Events in language and mind:
Theoretical and empirical advances in the event integration theory

The event integration theory formulated by Prof. Leonard Talmy has inspired numerous investigations into the interplay between language and cognition. By identifying typological patterns for world languages, this theory offers a way into the mental mechanism of event processing and lexicalisation. Utilising various types of materials ranging from video stimuli to corpus data and an array of experimental methods such as language elicitation, similarity and acceptability judgments, eye-tracking, recognition tasks, and change blindness tasks, researchers have shown varying relationships between linguistic expression of events and such cognitive outcomes as: attention allocation and eye movements during event observation, speed of event processing, co-speech gesture, event memory, and the cognitive salience of different event components. These complex associations have been investigated in a wide range of populations, including first and second language users, monolingual and multilingual speakers, as well as typically and atypically developing populations across different age groups and language communities.

Debates have arisen around whether the current event typology needs to be expanded due to intra-linguistic variation and the lack of unified principles for the classification of lexical roles. Additionally, although the field has extended beyond the examination of Indo-European languages, there is still much to be discovered about how event language is structured in less well-studied languages, and how this relates to event cognition. Further, there is not yet consensus on the extent to which these above-mentioned cognitive influences of language are present when language is not involved or even suppressed. Finally, although motion has been a fruitful testbed showcasing these cognitive influences of language, recent efforts have been made to extend this line of research to previously under-explored event domains with more event components identified and more properties examined. 

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS:

We welcome contributions on recent innovative research on event perception and typology that can help advance our understanding of event cognition. Contributors are welcome to approach the topic from multiple perspectives including (but not exclusive to) cross-linguistic comparison, intra-linguistic investigation, language acquisition, diachronic shifts, and on multiple levels ranging from verb properties to language typology, with a preference for empirical research. 

Please send an expression of interest with a proposed abstract to contribute to the special issue by 15 September 2022.

DEADLINES:

• 15 September 2022: Deadline for authors to send in their abstracts.
• 14 October 2022: Authors of shortlisted abstracts will be notified.
• 30 January 2023: Deadline for authors to submit their papers. 
• By December 2023: Expected publication of the Special Issue.

ABSTRACT FORMAT:

To send in your expression of interest, please send your abstract to xinyan.1.kou@kcl.ac.uk. 

An abstract needs to be:

• Max. 500 words, excluding references, tables, and figures (if applicable)
• Anonymised
• Divided into sections labelled Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Discussion
• Written in English
• In PDF version.

INFORMATION ON PUBLICATION FEES:

Please note that there are no fees for non-Open Access publication of manuscripts. As per a special agreement in connection with this special issue, all non-OA manuscripts will be free-to-read for 3 months after the date of publication.

For Open Access publication, the standard fee of £2,045 applies. Authors that are based at institutions with a transitional agreement with CUP will be eligible to have their original research and/or review articles published as Open Access, with their fee being covered by their institution automatically.

The checker tool to confirm eligibility can be found here.

CONTACTS:

To send in your expressions of interest, and for any further information, please contact the Guest Editors of the special issue:

• Jill Hohenstein – jill.hohenstein@kcl.ac.uk (King’s College London, UK)
• Eva Soroli - efstathia.soroli@univ-lille.fr (University of Lille, France)
• Xinyan Kou – xinyan.1.kou@kcl.ac.uk (King’s College London, UK).