sponsored by the Faculty of Arts, CUHK and the United College, CUHK. This Conference will be one of the commemorative activities for the 60th anniversary of the T.T. Ng Chinese Language Research Centre, CUHK. It aims to promote academic exchange in Yue dialect studies and related fields. Scholars worldwide are cordially invited to submit abstracts and participate in the Conference.

Submission of Abstracts

We invite abstracts for submission on all aspects of linguistics of Cantonese and other Yue dialects, preferably associated with the theme on “Cantonese in the World, the World in Cantonese: From Theory to Practice”. We aim to explore how linguistic theories can be translated into practical applications and development to meet societal (and even global) needs, particularly in the areas of technology and digitalization, language education, and cultural preservation. Talks will be 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for discussion.

1) All submitted abstracts must be written in English or in Chinese and limited to one single-spaced A4 page (using 1-inch margin on all sides), including examples and (selected) references. Please use Times New Roman (12 pt) for English, or PMingLiU (12 pt) for Traditional Chinese, or SimSun (12 pt) for Simplified Chinese, with single line spacing. Please submit TWO versions of the abstract: one with your name and affiliation and one without.
2) Please submit the abstracts in both MS Word and PDF formats to the Organizing Committee via the online system.
3) We will accept at most one single-authored work AND one joint-authored work by an individual.
4) For the paper in English: please name all files using your full name and the title of the submitted paper (“last name first name_title” ).
5) All abstracts will be reviewed anonymously. Only those abstracts that are accepted can be chosen for presentation.
6) Important Dates:

The selected papers will be accepted for publication in a special volume of Current Research in Chinese Linguistics (ISSN 1726-9245) based on their merit.


Workshop on Chinese Language Teaching and Learning for Non-Chinese Speaking Students in Hong Kong

There will be a special panel session on Chinese language teaching and learning for non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students in Hong Kong in the form of workshop during The 30th International Conference on Yue Dialects. We invite abstracts for submission that explore the Chinese language teaching and learning of NCS students in Hong Kong from diverse linguistic perspectives, particularly those addressing issues related to teaching and learning Chinese in the Cantonese-dominant linguistic environment in Hong Kong. Tentatively talks will be 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for discussion.

The abstract requirements and the submission procedure for this panel session are the same as other regular submissions to the Conference. Please add "[NCS Workshop]" above the title of the abstract submitted to this workshop.


LSHK Award for Outstanding Student Paper on Cantonese Linguistics (2026)

The LSHK Award for Outstanding Student Paper on Cantonese Linguistics is an attempt by The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK) to promote, recognize, and encourage scholarship by young undergraduate and postgraduate students to conduct research on Cantonese linguistics. Starting from 2011, the competition for the LSHK Award for Outstanding Student Paper on Cantonese Linguistics has been held every two years in conjunction with the International Conference on Yue Dialects.

Current undergraduate or postgraduate students, registered by the time of submission or by 31 August 2026, are eligible to compete for the Award. Only members of the LSHK are eligible to participate in the competition; non-members must be prepared to join the LSHK at the time of participation. Each participant is required to submit a full paper of not more than 15 pages in length (excluding reference list), either in Chinese or in English, to the Executive Committee of the LSHK, attaching a copy of the student identity card.

All submissions for this Award must be original papers that have not been published or accepted for publication, including proceedings. Previous award winners are not allowed to re-enter the competition. Papers that have been submitted to this competition before cannot be re-submitted. All papers submitted for the LSHK Award for Outstanding Student Paper on Cantonese Linguistics are subject to review by a Review Committee appointed by the Executive Committee of the LSHK. A maximum of 5 (normally 2-4) finalists will be selected and are required to attend the International Conference on Yue Dialects to make an oral presentation before a Panel of Judges at a special session organized for this purpose. ^(*)The Review Committee of any given year reserves the right to make the final decision and may also recommend that no finalist be invited. The author of the best paper selected by the Panel will be honored during the International Conference on Yue Dialects and presented with an Award Certificate and HK$3,000.
* No subsidy such as registration fee, accommodation, and travel subsidy will be provided.

Requirements:
1) Current undergraduate or postgraduate (taught or research degrees) students, registered by the time of submission or on or before 31 August 2026, are eligible to compete for the Award. Graduating students who remain enrolled as of 30 June 2026 are also eligible. Papers submitted must be related to Cantonese linguistics and represent original and unpublished research.
2) Candidates are required to submit one single-authored full paper (without the author’s name and in both MS Word and PDF formats) and a separate sheet with the following information: (a) name of the author, (b) institutional affiliation and programme, (c) title of the paper, and (d) e-mail addresses, together with a scanned copy of a document verifying your student status (student ID or notification of admission). Papers should NOT exceed 15 pages (excluding reference list) and can be in Chinese or English.
3) Paper submissions, together with the information and document mentioned in (2) above, should reach LSHK at excom@lshk.org in the form of e-mail attachments on or before 1 September 2026. All submissions will be confirmed upon receipt by the Executive Committee of the LSHK via e-mail.