PhilSoc Meetings

PhilSoc usually holds seven meetings each academic year, in October, November, January, February, March, May and June (AGM). At most meetings, a full paper is read; other meetings take the format of a thematic symposium. Significant announcements made at meetings are reported on the homepage of the Society's website.



Unless otherwise indicated, tea is served at 3.45pm and the meeting begins at 4.15pm.

The Society has a YouTube channel where video recordings of some of its past meetings may be found.




PhilSoc welcomes proposals for papers to be read at meetings. Proposals should be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary (contact details on the Contact page). Papers may be on any topic falling within the scope of PhilSoc's interests, but speakers are asked to bear in mind that the audience will represent a wide range of linguistic interests, and papers should therefore be accessible to non-specialists.

Oct
16
2026

October 2026

TBC
Guyanne Wilson (University College London)

The lecture will be given at University College London.

Please note that all ordinary meetings commence at 4:15pm. Members and guests are welcome to come for tea at 3:45 pm.

Nov
13
2026

November 2026

TBC
Paul Kerswill (University of York)

The lecture will be given at the University of Kent.

Please note that all ordinary meetings commence at 4:15pm. Members and guests are welcome to come for tea at 3:45 pm.

Jan
15
2027

January 2027

TBC
Gillian Ramchand (University of Oxford)

The lecture will be given at University College London.

Please note that all ordinary meetings commence at 4:15pm. Members and guests are welcome to come for tea at 3:45 pm.

Feb
12
2027

February 2027

What mathematical modeling can (and cannot) tell us about language change
Bill Croft (University of New Mexico)

This lecture will be given online via Zoom.

Mar
13
2027

March 2027

How languages show what speakers know
Jenneke van der Wal (Leiden University)

This lecture will be given at Churchill College, Cambridge.

Please note that all ordinary meetings commence at 4:15pm. Members and guests are welcome to come for tea at 3:45 pm.

May
14
2027

May 2027

TBC
Nick Evans (Australian National University)

The lecture will be given at University College London.

Please note that all ordinary meetings commence at 4:15pm. Members and guests are welcome to come for tea at 3:45 pm.

Jun
19
2027

June 2027

AGM and Lecture: On grammatical tone in Northwest Bantu verb inflection: Typology and diachrony
Nadine Grimm (University of Rochester)

The lecture will be given at the University of Oxford.

Please note that all ordinary meetings commence at 4:15pm. Members and guests are welcome to come for tea at 3:45 pm.