SinFonIJA 18

September 26–27, 2025
Faculty of Philology “Blaže Koneski” – Skopje

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University (UKIM)

We are pleased to announce that the 18th conference on Syntax, Phonology and Language Analysis (SinFonIJA 18) will be held at Blaže Koneski Faculty of Philology, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 26 – 27 September, 2025.

The conference will also host a workshop on Balkan languages.

About the conference

SinFonIJA is a traveling conference that covers topics from all areas of theoretical linguistics, comparative linguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, sociolinguistics, language acquisition and discourse analysis. It was first organised in Nova Gorica in 2008 and got its name from the Slovenian SINtaksa FONologija In Jezikovna Analiza ‘Syntax, Phonology and Language Analysis’. Over the past 17 years it has been organised in Brno, Udine, Novi Sad, Budapest, Kraków, Dubrovnik, Ljubljana, Graz, Niš, Vienna, Sarajevo, Nova Gorica i.e. the many cities within the area of the former Austro-Hungarian empire and/or Yugoslavia.

Call for papers

Any topic related to syntax, phonology, linguistic analysis of speech and text or teaching linguistics is welcome. We especially encourage proposals that seek to discuss the challenges of the field by introducing new topics as well as new theoretical and methodological approaches.

We invite proposals from all areas of theoretical linguistics, comparative linguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, language acquisition, sociolinguistics and discourse analysis for the main session. This year, SinFonIJA will feature a special workshop on Balkan languages (see below). Please indicate if your submission is intended for the workshop.

SinFonIJA 18 is planned as an in-person event. The official language of the conference is English.

Please indicate the preferred presentation type in the course of the submission.

Balkan languages – proposals for a workshop

The workshop will offer the opportunity to discuss Balkan languages from different perspectives. Therefore, we encourage proposals that examine the evolution, transformation, and interactive relationship of Balkan languages, along with the challenges faced by Balkan languages study programs. Some of the main topics that the conference aims to cover in this special workshop are related, but not limited to the following:

Structural features, contemporary tendencies and history of Balkan languages
Current contacts between Balkan languages
Microvariation and sociolinguistic aspects of Balkan languages
Balkan languages, bilingualism and multilingualism
History of Balkan linguistics
Pragmatic aspects of Balkan languages
Balkan languages and linguistic corpora
Challenges in teaching Balkan languages
Benefits and challenges of learning Balkan languages with the aid of artificial intelligence

We also hope this workshop will explore some of the following questions, as well as other connected inquiries:

What are the convergent and divergent tendencies of Balkan languages and dialects in contemporary and historical terms?
What are the mechanisms of contact-induced language changes in Balkan languages?
What is the status of Balkan linguistics in contemporary linguistics?
What are the challenges facing Balkan languages today?
What are the challenges of universities which offer study programs on Balkan languages?

Invited plenary speakers

Eleni Bužarovska – Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia

Motoki Nomachi – Slavic-Eurasian Research Center at Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

Petra Mišmaš – Centre for Cognitive Science of Language, University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia

All sessions will be in-person. Possible session formats include:

A paperis a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer or discussion period.
A poster presentation – Posters should stimulate discussion, not give a long presentation. Therefore, keep text to a minimum, emphasize graphics, and make sure every item included in your poster is necessary. Body text should be legible and pick 3 colours maximum.
A workshoppresentation is a 20-minute professional development presentation which will be included in a longer special workshop session. .

Abstract and submission guidelines

Abstracts should be in PDF format.
Abstracts should be around 500 words (2.5 cm margins on all sides, double spaced, Times New Roman, font size 12 pt), including references, examples, and figures.
Examples should be incorporated into the text rather than included separately at the end.
Abstracts must be anonymous and must not reveal the identity of the author(s) in any way.
Authors may submit two abstracts maximum, only one abstract may be single-authored.
Please indicate your preferred mode of presentation (talk or poster) in the submission form.
Please indicate if your submission is intended for the Balkan languages workshop.

Please submit abstracts via: https://openreview.net/group?id=SinFonIJA/2025

* Proposals will be peer reviewed by a panel of experts

Important Dates

Abstract submission deadline: ~~April 15, 2025~~ EXTENDED!: May 4, 2025

Notification of acceptance: end of June, 2025

Conference: September 26-27, 2025

Conference fees

The registration fee for participants is EUR 100 (regular fee) and EUR 40 (student fee). Proof of the student’s status should be sent after acceptance.

Organizing Committee

Mira Bekjar (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia)
Franc Marušič (University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia)
Bojan Petrevski (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia)
Milena Kasaposka-Chadlovska (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia)
Davor Jankuloski (Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, North Macedonia)

Contact

Email: sinfonija18@proton.me

For more information about SinFonIJA 18, please visit our website at: https://flf.ukim.mk/sinfonija-18/ or https://sites.google.com/view/sinfonija-18/

We look forward to receiving your proposals!