CfP: BiUNED 2026 International Conference: “Language Policy, Bilingualism and Bilingual Education: Shaping the Future” (12-13 Nov, Madrid)
Call for Papers: Language Policy, Bilingualism and Bilingual Education: Shaping the Future
12-13 November 2026
Madrid
Since 2018, the UNED Language and Society Research Group has organised a series of biennial international conferences that have become a consolidated forum for scholarly debate on bilingualism and bilingual education. Building on previous editions
that explored bilingualism and interculturality (2018), the relationship between bilingualism and migration (2020), the interplay between bilingualism, bilingual education, and their social contexts (2022), and how bilingualism and bilingual education intersect with political tensions and conflict (2024), BiUNED 2026 focuses on the role of past, present, and future language policies in shaping bilingualism and bilingual education worldwide.
In contemporary societies, bilingualism and multilingualism are no longer marginal phenomena. Global mobility, internationalised labour markets, digital communication, and rapid technological development, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven technologies, are profoundly transforming how languages are learned, used, governed, and valued. These transformations affect not only educational practices but also research methodologies, assessment models, and language policy design. At the same time, language policies continue to generate tensions linked to ideology, identity, equity, linguistic rights, and access to education, which remain central concerns in European and international policy agendas.
Aligned with key priorities of the European Union, Horizon Europe, the European Education Area, and UNESCO, BiUNED 2026 aims to provide an international platform for critical, interdisciplinary, and forward-looking research on the intersections between language policy, bilingualism, and bilingual education across time, with particular attention to the impact of digital innovation and artificial intelligence on multilingual societies, educational systems, and governance frameworks.
The conference will be held in person, in Madrid. Presentations will last 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for discussion. Participation is open to all researchers interested in the conference theme. Proposals for papers in English or Spanish are welcome.
Deadline for the submission of proposals: 15 June 2026.
You will find more details, including a list of the conference themes, registration fees, another important information in the document below and on the conference website: BiUNED 2026 English – Fundación UNED
