NWAV 52
Florida International University and the University of Miami are pleased to host the 52nd annual meeting of New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV) in Miami Beach from 7-9 November 2024.
New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV) originated at Georgetown University in October of 1972 as a site for the young field of sociolinguistics to explore the study of language change in progress, language variation, and the complex relationship between language and society.
In the past half century, the conference has grown alongside the field, expanding in scope and reach, becoming one of the premier meetings of socially-oriented linguists in the world. While the first meeting was named “New Ways of Analyzing Variation in English," (NWAVE) the “E” was quickly dropped as the conference broadened its focus to include a range of languages. For the first time in its history, scientific papers can be delivered in languages other than English at NWAV 52 in Miami.
Celebrating Variation in Multilingual Contexts
The theme of this year’s conference is Celebrating Variation in Multilingual Contexts / Celebrando la variación en contextos multilíngües / Celebrando a variação em contextos multilíngues / Selebre Varyasyon nan Kontèks plizyè lang. We think of multilingualism broadly, and hope to draw on disciplinary conversations about bidialectalism, code-switching, language contact, style-shifting, superdiversity and Sprachbunds, dialect contact and the effects of language contact on variation and change, broadly conceived. As we draw on these conversations, we of course hope to open new ways of analyzing variation in these and all other areas of disciplinary inquiry.
In keeping with the theme of this year’s conference, and to honor our commitments to the diverse language communities of Miami and Miami Beach, NWAV 52 will embrace multilingualism throughout the program. We invite you to view this page in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole, four languages that link Miami to language communities across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and beyond.
We also invite you to submit an abstract in any of these languages. To help with reviewing – and the flow of multilingualism through the conference - we have a couple of suggestions: if you submit an abstract in English, please consider submitting an optional, second version in another language of the conference. If you submit an abstract in Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole, please consider submitting an abstract in English.
Miami Beach Convention Center
NWAV 52 will be held at the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center, located just 12 miles from Miami International Airport, 5 miles from Downtown Miami, and three blocks from the beach!
Accessibility
NWAV 52 will be held on the second floor of the MBCC, accessible by escalator and elevator (lift). An accessible ride share / taxi drop off is conveniently located next to the east entrance to the convention center, immediately adjacent to the NWAV presentation rooms.
ASL Interpretation
American Sign Language interpretation will be provided at NWAV 52 upon request. Anyone needing ASL interpretation should pre-register for the event. For questions regarding ASL interpretation, please write to nwavmiami@fiu.edu
Language in Miami
Miami, a vibrant metropolis on Florida's southeastern coast, has always been a meeting ground for linguistic diversity. In the pre-colonial era, the region was home to the Tequesta, the Calusa, and the Jaega, with their links to the Arawakan peoples of the Caribbean and Central and South America. Today, Miami's dynamic population includes speakers of diverse varieties of English and Spanish - including varieties unique to the region - as well as speakers of Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Brazilian Portuguese, Mikasuki, and in the beaches, Russian and Serbian.
