The Language Under Discussion Society is an interdisciplinary academic society and internet-based community which brings together scholars and students from any discipline dealing with language—linguists, philosophers of language, literary scholars, communication scholars, cognitive scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, and anybody else interested in language as a subject of study, discussion, and debate. The society’s members are people who seek to promote scholarly interaction on the “big” questions about language, such as what language is, what linguistic meaning is, how to analyze and understand structure and pattern in language, the ways in which language interacts with culture more generally, or the roles of cognition in language and language in cognition. Specifically, the society seeks to promote an approach to language that does not neglect the human aspect of language—the essential role played by human beings, their cognitive abilities and social interactions, in language in all its forms.
The society publishes an open-access peer-reviewed journal (Language Under Discussion) that is aimed at reaching an interdisciplinary audience, and publishes materials that make broad and deep contributions to our understandings of language and its interactions with various cultural domains. The journal’s editors are currently also the contacts for all matters pertaining to the society. You can reach us by writing to: editors@ludjournal.org.
The Language Under Discussion Society seeks to apply organizational models that come from the world of social movements and of internet-based communities to promote a more egalitarian and free spirit in academia. Membership in the society is thus open to anyone interested and is free of charge (for record-keeping purposes we do ask that you sign up), and its decision-making structure is non-hierarchical, without a board, chairperson, or management. Similarly, the Language Under Discussion journal is fully open-access and integrates pre-publication and post-publication peer review.
The Language Under Discussion Society’s activities are all performed online. We believe imposing costly travel would create financial barriers to active membership and participation, which is something we wish to avoid. The society is not currently sponsored by any institution or other body (so far, the associated costs have been minimal). The Society holds biannual virtual meetings, of which the first was held in November 2016.
Join the Language Under Discussion Society, and let the discussion begin!
The Language Under Discussion Society is a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association.
