MAAL, SAAL and AILA ReN Migration Linguistics are jointly organising the International Conference on Migration Linguistics on 15-17 November in Singapore and Johor Bahru, Malaysia. – AILA

3rd International Conference on Migration Linguistics, Malaysia and Singapore, November 2026

Conference Theme: Migrants at the Margins: Roots, Routes, Belonging, and Language

Contemporary migration is a phenomenon shaped by histories of displacement, changing work opportunities, geopolitical shifts, global inequalities, and the climate emergency. As people migrate, they navigate new social, cultural, political, and linguistic terrains. A large proportion of people who migrate for better opportunities elsewhere tend to be at the mercy of forces of power both at the origin and in the destination. In the process, their identities are reshaped across roots (heritage and origin), routes (journeys, mobilities, border crossings), belonging (integration, exclusion), and language (communication, identity, power, survival).

This conference places special attention on migrants situated at the margins. It seeks to illuminate the complex linguistic, cultural, and social experiences of migrant individuals and communities whose voices often remain unheard in dominant narratives. We welcome contributions that engage with the intersections of migration and language from diverse theoretical, methodological, creative, and community-based lenses.

We welcome proposals for paper presentations, panels, workshops, and creative formats that engage with the following (but not limited to) sub-themes:

Roots: Histories, Heritage, and Language Maintenance Heritage language preservation and intergenerational transmission Narratives of homeland, displacement, and ancestral ties Linguistic revitalization among migrant or diasporic communities Linguistic traces in Migration Histories Routes: Journeys, Transits, and Mobilities Language use in transit, borderlands, and temporary settlements Communication challenges in mobility Linguistic landscapes across migratory routes New mobilities in digital migration and transnational networks Belonging: Identity, Integration, and Exclusion Language policies and migrant inclusion/exclusion Accent discrimination and linguistic prejudice Language learning and social integration in migration contexts Multilingualism and translingual practices in diaspora Language: Power, Agency, and Negotiation Language as a tool for advocacy and resistance Linguistic exploitation and rights in Disaster communication and forced migration Theories, methods, and innovations in migration linguistics

Migrant storytelling, performance, and language in the arts

https://www.migrationlinguistics.info/ in AILA Regional Events / Events / featured stories / Newsletters