Contributions to Generative Language Acquisition: Research and Related Work

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will feature research from the first UK Workshop on Generative Language Acquisition (UK-WGLA), held on 19–20 June 2026. The workshop aimed to provide a dedicated UK venue for theory-driven generative acquisition research, bringing together scholars working on syntax, semantics, morphology, phonology, and their interfaces in child language. Presentations focused on all of these areas, and the Special Issue will include a selection of papers expanding on this research, as well as related studies by the presenters.

The purpose of the Special Issue will be to provide a platform for UK WGLA presenters to further develop the research featured at the workshop for dissemination to a broader audience—including in language acquisition, but also in linguistics more generally. Research in the Special Issue will include studies on generative language acquisition and adult language processing, which contribute to linguistic theory through the lens of psycholinguistics.

Tentative Completion Schedule
Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 November 2026
Notification of Abstract Acceptance: 30 November 2026
Full Manuscript Deadline: 15 April 2027

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors (j.gerard@ulster.ac.uk) or to Languages editorial office (languages@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Dr. Juliana Gerard
Prof. Dr. Raffaella Folli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.